• English Language Competency Requirement for All Applicants
• Undergraduate Applications and Credentials Deadlines
• Beginning Freshman Applicant
• Transfer Applicant
• Readmission Applicant
• Nondegree Applicant
• Summer Session Only Applicant
• International/Immigrant Applicant

• Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions
• Talented Student Program for Illinois High School Seniors
• Early Admission Applicant
• Admission by Special Action
• Alternative Sources of Credit
• Credit Through ACT or SAT
• Credit for Military Service
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credits
• Credit Through Advanced Placement Program (AP)
• Credit Through the International Baccalaureate Program (IB)

Executive Director of Admissions, Thomas E. Glenn
Mailing Address:
Office of Admissions and Records (M/C 018)
Box 5220
Chicago, Illinois 60680-5220
Office Location: 1100 Student Services Building (SSB)
312-996-4350
http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/home

Visiting Campus

UIC encourages prospective students to visit the campus. A preadmission information session is offered at 1:00 p.m. weekdays (excluding campus holidays), and is followed by an optional campus tour at 2:00 p.m. Refer to the Campus Map and Travel Directions and Visitor Parking at the back of the catalog for instructions on how to reach the UIC campus or visit the UIC Web site http://www.uic.edu for more information.

UIC Preview Days give prospective students an opportunity to tour campus, visit a residence hall, obtain information about campus housing and financial aid, and attend information sessions with academic advisors from each of UIC’s undergraduate programs. For dates and reservations, prospective students should consult the Office of Admissions and Records (OAR) Web site http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/visit/index.html#preview.

All students who wish to take courses for credit at UIC, whether as degree or nondegree candidates, must submit an application available online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad, supporting documents, and the required nonrefundable application fee within specified deadlines. For information about registration as a visitor/auditor, see the Registering and Enrolling in Courses at UIC section of the catalog.

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 official/native language and in a school where English is the primary language of instruction: (1) graduation from a secondary school with three units, or the equivalent, of English; or (2) 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.

Applicants who do not meet the above requirement may provide sufficient evidence of competence in English by achieving a minimum score of 520 (paper-based) or 190 (computer-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which is administered by the Educational Testing Service, http://www.ets.org/toefl. Higher scores are required for most programs and colleges. This requirement may be waived by the executive director of the Office 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.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply using the online application http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad within the filing period listed in the chart below. While applications submitted before the filing period will be accepted, processing for the term will begin at the start of the filing period. The application deadline is the last day of the filing period for the term for which the student wishes to enter. Applications and credentials must be postmarked by this deadline to receive an admission review.

Most upper-division and health sciences programs have special deadline dates that may be earlier than those on the chart. Refer to the OAR Web site http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/apply/deadlines.html or the undergraduate application for current dates.

Beginning Freshman Applicant

A beginning freshman 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.

A beginning freshman application is considered complete and ready for evaluation when official high school transcripts and official test scores are on file in the Office of Admissions along with the completed application and application fee.

Beginning Freshman Admission Requirements

A beginning freshman applicant at UIC must meet the following requirements:

1. Be at least 16 years of age. A 15-year-old applicant who meets all other admission requirements may petition for admission.
2. Submit evidence of graduation from an accredited high school or submit passing scores on the General Educational Development (GED) test.
3. Complete the American College Test (ACT) or the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or Scholastic Assessment Test-I (SAT-I).
4. Present a satisfactory combination of class rank and ACT or SAT test scores.
5. Satisfy the minimum high school subject requirements. Students who do not meet these subject requirements, but meet all other requirements, will have their applications reviewed. For information on specific subject requirements, consult the undergraduate application online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad.

Homeschooled students must satisfy all of the above requirements. A homeschool transcript is acceptable if it includes: (1) a list of all subjects/ courses attempted by year; (2) grades or examination results received (both passing and failing); (3) maximum and minimum grades obtainable; and (4) number of units earned.

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 beginning freshman or a readmission applicant. While 24 semester or 36 quarter hours are the minimum number of hours required, most curricula require additional credit hours. For specific minimum transfer hours required for each curriculum at the time of application and the time of enrollment, consult the undergraduate application online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad.

Illinois Articulation Initiative

The University of Illinois at Chicago is a participant in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide agreement that allows for the transfer of the IAI-Approved General Education Core Curriculum between participating institutions. To obtain additional information about the Illinois Articulation Initiative consult the IAI Web site http://www.itransfer.org.

