General Degree Requirements | 2025-2026 Academic Catalog | SIU

Catalog Year. Catalog year refers to the undergraduate catalog rules and requirements to which you have been assigned.  Each academic year SIU publishes an Undergraduate Catalog which serves as an agreement between the university and student that outlines rules, policies, overall degree requirements, as well as specific program/major requirements.

A catalog year is assigned as the year/term that you matriculate to the University.  If you are part of Saluki Transfer Pathways, your catalog year corresponds to the first year/term you attended college after high school graduation. This means that the SIU program requirements influencing your course decisions at community college will not change when you transfer regardless of subsequent curriculum updates.

Your catalog year can be found on Degree Works and a digital copy of each Undergraduate Catalog can be found at catalog.siu.edu.  It is important to note that your catalog year is valid for up to seven continuous years. If you are still pursuing your baccalaureate degree after that time period, your catalog year will be subject to current curricula requirements and your degree requirements may change.

Degree Works. Progress toward degree can be monitored using the Degree Works audit system available through SalukiNet for all students with a catalog year of Summer 2012 and later. The audit system is used to clear all undergraduate degree awards. Please also see the Bachelor’s Degree section of the catalog for additional information about degree clearance.

Associate Degree

Each candidate for an associate degree must complete a minimum of 60 hours of credit in approved courses. Each student must complete the residence requirement by completing a minimum of 15 credit hours of technical courses within a major for the Associate in Applied Science degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Each student must maintain a C average for all work taken at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The degree-granting unit for the associate degree is the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Baccalaureate Degree

Each candidate for a bachelor’s degree must complete the requirements listed:

Hour Requirements. Each student must complete at least 120 credit hours of credit, which can include credit for work experience, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Program (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), military credit, and proficiency examination credit. UNIV 388 cannot be counted in the 120 hours required for graduation. Each student must have at least 42 hours in courses that number 300 or above from a four-year institution.

Residence Requirements. Each student must complete the residence requirement by taking a total of 30 semester hours at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Only credit for those courses for which the student has registered and for which a satisfactory grade has been recorded at Southern Illinois University Carbondale may be applied toward the residence requirement hours. Credit for CLEP, Advanced Placement, military credit or proficiency credit is considered non-resident.

Grade-Point Average Requirements. Each student must have a C average for all work taken at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a C average for all major work taken at the University (2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale).

Forgiveness Policy. The University has adopted a policy for students whose only graduation problem concerns the C average required for all work taken at the University. Such students may ask that the average be computed by one of the following methods: (1) by excluding from calculation of the grade-point average a maximum of 13 credit hours of D or F grade earned at the University or, (2) by earning a grade-point average of 2.10 or higher for the last 60 credit hours of work completed at the University. The student will be graduated if the average meets either of the two alternatives. It should be noted that the two alternatives are offered as a means of computing the GPA for graduation only and may not be used for any other purpose. Major requirements, including major GPA, are not subject to this policy; however, all grades, including those designated as repeats, are included in forgiveness calculation.

Course Requirements. Each student must meet the University requirements and the requirements of the academic unit, the major, and the minor, if required. The University Core Curriculum (UCC) Requirements, which are explained in the University Core Curriculum section, total 39 credit hours. The requirements of each college and for the specific major and minor programs are explained in the Colleges and Schools as well as the Undergraduate Curricula sections.

Posthumous Degree Policy

Degrees may be awarded posthumously to any student who, at the time of death, has completed the necessary work for a degree as outlined in this policy. Each university shall file guidelines in the office of the president for implementing this policy (SIU Board of Trustees Policies 1.4.D.1.c.).

Southern Illinois University Carbondale has established guidelines as follows for recommending the posthumous awarding of degrees (such guidelines were filed with the office of the Board of Trustees at the time the Board initially adopted the above policy on December 8, 1977).

1. Undergraduate
   An undergraduate degree may be awarded posthumously when the student has completed approximately 75% of the requirements of their degree program, is currently enrolled and/or actively pursuing the degree and is in good standing with the institution at the time of death. This determination rests with the dean of the degree-granting program [Approved by SIUC Faculty Senate February 12, 1974].
   
   
2. Graduate
   A graduate degree may be awarded posthumously when the student has completed approximately 75% of the requirements of their degree program, is currently enrolled and/or actively pursuing the degree and is in good standing with the institution at the time of death. For graduate degrees requiring a research project, thesis or dissertation, the student should have made substantial progress toward the completion of the above as supported by the student’s advisor and/or advisory committee. PhD students must have been admitted to candidacy. This determination rests with the Graduate Dean in consultation with the administrative officers and faculty of the degree program in which the student had been enrolled. [Approved by SIUC Graduate CouncilJune 7,1974]
   

Nomination/Approval Process

1. Anyone may identify a student for a posthumous degree. To begin the formal process, a request must be made to the Dean of the appropriate college. The Dean of the college in which the student was enrolled will recommend the student for a posthumous degree in the form of a formal written request to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The request must include the name and ID number of the student, the degree/program plan to be awarded, a copy of a completed graduation clearance form and the recommended semester for degree conferral.
2. If supported by the Provost, they will submit the recommendation to the Chancellor for formal approval. If supported by the Chancellor,
   1. The Chancellor will notify the Registrar’s office or the Graduate School via memo to begin the process for degree posting. The Registrar’s office will notify Events and Outreach for degree conferral arrangements.
   2. The immediate family will be informed of the University’s decision and desire to recognize their student with this honor.

Award Considerations

1. The Registrar or the Graduate School will mail the diploma to a family member or, if preferred, provide it to the dean or another appropriate university official for presentation at a private gathering of the university, college and/or school’s choosing. Events and Outreach will assist in coordinating this setting and conferral.
2. A posthumous degree will be printed in the commencement program within the appropriate college section.
3. The statement “awarded posthumously” will be printed on the student’s academic record, but not on the diploma.

Exceptions

In special circumstances, an exception to the Posthumous Degree Policy may be made by the University Chancellor. Such requests should follow the process outlined here in the policy.

Issuance of Transcripts/Diplomas

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts consist of a student's complete academic history, including all undergraduate and graduate level work. An official transcript is issued in portrait format and contains the seal of the university and the signature of the University Registrar assuring the authenticity and accuracy of the content. Transcripts will show current term courses as "in-progress" beginning the fifth week of the term. The Registrar's Office will issue official transcripts of a student's academic record, including courses, grades, GPA, and degree upon request of the student. Transcripts can only be released directly to the student or to a person or entity designated by the student. When picking up a transcript in person a photo ID is required. Transcripts will include final grades as shown in Student Self-Service (Salukinet) only, not necessarily final grades as shown in the course learning management system (D2L). Students can request official transcripts in paper or electronic format for a fee to be paid at the time of the request.

Unofficial transcripts

Unofficial transcripts are available for students who started at SIU Fall 1990 or later. Students can obtain their unofficial transcript via Student Self-Service (Salukinet) at: salukinet.siu.edu.

Students who attended prior to Fall 1990 will not be able to obtain an unofficial transcript. The coursework is stored only on physical record cards.

Diplomas

Students must apply to graduate online via Student Self-Service (Salukinet) at salukinet.siu.edu
As part of the graduation application a fee is charged to the student to be paid at the time of the application.

The process of degree evaluation, degree posting, and diploma mailing takes up to ten weeks after the end of the graduation term. Once the review is completed a diploma will be mailed to the address provided by the student on the graduation application. Diploma reprints are available upon request for a fee.