Board of Trustees BA Degree Program

Western Illinois University offers a unique Bachelor of Arts degree program designed to provide adult students with an opportunity to earn a regionally accredited undergraduate degree in a manner compatible with their educational needs and lifestyles. This highly individualized and flexible program recognizes that adults may have attended a variety of educational institutions and accepts transfer of passing course work taken at other regionally accredited colleges and universities.

Is This Degree Right for You?

The decision to enter a college degree program is an important one affecting you and your family. Many adult students work full time and have family responsibilities to consider while earning their bachelor's degree. The WIU Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts (BOT/BA) Degree Program was developed in 1972 to serve mature adults who were unable to complete an undergraduate degree by traditional means.

The BOT/BA degree program offers students the options of applying for academic credit by preparing a prior learning portfolio, successfully completing proficiency exams, and combining prior college credit with individually selected courses to create a personalized program of study.

Special Features

• Long history--developed in 1972 with over 5,500 graduates
• Courses by mail, including telecourses, and Internet courses at in-state tuition rates
• No maintenance fee or graduation fee
• Possibility of meeting the 30-semester-hour enrollment requirement without on-campus attendance
• Student-designed learning; no major designated
• Evaluation of prior learning through portfolio or nationally normed proficiency exams
• Professional advising services for each student
• 95 percent of off-campus and independent study courses taught by full-time WIU faculty
• Acceptance of ACE Guide-evaluated military training
• Program's potential to follow you if you change locations
• No prescribed time limit to complete the degree program
• No advance payment for new semester charges by students in good financial standing with WIU
• Minor available in Fire Administration

Degree Requirements

Minimum graduation requirements for all students seeking the WIU Board of Trustees Bachelor of Arts Degree are:

Complete 120-semester-hour requirement for the baccalaureate degree.  The 120 semester hours will include a general education component, 40 hours earned from a senior (usually 4-year) institution at the upper-division (junior/senior) level, and a 30 hours to be successfully completed through Western Illinois University courses with at least 16 of these hours carrying upper-division credit.

An associate of arts or an associate of science degree from a regionally accredited college or university satisfies the general education requirement.  Specific courses in other associate degree programs such as an associate of applied science or an associate of general studies may also satisfy these requirements, but credits are transferred into the program on an individual basis.

To meet the general education component of the degree program, students choose either the WIU General Education Requirements or the IAI General Education Requirements.

WIU General Education Requirements

Basic Skill : 9 semester hours

• Three courses, including a two-course sequence in writing (6 semester hours) and one course in oral communication (3 semester hours).  A grade of “C” or better will be required for satisfactory completion of the communication-writing requirements.

Mathematics Competency: 3 semester hours

• One course

Natural Science and Mathematics: 10 semester hours

• Courses must be from two different departments and include one laboratory course.

Social Science: 9 semester hours

• Courses must be from two different departments.

Humanities: 9 semester hours

• Courses must be from two different departments.

Human Well Being: 3 semester hours

• Courses must be from two different departments.

Multicultural Studies: 3 semester hours

• One course

IAI General Education Requirements

Communication: 9 semester hours

• Three courses, including a two-course sequence in writing (6 semester hours) and one course in oral communication (3 semester hours).  A grade of “C” or better will be required for satisfactory completion of the communication-writing requirements.

Mathematics: 3 semester hours

• One course

Physical and Life Sciences: 7 semester hours

• Two courses, with one selected from the life sciences and one course from the physical sciences and including at least one laboratory course.

Humanities and Fine Arts: 9 semester hours

• Three courses with at least one course selected from humanities and at least one course from the fine arts.

Social and Behavior Sciences: 9 semester hours

• Three courses with courses selected from at least two disciplines.

For both sets of General Education Requirements, students must earn a passing letter grade in each course used to fulfill the requirements.  No more than two courses from any one discipline can be used to fulfill general education curriculum requirements.

Earn a minimum overall WIU GPA of 2.00 on a 4.00 basis (A 2.00 GPA is comparable to a “C” average).

Successfully complete one of the following: (1) a university designated writing intensive “W” course, (2) a university writing-in-the-discipline (WID) requirement, or (3) a validated, comprehensive writing assignment.

Pass an examination on the constitutions of the United States and the State of Illinois.  This requirement may be met by successfully completing Political Science 122, passing an examination administered by the Department of Political Science or filing a copy of an accredited Illinois high school or Illinois GED transcript with a graduation date after 1953.

Current WIU charges include:

• Transcript fee -- A one-time, non-refundable charge of $7 billed at the time of admission to the degree program that entitles you to an unlimited number of transcripts
• Tuition per semester hour
• Instructional Enhancement Charge -- $30.00 per semester hour instructional enhancement charge for all courses designed Internet (I and IC), Correspondence (C), and Extension site (E).
• Written Prior learning Portfolio submission fee -- $30 billed when accepted for evaluation
• Non-Collegiate Training Courses -- $30 billed when accepted for evaluation

Scholarships

Since 1989 BOT/BA graduates have contributed to the WIU School of Extended Studies annual fund raiser to support current BOT/BA students with scholarships. These scholarships are available once a year exclusively for active BOT/BA students and are awarded in January. A limited number of $1000 scholarships will be awarded that can be used for tuition assistance, books and supplies, and other school related expenses.

In order to be eligible to apply, a student must be enrolled in the BOT/BA degree program and must be in good standing with the University and the community. The awards will be based on scholarship and successful progress in the BOT/BA degree program as well as financial need. Information on applying for the Alumni Scholarship is included in the fall (October) issue of Transitions, the BOT/BA newsletter.

Time Limits on Completing the BOT/BA Degree Program

The BOT/BA degree program does not have a time limit to complete the graduation requirements. It is expected that you will make steady progress by taking courses, passing proficiency exams, or working on a prior learning portfolio.

The time needed to complete the degree program will depend on the number of hours you bring into the program and the number of hours you earn each semester. For example, if you enter the program with an associate of arts or an associate of science degree, you will normally have to earn 60 or more semester hours from a senior institution. This is equivalent to two years of full-time attendance at a university. A successful prior learning portfolio, military credit, or proficiency examination credit may speed your progress.

An analysis of recent BOT/BA graduates' transcripts found that the average graduate earned one semester hour of credit per month of enrollment in the program. You may earn credit at a faster or slower pace. From this statistic, you may be able to target your own graduation date.