Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer content
Registrar's Office

General Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements below are from the 2024-25 catalog. If you are completing your degree under an earlier catalog, please consult the specific catalog year for your graduation requirements. Contact the Registrar's Office if you have questions.

It is the responsibility of each student to complete all the graduation requirements described herein. Academic advisors do not share this responsibility, nor can they change, alter, or waive graduation requirements. Therefore students should take special care to regularly assure themselves that they are making satisfactory progress toward completion of all Graduation Requirements, giving special attention to the Shared Curriculum requirements (item 2 below)

  1. Completion of a minimum number of course units as specified by the degree.Commencement
    • Bachelor of Arts 32 units and 32 courses
    • Bachelor of Science 32 units and 32 courses
    • Bachelor of Science in Nursing 32 units and 32 courses
    • Bachelor of Fine Arts 32 units and 32 courses
    • Bachelor of Music 35 units
    • Bachelor of Music Education 36 units

    The course unit system and equivalencies to other systems for awarding collegiate credit are described more fully on page 63 of this Catalog.

    Degrees that require an equal number or courses and units (e .g . Bachelor of
    Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc) count these two totals separately. Any class of 0 .66 units or more counts as 1 course for these purposes. Students may use fractional (< 0 .66 unit) courses to “add up” to a maximum of 2 whole courses to meet this requirement. For instance, four 0.5 unit classes can add up to 2 whole
    courses, but six 0.5 unit classes still only count as 2 courses for this requirement. No class can count as more than 1 course, regardless of its units. For instance, a class 32 The Academic Programworth 1.25 units still counts as only 1 course. Students majoring in Music and Theatre Arts are only required to complete the appropriate number of units, not units and courses

  2. Completion of the Shared Curriculum.
    All students must complete the Shared Curriculum, as described in the“Shared Curriculum” chapter of this Catalog. The Shared Curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts sets the standard for the University. Students
    should note the variations in the Shared Curriculum requirements for the professional schools, and for the education certification program within the College of Liberal Arts. The Shared Curriculum requirements specifically required by the College of Liberal Arts and by each professional school are given in a table in the Shared Curriculum section of this Catalog.

    No course unit may be counted toward more than one General Education category requirement. However, a single course may count for both a General Education category and an Encountering Diversity or Writing Intensive flag. Students may fulfill no more than 2 General Education requirements through courses from a single subject code (e.g., HIST)


  3. Completion of a major.
    All students must complete a school, departmental or interdisciplinary major area of concentration. Major programs are described in this Catalog in the departmental and school listings. Within the College of Liberal Arts, the major must be composed of a minimum of nine to ten courses. These numbers are higher for degrees offered in the professional schools–see the appropriate sections of the Catalog for this information. Students are required to take a writing intensive course in their major area of study.

    A course may count for shared curriculum, major and/or minor requirements. A total of two courses may count toward the completion of any of the following combinations (major/major, major/minor, minor/minor).

    Minor programs of study are offered but are not required for degree completion.

  4. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
    Students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C”). A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is also required in the major and minor sequences. Grade designations and the means of calculating quality points are described more fully on page 52-53 of this Catalog.

  5. Limitations on the amount of "D" work.
    No more than four units of “D” work may be counted toward the degree. No more than one unit of “D” work can be counted toward the major or the minor. No more than two units of “D” work may be counted toward Shared Curriculum requirements.

  6. Completion of at least nine upper division courses and units, with at least four in the major.
    All students must complete a total of at least nine upper division courses (numbered 300 or higher) and course units. At least four upper division courses and course units must be completed in the major department or field.

  7. A minimum of two years and 16 courses in residence.
    All degree candidates must complete a minimum of two years and 16 course units and courses in residence. An exception to this graduation requirement may be made for students who matriculate to Illinois Wesleyan University following the closure of their colleges or universities. Such students may graduate with fewer than two years and 16 course units and courses in residence if they have completed three years of study at their previous institution and satisfactorily completed the equivalent of the IWU general education and major requirements. For further information on residency requirements and course transfer, see the section, “Credit for Work External to Illinois Wesleyan” beginning on page 56. In the instance of a student transferring to Illinois Wesleyan University because their 4-year institution has closed, students transferring in 22 or more credit units will have the option to complete the equivalent of their closed institutions general education program as opposed to the Illinois Wesleyan University shared curriculum to fulfill graduation requirements.

  8. Commencement Participation & Graduation Dates

    Illinois Wesleyan has one commencement ceremony which takes place after the end of the spring semester. Those students wishing to participate in the commencement should have completed, by the end of spring term, all requirements for the degree or be within two requirements of completion. December graduates from the previous year can also participate .

    If you are enrolled in the Summer Term after commencement, you may participate in the ceremony (having met the criteria above), but you will not officially graduate or receive your diploma until the Summer Term is over.

    In addition, coursework for all Incomplete or In Progress grades must be completed and turned in by the end of the term to be considered for graduation in that term

  9. Clearance Requirements for Graduation
    All financial obligations to the university must be met before your degree will be posted or your diploma released to you.