UIS Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic Year 2005 - 2006

INDIVIDUAL OPTION
Master of Arts

Faculty Jan Droegkamp, Rosina Neginsky, Annette Van Dyke
Associated Faculty Peter Boltuc

Contact: (217) 206-6962
ino@uis.edu or www.uis.edu/ino/

Individual option is a graduate degree program built on 30 years of experience in individualized learning. The program offers students the opportunity to design a degree consistent with their own educational goals, using available institutional and area resources. The program's major purpose is to serve students whose needs and objectives are best met by combinations of courses or mixes of learning formats not available through established curricula.

The program structure emphasizes the integration of key learning categories with a variety of instructional methods to form a well-rounded and individualized academic experience. Through integrating these categories with customized learning activities, the individual option program assists learners to deepen their understandings of the values, meanings, concerns, choices, and commitments that are basic to the quality of life.

On entering the program, students design individualized degree proposals for a course of study consistent with their particular goals, needs, and interests through INO 501 Graduate Colloquium. Self-assessment, independent study, multidisciplinary courses/studies, and credit for prior learning assessment are all course work alternatives that may be integrated within individual curricula. Student degree proposals meet the interdisciplinary goals of the program while specializing in an area such as human resource development, global education, women's studies, African-American studies, technology and education, or society and the law.

The Master's Degree

Admission
Admission to the graduate program is limited due to the individualized nature of the degree process. In addition to applying to UIS, students are required to complete a separate application process that includes an INO application form, a personal statement, two letters of reference, and an interview with an INO faculty member. Deadlines: October 15 for spring semester, March 15 for summer term, and April 15 for fall semester. Admissions are continuous until an incoming class is filled.

Students are conditionally admitted to the INO program until they successfully complete INO 501 Graduate Colloquium and their degree committees approve their degree proposals. Students must obtain committee approval within the semester following completion of INO 501.

If a graduate applicant has an undergraduate grade-point average of less than 2.50, full admission to the program requires the completion of eight hours of course work at the graduate level with grades of B or better. These hours must be completed before enrolling in INO 501. Graduate students may count a maximum of 12 semester hours in courses taken before they began the INO program.

Grading Policy
Campus policy allows students to choose a traditional grading scale or a credit/no credit option for each course. The INO program conforms to this policy in all courses except INO 501,  INO 521, INO 580, and INO 599, which are offered on a credit/no credit basis only.

Graduate students are expected to maintain a grade-point average of 3.00 (B). At the graduate level, a maximum of eight hours of C grades is applicable to the degree, provided each hour of C is balanced by an hour of A and provided the C grade is approved by the student's degree committee.

Graduate students registering in 400-level courses are expected to perform at a higher level than undergraduates in the same course. Individual instructors in 400-level courses specify the criteria for awarding graduate-level credit. These may be qualitative (higher standards for written work and/or contributions to group discussion) or quantitative (additional work or higher test scores).

Public Affairs Colloquium
Since the INO program recognizes the importance of responsible knowledge about public affairs and important issues of the day, graduate students are required to include four hours of public affairs colloquia course work in their degree plans. The PAC may be selected because it fits into the student's area of interest, or it may serve as an introduction to a topic that is new to the student, thereby broadening the scope of study.

Master's Closure
After initial registration in INO 550 or INO 560, students must maintain registration in the closure activity. Students who have not completed their master's project or thesis after registering for the number of project or thesis hours specified in their degree proposal must register for INO 551 Master's Project Continuing Enrollment (1hr. audit) or INO 561 Thesis Continuing Enrollment (1 hr. audit) each fall and spring semester until the project or thesis is completed.

Credit for Prior Learning
Mature students with extensive life and work experience may apply for graduate-level credit for these experiences. For these students, AST 401 Assessment of Experiential Learning is recommended. Students should contact the Credit for Prior Learning office during their first term for information about the process. The CPL office is located in UHB 3033, phone (217) 206-6962 or 206-7427, or visit www.uis.edu/cpl.

Program Requirements

Required
INO 501 Graduate Colloquium 4 Hrs.
INO 521 Liberal and Integrative Studies 2 Hrs.
Total core 6 Hrs.

INO Elective Courses
*INO 580 Independent Field Project 2-12 Hrs.
*INO 599 Independent Study: Tutorial 2-12 Hrs.
(minimum) 4 Hrs.
(maximum) 12 Hrs.

Graduate Closure Project
*INO 550 Master's Project 4-8 Hrs.
*INO 560 Thesis 4-8 Hrs.
(minimum) 4 Hrs.
(maximum) 8 Hrs.

*There are no classroom meetings for these courses. Students sign independent study contracts with faculty sponsors.

Other Requirements
Public Affairs Colloquium 4 Hrs.
Additional courses (at least 12 hours must be at the 500-level)
   24 Hrs.
(minimum) 30 Hrs.
Total 42 Hrs.

In some instances, the interdisciplinary nature of the student's program will suggest the need for educational experiences that total more than the required minimum number of credits. The final number of credit hours for the degree must be negotiated between the student and the degree committee at the time the degree proposal is approved.