The Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) 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 an awarded C.A.S. degree cannot be applied toward a doctorate degree. The Certificate of Advanced Study is offered on-campus and online.
Program Plan
Upon admission to a Certificate of Advanced Study program, each student is assigned an academic advisor. Using a C.A.S. Degree Program Plan form, the student and advisor 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 advisor, must be filed with the Graduate Student Services Office during the first semester of registration.
Time Limits
Graduate students and advisors should be guided by the Graduate College policy on C.A.S. degree time limits. If a time extension is desired, it may be requested by completing a Graduate Student Petition, including an Academic Progress Plan. These petitions are considered and acted upon by the student’s advisor, the department, and the Graduate College. Each individual who has the authority to act on the petition may either approve or deny the petition.
Course Requirements for C.A.S. Students
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 Urbana-Champaign must fulfill the following minimum requirements:
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 filed with the Graduate Student Services Office.
Thirty-two or more hours in approved coursework must be taken beyond the master’s degree.
Sixteen of these 32 hours must be taken at the 500-level.
595 Independent Study can be applied up to a maximum amount of eight hours.
Students who have completed a master’s degree at another institution other than the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign must also fulfill the following minimum requirements:
Completion of 32 hours including 8 hours of foundations coursework:
Select two of the following foundations courses, taken for four credit hours each. At least one of these two courses must be from outside the degree granting department.
CI 446 Culture in the Classroom CI 501 Curriculum Development for the 21st Century EPOL 401 History of American Education EPOL 402 Asian American Education EPOL 403 Historical and Social Barriers EPOL 405 School and Society EPOL 406 Professional Ethics in Education EPOL 407 Critical Thinking in Education EPOL 408 Aesthetic Education EPOL 409 Sociology of Education EPOL 410 Racial and Ethnic Families EPOL 412 Politics of Education EPOL 413 Economics of Education EPOL 480 Technology and Educational Reform EPOL 552 Foundation of Higher Education Any 400 level EPSY course EPSY 553 Global Issues in Learning
In addition to the specific requirements stated above, individual programs in the College of Education may require additional courses to complete the student’s degree program.
Congratulations! You've taken the first step to becoming a student of the College of Education. The application process is different for undergraduate and graduate studies.