Credit Requirements for Degree

Time to Degree

All students in the College of Media are permitted 8 semesters—not counting summer or winter terms—to complete their degree requirements. A student completing their degree requirements prior to 8 semesters will graduate in the term in which they complete their degree. A student who wishes to exceed 8 semesters may need to submit a petition to the Student Services Center explaining their unusual circumstances upon further consultation of their academic advisor. Completion of a minor or certificate program is NOT an acceptable reason for a degree extension since these are not required degree components. Students exceeding 8 semesters may be subject to higher tuition costs in additional semesters as determined by the Undergraduate Guaranteed Tuition Program.

Use of Transfer Credit

A student who is transferring credit from study abroad coursework or from a transfer institution—or the combination of both of these—may use a maximum of 9 hours toward College of Media electives. This rule is effective for courses taken Fall 2014 and later. Courses taken outside of the United States at a transfer institution are not eligible for credit toward required core major courses in the College of Media.

A student who wishes to take coursework at a transfer institution in the United States should refer to Transferology.com to ensure that a course in which they hope to enroll is transferable as they intend for it to be to our institution.

Music Lessons and Ensembles

Music Lessons and Ensembles (MUSC) is a rubric reserved for students who are in performance ensembles such as Black Chorus (MUSC 463), Marching Illini (MUSC 487), and Jazz Ensemble (MUSC 492), to name a few. Undergraduate students are instructed to add 400-level MUSC courses. However, these students should consider these courses to be 200-level for the purpose of fulfilling degree requirements (they will even read as “Matched as MUSC 2—“ on a degree audit). These courses will not count as 300- or 400-level advanced coursework for purposes of degree completion.

Cross-Listed Coursework

A course in another department or college across campus is cross-listed with a College of Media course if it appears in the Class Schedule with the wording of “Same as ADV, JOUR, MACS, MDIA.” Any cross-listed course with a College of Media “Same as…” notation will ONLY count toward College of Media electives, NOT toward electives required outside of the College of Media. A student who is unsure of this policy is encouraged to consult their academic advisor with questions. 

Composition/Rhetoric Hours

The following courses that transfer to Illinois may count for total hours toward degree completion in the College of Media up to a maximum of 7 CREDIT HOURS: RHET 1-- and RHET 105 (including AP or IB test credit), RHET 101 and 102, and UCI 1-- and UCII 1--. No additional UCI or RHET hours may count toward degree completion in the College of Media.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading

Unlike Credit/No Credit grading, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading may count toward some degree requirements. A Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory course is permitted to count toward some degree requirements including Area of Study, 100-200-level College of Media electives, and 100-200-level outside electives. It will NOT count toward those required ADVANCED (300-400-level hours) inside of the College of Media or outside of the College of Media. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory may NOT be used when a letter grading option is available (e.g., A-F grading scale).

Please speak with your academic advisor if you are not certain whether a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory-graded course is an appropriate option for you. For more information on Credit/No Credit grading, please read Grading Options.

Dual Degrees

College of Media students are not presently permitted to pursue a double major within the College of Media. A student who wishes to pursue a dual degree in a college outside of the College of Media must have the approval of both colleges and follow any applicable admissions procedures for that second college. An approved dual degree student must complete a minimum of 30 additional hours above their original degree hours (124 total hours is the requirement for a College of Media student, so 154 hours). A student pursuing a dual degree must be enrolled in the College of Media for at least two semesters.

The student must notify both colleges when they plan to complete their degree requirements and graduate.  If a student is enrolled for longer than 8 semesters, higher tuition costs may apply as determined by the Undergraduate Guaranteed Tuition Program. The student is assessed tuition for the college in which they’re currently enrolled.

Students who are interested in dual degree from another college on campus should contact Media Student Services at media-ssc@illinois.edu for more information.

Second Bachelor’s Degree (post-graduation)

The College of Media does not offer second bachelor’s degrees for students who have previously completed a bachelor degree of any kind.