C.A.S. Degree Requirements

The Certificate of Advanced Study is a terminal degree for education professionals beyond the master’s degree. It should not be taken by students who plan to pursue a doctorate at a later date. Credit earned for a completed Certificate of Advanced Study cannot be applied toward the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

Program Plan

Upon admission to a Certificate of Advanced Study program, each student is assigned an academic adviser in an area of specialization. Using a C.A.S. Degree Program Plan form, the student and adviser plan a program of study to meet the student’s individual goals and general degree requirements. A copy of the student’s program, signed by the adviser, must be filed in the department during the first semester of summer session registration.

Time Limits

A Certificate of Advanced Study degree candidate must complete all degree requirements, under normal circumstances, within five years of first registering in the Graduate College. If a time extension is desired, it may be requested by completing a Graduate Student Petition. These petitions are considered and acted upon by the student’s adviser, the department, and the Graduate College. Each individual who has authority to act on the petition may either approve or deny the petition.

Course Requirements for C.A.S. Candidates

All students admitted to a Certificate of Advanced Study degree program must fulfill Graduate College requirements for the Certificate of Advanced Study degree, departmental requirements, and the following College of Education minimum requirements on the Urbana campus or through Urbana off-campus or online courses:

Students who have completed a Master’s degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign must fulfill the following minimum requirements:

1. The entire program must be planned in advance and must be preceded by at least two years of acceptable professional work experience. The C.A.S. Degree Program Plan form must be completed and maintained in the department.
2. Thirty two or more hours in approved coursework must be taken beyond the master’s degree.
3. Sixteen of these 32 hours must be taken at the 500-level. (Note: 595 Independent study can be applied up to a maximum amount of 8 hours each.)

Students who have completed a Master’s degree at another institution other than the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign must also fulfill the following minimum requirements:

2 hours	One course from the psychological foundations of learning area: EPSY 400, 401, or 402.
2 hours	One course from the psychological foundations of personality and development area: EPSY 405 or 406. OR Students planning to work with adults may take EPSY 407 for 4 hours to meet both of the EPSY foundations requirements. OR Four hours of EPSY 400, 401, 402, 404, 405, 406, or 408 meets both foundational requirements for EPSY.
2 hours	One course from the social foundations requirements: EPS 400, 402, 403, 404, 420, 421, 423, 424, and 426.
2 hours	A second course from the philosophical foundations area: EPS 401, 410, 411, 412, 413, and 414.
8 hours	TOTAL

Unless specified above, approval must be given to allow a four hour course to fulfill two requirements. Contact the Academic and Instructional Services Office for details. Off-campus and online programs may have different foundations requirements. See the appropriate Program of Study for more information.

In addition to the specific requirements stated above, individual departments in the College of Education may require additional courses to complete the student’s degree program. A student who passes a proficiency examination in any of the required courses listed above is excused from that course requirement.  However, credit toward the degree is not given for courses passed by such an examination.

Evaluation of Academic Progress

Each department in the College of Education has a procedure for evaluating a student’s progress toward the degree. The evaluation of academic progress results in a decision regarding student progress. It is recommended that the student provides the adviser with a written statement detailing academic progress. The adviser assesses the progress report and gives a written evaluation. A copy of the evaluation is made available to the student and placed in the student’s permanent file.

When a decision is made that a student is not making satisfactory progress, the student, the adviser, and the Student Academic Affairs Office will be informed in writing by the department. Yearly evaluations are encouraged.

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