Degree Requirements

All Baccalaureate Degree Programs

All students completing baccalaureate degree programs must:

• Be formally admitted to the program from which he or she is requesting a degree
• Complete a minimum of 180 quarter hours
• Have a minimum of a 2.0 undergraduate level grade point average (some programs require a higher grade point average)
• Fulfill the General Education Core Requirements
• Satisfy all the requirements and regulations of the individual college and program by the term completion date. Please see the program information related to degree requirements.
• Complete the residency requirement of his or her college and program (minimum 60 quarter hours)
• Take the last 45 quarter hours for his or her degree at NLU

Undergraduate Major, Minor and Concentration General Policies

All competency-based baccalaureate programs require a major that must be at least 45 QH including 25 QH of upper level coursework.

Undergraduate students may also choose to complete any Minor and/or Concentration based on their individual goals and interests and in consultation with their Success Coach/Academic Advisor to ensure the pre-requisite requirements are satisfied. 

The following criteria apply:

• The student major, minor and/or concentration cannot be in the same area of study
• The same course cannot be used to fulfill the major, minor and/or concentration requirements
• A minimum grade of a C or better or equivalent is required for any course in a minor or concentration
• Minors require a minimum of 25-30 QH, which may be taken at NLU through coursework and CPL credit, or earned via transfer credit
• Concentrations require a minimum of 15 QH; all hours are transferable, subject to each concentration requirements 

Advanced Standing Coursework

Certain programs at NLU allow the completion of up to 50% of the graduate program requirements with specifically designated advanced standing undergraduate coursework and apply such coursework to both a baccalaureate degree and a master’s degree (if enrolling in the future). The following criteria apply:

• The student must have successfully completed and earned at least 45 quarter hours toward their bachelor’s degree.
• The student must have a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00 or higher through the academic term preceding the term in which the graduate course will be completed (CGPA is based on the student’s performance at NLU).
• The student must fulfill all pre-requisite and/or co-requisite requirements of the course, including obtaining appropriate permissions from the Program Chair/Director/Coordinator in the student’s primary major.
• The student will be registered for a 400-level specifically designated Upper Division course(s) which may be cross-listed with the graduate course.
• To have the advanced standing coursework applied toward an undergraduate degree, the student must meet the minimum grade requirements established by their undergraduate program.
• To have the advanced standing coursework applied toward a graduate degree enrollment in the graduate program, the student must earn a grade of "B" or higher in the course.
• Satisfy all requirements as outlined in the Post-Baccalaureate Degree Policy.
• Related transfer credit can still be accepted toward an undergraduate degree and be used in lieu of the advanced standing course requirements (subject to each program transfer rules) but only courses completed at NLU are eligible to receive the advanced standing designation and be applied toward a graduate program at NLU.

Residency Requirement

NLU's Undergraduate Residency Requirement must be met for all students completing baccalaureate degrees:

• 60 QH of the degree program must be taken at NLU:
  • Maximum of 15 QH can be earned through Credit for Prior Learning (including NLU's internal Prior Learning Portfolio Assessment, American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations for Military Experience and Professional Training, nationally recognized examinations such as DSST, CLEP, Excelsior College Exams (ECE), and Advanced Placement (AP)) unless approved by the college Academic Standards Committee (CPSA) or Academic Policies Committee (NCE)
• Of the 45 QH minimum major, 25 QH must be upper-level and 15 QH of the upper-level coursework must be taken at NLU

• The last 45 QH taken for a degree must be taken at NLU:

Second Baccalaureate Degree Policy

Students who wish to earn a second baccalaureate degree must fulfill all University and program requirements for the degree in a field unrelated to the first baccalaureate. The definition of an unrelated field will be determined by the program in which the second degree is earned. A minimum of 45 quarter hours of additional credit must be earned in residence after requirements of the first degree have been met.

Students Receiving Dual Baccalaureate Degrees

A student applying for two baccalaureate degrees from National Louis University will be required to pay the same fee as someone applying for one degree. Payment of this fee will entitle the student to:

• Have the appropriate graduation audits done and receive a copy of them
• Have the official transcript reflect awarding of both degrees upon completion of all requirements for both of them
• Receive one diploma reflecting the awarding of one of the degrees (student may choose at the time of application which degree is to be reflected on the diploma). If the student wishes a second diploma for the remaining degree, an additional fee will be charged.

Post-Baccalaureate Degrees

All students completing post-baccalaureate degree programs must:

• Be formally admitted to the program
• Satisfy all the requirements and regulations of the individual college and program by the term completion date
• Fulfill all degree requirements, including required coursework, thesis, research project and comprehensive examination as required by the student's specific degree program, within the time frame specified by the college and the program
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Have all the grades in the program be a "C" or better
• Fulfill the residency requirement for his or her particular degree or program

Application for Degree

Students must apply for a degree. The transcript will not reflect the degree earned unless the application for the degree has been processed. Each degree conferral date has a final deadline for application. These deadline dates are published each term on the Office of the Registrar website.

Students who may be eligible for a degree are notified of the degree deadlines through their student email. Students who apply for degrees after the published deadline will be included as candidates for the next degree conferral date. Students may apply for a degree and diploma or change the degree conferral date for a previous application on the Office of the Registrar website.

Except in cases of clerical error, students’ academic records are closed upon granting of the degree.

Posthumous Degrees

National Louis University may award posthumous degrees. Students who have been approved to graduate, or meet all graduation criteria, will be awarded the degree or certificate for which the student is eligible. Deceased students who meet the criteria outlined in the Posthumous Degree Procedures may be eligible for an honorary posthumous degree. 

A family member, or family representative, may request that a degree be awarded posthumously by reaching out to the Office of the Registrar and providing a death certificate via email at records@nl.edu. The Registrar will complete a degree audit to determine progress towards degree. If all degree requirements have been met the Registrar will alert the Vice President of Student Affairs and the Provost of the degree that was awarded posthumously. The Vice President of Student Affairs, or their designee, will communicate any next steps with the family. At the discretion of the institution, the student may be recognized at the university commencement ceremony.

Students who have made significant progress towards their degree may be eligible for an Honorary Posthumous Degree based on the following criteria.

The student was:

• In good academic standing and making satisfactory progress towards degree completion
• Enrolled within the last year at the institution
• Has made significant progress towards their degree program as outlined below, or at the discretion of the college 
  • Certificate students must be within 5 quarter hours 
  • Associates students must be within 15 quarter hours 
  • Bachelors  students must be within 30 quarter hours 
  • Graduate students must be within 6 hours of completing the coursework for the degree
  • If a thesis, dissertation, or capstone is required for a graduate degree the student must have a significant portion of the project completed and the committee must review and find the work to be acceptable.

After the Registrar completes an audit for an honorary degree, he or she will forward the results to the Dean of the respective college to make a formal nomination to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer. The Provost will review, and if approved present to the President for final approval. If approved, the Vice President of Student Affairs, or their designee, will communicate any next steps with the family. Honorary Posthumous Degrees are listed as so on the transcript and diploma and are excluded from institutional reporting of graduation outcomes.