Admissions

On This Page

Admissions Application Procedures

All undergraduate applicants who wish to attend UIC must submit the Common Application or UIC Application online. All first year applicants must use the Common Application. Please go to the admissions website to start the application process. Applicants must also submit all supporting documents and the required nonrefundable application fee (or application fee waiver) by the appropriate deadline to ensure an application review. All credentials presented for admission become the permanent property of the university, cannot be subsequently released to the student or to another individual or institution, and may not be held for reconsideration of admission to subsequent terms.

For information about registration as a visitor/auditor, see the Registering and Enrolling in Courses at UIC section of the catalog.

English Language Competency Requirement for All Applicants

Minimum requirements for competence in English apply to all applicants. An applicant may establish competence in English by certifying that the following requirements have been fulfilled in a country where English is the only official/native language and in a school where English is the primary language of instruction:

  1. Successful completion of a minimum of two academic years of full-time study at the secondary school or college level immediately prior to the proposed date of enrollment in the university.
  2. Applicants who have a minimum of one year full-time employment in the U.S. or other country where English is the only official language. Applicants must submit a letter from their employer (on company letterhead) verifying at least 12 consecutive months of employment and describing the applicant’s English language ability.

Applicants who do not meet the above requirement may provide sufficient evidence of competence in English by achieving a minimum score on any of the following tests:

  • TOEFL iBT score of 80; the iBT (Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language) is administered by the Educational Testing Service.
  • a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with subsection minimums as follows: listening 6, writing 6, reading 6, speaking 6;
  • PTE Academic of 54 with subscores of listening 47, writing 56, reading 51, and speaking 53.  Higher scores may be required for some programs and colleges.

Please note that higher scores may be required for some programs and colleges. This requirement may be waived by the Executive Director of Admissions and the dean of the college concerned if the applicant can provide evidence of competence in English that will clearly justify a waiver. Waivers may be justified based on standardized scores (ACT, SAT, AP, IB) on a case-by-case basis.

Undergraduate Applications and Credentials Deadlines

Students must apply online prior to the deadlines listed on the Office of Admissions website. Applications and credentials must be postmarked by this deadline to guarantee an admission review.

Some upper-division and health sciences programs have special deadline dates that may be earlier. Refer to the Office of Admissions website or the undergraduate application for current dates.

First Year Applicant

A first year applicant is either:

  1. one who applies for admission while attending high school, regardless of the amount of college credit earned or
  2. one who has graduated from high school but has never attended a college or university.

First Year Applicant Admission Requirements

Transfer Applicant

A transfer applicant is one who:

  1. has completed a minimum of 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of transferable college classroom credit by the time of application and
  2. does not meet the definition of a first year applicant or a readmission applicant.

While 24 semester or 36 quarter hours are the minimum number of hours required, some curricula require additional credit hours and/or the completion of specific core courses. For specific requirements in each curriculum, consult the admissions website.

Transfer Student Admission Requirements

Evaluation of Transfer Work for Undergraduate Admission and Transfer Credit

  1. Transfer worka is evaluated for admission purposes and considered for credit. The university evaluates transfer work completed at institutions accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), including institutions under candidacy status. Foreign institutions must be recognized by the ministry of education in the home country or an equivalent government authority.
  2. To be eligible for admission and credit, transfer work must be similar in nature, level, and content to courses in the undergraduate curriculum and/or applicable to an undergraduate academic program. Other transfer work that is deemed nontransferable (such as continuing education courses, graduate-level courses, and courses that are remedial, technical, vocational, or doctrinal in nature as determined by the campus) are not used in admission decisions regardless of the institution’s accreditation.
  3. Credit for transfer courses is either applied as direct equivalents with university courses or applied to a degree in a manner determined by the department and college. Determining how transfer credit is applied varies by campus depending on the process established to implement university policy.
  4. The precise amount of transfer credit awarded and that is applicable toward a particular degree is determined by or in consultation with the university college and department concerned.
a

“Transfer work” and “transfer courses” are used interchangeably in this policy. Regardless of the term, this policy applies to transfer work not in the form of courses, such as credit for military service and credit earned through testing and experiential learning. Transfer work not in the form of courses is evaluated for transfer per the terms of this policy.

Illinois Articulation Initiative

The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) is a statewide agreement that allows transfer of the completed IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) between participating Illinois institutions. Successful completion of the GECC at any participating college or university in Illinois assures students that general education requirements for the baccalaureate degree have been satisfied. The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a participating university. At UIC, students attain junior standing upon the completion of 60 credit hours. Completion of an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree typically requires an earned credit total beyond 60 hours. Please note that some test credit may not be transferable to UIC.

IAI policies, including GECC requirements, course codes and course descriptions, are presented on the IAI website and UIC’s implementation requirements are published below. Students who transfer out of UIC will be held to the requirements of their transfer institution.

Eligibility
  • Only transfer students entering UIC for the first time are eligible for IAI consideration. IAI policies do not apply to students who are readmitted to UIC or students who take courses elsewhere after enrolling at UIC.
  • New transfer students who enter UIC with the GECC completed will be considered to have completed UIC’s General Education requirements as defined in the General Education section of the catalog. However, additional General Education requirements that have been approved for specific UIC colleges may still be required.
  • New transfer students with 30 hours of accepted transfer work who have not completed the GECC may consult with a college advisor to review options for completing General Education requirements. Depending on the number of remaining courses required, a student may be allowed the option of completing either UIC’s General Education program or the GECC.

