Board of Trustees/Bachelor of Arts Degree Program: Western Illinois University

Board of Trustees/BA Degree Program

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

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.

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 and Fine Arts: 9 semester hours: 3 semester hours must be a fine art and 6 semester hours must be humanities.
Human Well Being: 3 semester hours: Courses must be from two different departments.
Multicultural Studies: 3 semester hours: One course

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:
- A university writing-in-the-discipline (WID) requirement, or
- A validated, comprehensive writing assignment
First Year Experience (FYE)
Complete the University First Year Experience (FYE) requirement. The First Year Experience (FYE) program is intended to create a positive transition to college and to encourage students to become more active and enthusiastic learners.

Western Illinois University students with 12 or fewer semester hours completed must enroll in and pass two FYE courses. Students with 13-24 hours completed must enroll in and pass one FYE course.