This highly individualized and flexible program recognizes that adults may have attended a variety of educational institutions and accepts transfer of passing coursework taken at other regionally accredited colleges and universities. The Board of Governors Bachelor of Arts degree program offers students the option of applying for academic credit through the preparation of a prior learning portfolio, which documents specific college-level knowledge gained through nonacademic pursuits that can be related to a particular university course.
University faculty evaluate and recommend credit for the prior learning.
Additional requirements include passing the State Constitution Examination, passing the University Writing Examination, and a C average for all coursework applied to the degree. After a student is admitted to the degree program, grades of D will not count as progress toward the completion of the degree. On-campus residence is not required. Western Illinois University offers undergraduate courses in the evening and on weekends for Board of Governors students at approved sites in Canton, Dixon, Galesburg, Jacksonville, Kewanee, Pekin, the Quad Cities, Quincy, Rockford, and Springfield. In addition, independent study courses in a variety of subject areas are available for individuals unable to attend classroom courses.