Note: The GECC option is made available only when completion of the GECC requirements calls for at least two fewer courses than would be needed to complete UIC’s General Education requirements.

For students who complete the GECC prior to UIC enrollment
New transfer students who enter UIC with the GECC completed must meet with a college advisor to ensure that UIC General Education requirements are marked as fulfilled in the university’s degree audit system. To assist with first-semester course selection at UIC, students should bring a copy of a community college or participating Illinois university transcript that includes a statement showing completion of the IAI GECC to the Transfer Orientation Program.

For students eligible to complete the GECC at UIC
  • All accepted transfer courses completed prior to enrollment at UIC that are identified on the IAI website with a corresponding GECC course code will be used to satisfy GECC requirements.
  • GECC may be completed by enrolling in approved IAI courses at UIC.
  • UIC policies on Credit by Examination (ACT/SAT, AP, IB, and CLEP) in the Academic Standing section of the catalog will be used to determine credit used to satisfy GECC requirements. UIC will not award transfer course credit based on another institution’s evaluation of test results.
  • If a student satisfactorily fulfills the course requirements of a GECC area but earns fewer hours than required, the remaining hours for that area may be waived by the college dean. However, students must complete a minimum of 12 courses, a minimum of 37 hours, and the minimum number of courses required in each area of the GECC.
  • Transfer credit from a nonparticipating IAI institution is not acceptable to meet GECC requirements.

UIC’s GECC Courses
UIC courses approved for the IAI General Education Core Curriculum are listed on the IAI website.

Intercampus Transfer Applicant

Undergraduate intercampus transfers among the University of Illinois Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign may be admitted to another campus provided:

  1. they meet the requirements of the program,
  2. there is space available in the program, and
  3. they submit the application and credentials by the application deadline.

Students who are currently enrolled and who are applying to one of the other campuses for the immediately succeeding semester do not pay an application fee. “Immediately succeeding semester” may mean either the spring semester if the applicant completed the fall semester at the other campus, or it may mean the summer or fall term, provided the applicant completed the spring semester at the other campus.

Readmission Applicant

Readmission applicants are former UIC students who were registered as degree-seeking undergraduates and who left the university for two or more semesters in succession (summer session excluded). Readmission applicants are considered for readmission on the basis of their status at the time they left the university, any college work they have completed elsewhere since their last attendance at the university, and the availability of space in the chosen program. Degree-seeking readmission applicants do not pay the application fee.

Readmission Requirements

Nondegree Applicant

Students who do not presently wish to enroll in a degree program at UIC, but who wish to take courses for credit may apply for nondegree status. During the fall and spring semesters, acceptance of a student in nondegree status is at the discretion of the dean of the college to which the student is applying. Nondegree applicants for fall and spring semesters must meet all regular admission requirements and submit a nondegree petition before being approved to apply. A complete application is then required for review.

Nondegree Admission Requirements

Summer Session Only Applicant

A student who wishes to take undergraduate courses at UIC during the summer only and who does not intend to continue at UIC in the fall may apply as a Summer Session Only student. Typical Summer Session Only students include students enrolled in degree programs at other colleges or universities who are in the Chicago area for the summer. Individuals who have already completed undergraduate degrees but need to take undergraduate-level courses to fill deficiencies in preparation for advanced study may also apply as Summer Session Only students.

Summer Session Only Requirements

International Applicant

An international applicant is a person who is a citizen or permanent resident of a country or political area other than the United States and who has a residence outside the United States to which he or she expects to return, and either is, or proposes to be, a temporary alien in the United States for educational purposes.

The university is authorized under federal law to enroll academically qualified nonimmigrant alien students.

International students who will need to apply for F-1 or J-1 immigration status must register as full-time, degree-seeking students and are not eligible for financial aid.

International Application Requirements

Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions

The Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions (GPPA) is one of UIC’s programs for academically talented students. Each fall, up to 150 motivated and highly qualified entering freshmen can be admitted to UIC with admission guaranteed to one of the following professional or graduate programs if undergraduate course and performance criteria are met:

  • Applied Health Sciences
    • Biomedical Visualization
    • Health Information Management
    • Nutrition
    • Kinesiology
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Physical Therapy
  • Business
    • Accounting
    • Business Analytics
    • Management Information Systems
  • Dentistry
  • Education
  • Engineering
    • Biomedical Engineering
    • Chemical Engineering
    • Civil Engineering
    • Computer Science
    • Electrical and Computer Engineering
    • Industrial Engineering
    • Materials Engineering
    • Mechanical Engineering
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy
  • Public Health
  • Urban Planning and Public Affairs
    • Civic Analytics
    • Public Administration
    • Public Policy
    • Urban Planning and Policy

To request more information, consult the GPPA website. Application and program information questions can be directed to (312) 355-2477 or gppauic@uic.edu.

Honors College

The UIC Honors College enhances opportunities for intellectual challenge and leadership by fostering a community of academic excellence, connecting outstanding undergraduate students with premier faculty mentors, and promoting scholarly engagement. By bringing together exceptional undergraduate students, faculty, and staff, the Honors College provides an environment for advanced intellectual growth and a foundation for life-long learning.

First year applicants, transfer students, or currently enrolled UIC students may apply to the Honors College. Honors College students may pursue any undergraduate major.

For specific instructions on how to apply please consult the Honors College website.