Minimum Degree Credit Hour Requirements

Policy Number: Not assigned a number.

Effective Date: N.D.

Policy Title: Miminum Degree Credit Hour Requirements

Contact: Academic Programs

Policy Statement:

The Illinois Board of Higher Education defines the number of semester credit hours and years of full-time study that are required for each type of degree granted by a university in Illinois. These degree definitions are consistent with those of the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and have been adopted by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and the UIC Senate.

The UIC Senate established the following minimum credit hour requirements for the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees for the semester system. Colleges and departments should follow the requirements listed below as they develop new programs or change existing programs.

Minimum Credit Hour Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees. In order to receive a bachelor's degree, students must complete a minimum of 120 semester credit hours.

Minimum Credit Hour Requirement for Master's Degrees. In order to receive a master's degree awarded by the Graduate College, students must complete a minimum of 32 semester hours of graduate coursework at the 400 or 500 level (including independent study, research projects, thesis, and internships), of which at least 9 hours must be at the 500 level.

Minimum Credit Hour Requirement for PhD Degrees. Students must complete a minimum of 96 semester hours of graduate coursework (400 or 500 level) beyond the baccalaureate.

Note: Doctoral students who have received a master's degree prior to beginning the doctoral program will receive up to 32 semester hours of credit toward the minimum 96 semester hour requirement for the degree.

For more information about degree requirements, view the UIC Academic Catalog.