Acceptance of Traditional Transfer Credit

1. Admission of transfer students to UIC is based only on the transfer course work that is similar in nature, content, and level to that offered by UIC. Such courses are normally referred to as transfer work. Other course work completed, such as technical courses similar in content and level to courses taught at the University, will be used in evaluation for admission only upon the request of the dean of the college to which the student seeks admission.
2. Transfer credit, as defined above, will be accepted at full value for admission purposes on transfer to the University if earned at institutions of higher education as defined below:
   • Colleges and universities that offer degree programs comparable to programs offered by UIC and are (1) members of, or hold Candidate for Accreditation status from, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or other regional accrediting associations, or (2) accredited by another accrediting agency that is a member of the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation.
   • Illinois public community colleges that are neither members of nor holders of Candidate for Accreditation status from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, but that are approved and recognized by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) for a period of time not to exceed five years from the date on which the college registers its first class after achieving ICCB recognition.
3. Certain colleges and universities do not meet the specifications in 2 above but have been assigned a status by the University Committee on Admissions that permits credit to be accepted on a provisional basis for admission purposes on transfer to UIC. Transfer credit, as defined in 1 above, from such colleges and universities is accepted on a deferred basis to be validated by satisfactory completion of additional work in residence. Validation through satisfactory work in residence may be accomplished by earning at UIC or another fully accredited^a college or university, at least a 2.00/4.00 or 3.00/5.00 grade point average (higher if prescribed by the curriculum the student wishes to enter) in the first 12 to 30 semester hours completed following transfer.
4. In all cases, the precise amount of transfer credit applicable toward a particular degree will be determined by the University, college, and department concerned after the student has been admitted.

^a Colleges and universities that meet one or more of the specifications listed in 2 above.

Transfer Student Admissions

1. A transfer applicant must submit evidence of having achieved a minimum transfer grade point average of 2.00/4.00 or 3.00/5.00 on the basis of all transferable work attempted and submit evidence of having completed a minimum of 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of transferable college classroom credit at the time of application. However, most colleges and departments require a higher minimum grade point average and additional credit hours. For specific information on the grade point average and number of credit hours required for each college, consult the undergraduate application online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad.
2. For admission purposes only, transfer grades for all baccalaureate-oriented course work attempted and accepted are used in computing the transfer student’s average. However, a particular UIC college or school may not accept all courses toward degree requirements.
3. A transfer applicant who was previously dismissed from a collegiate institution for disciplinary or academic reasons must submit a petition to the executive director of the Office of Admissions, who will forward the petition to the appropriate committee.
4. When a course is repeated the grade point average is computed using both grades and all hours for the course. However, credit for the course is only awarded once.
5. Incomplete grades more than one year old are considered as failing grades in computing the grade point average.
6. Only course work that is similar in nature, content, and level to that offered by UIC is acceptable.
7. Technical, vocational, developmental, and remedial course work generally is not transferable.
8. Courses from other postsecondary institutions must have been completed at the appropriate level to be transferable.
9. Credit for nontraditional experiential prior learning is not transferable.
10. Applicants enrolled in another college at the time they plan to apply to UIC should request a transcript from their current institution including a list of the courses they are taking at the beginning of the last term they are enrolled. (Fall applicants currently attending a quarter-based school should apply at the beginning of their winter term.) A final transcript should be sent to UIC as soon as possible after the final term is completed.

Intercampus Transfer Applicant

Undergraduate intercampus transfers among the University of Illinois at Chicago, at Springfield, and at 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 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.

Students who interrupt their UIC enrollment by two or more semesters in succession (summer session excluded) must reapply. See Eligibility to Register: University Policy on Continuing Student Status in the Registering and Enrolling in Courses at UIC section of the catalog.

Former UIC students who left the University on academic dismissal status, regardless of whether they have attended another collegiate institution in the interval, must submit a petition with an application when they apply for readmission. Admission is granted upon approval of the dean of the college concerned and of the executive director of the Office of Admissions.

Former UIC students who left the University on clear status or on probation, but have attended another collegiate institution where they have earned a scholastic average below 2.00/4.00 or 3.00/5.00, may be readmitted to the University only with a petition approved by the dean of the college concerned.

A former UIC student who was dismissed for disciplinary reasons must submit a petition to the director of the Office of Admissions, who will forward it to the appropriate committee.

Applicants for readmission to any of the health professional programs should contact the program or department for instructions.

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 complete a current Undergraduate Application, available online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad or by calling the Office of Admissions at 312-996-4350.

Nondegree students are not eligible for most financial aid. International students may sometimes be admitted as nondegree students depending on the type of visa they hold. Priority in admission and registration is given to degree students.

A student who wishes to take 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.

Prospective summer session only students must complete a summer session only application, available online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/summersession.

Students attending UIC on summer session only status who decide they would like to continue in the fall semester must complete a regular Undergraduate Application, provide required credentials, and meet relevant deadlines.

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 nonimmigrant alien students.

International students who need a visa must register as full-time, degree-seeking students and are not eligible for financial aid.

Unless noted, all requirements below apply both to U. S. citizens and permanent resident immigrants who have completed their education outside the United States as well as to international applicants.

Admission Requirements

Admission is competitive, and preference is given to those applicants judged to have the best potential for academic success at UIC. The minimum requirements for admission are:

1. Satisfaction of University minimum requirements in terms of age, high school graduation, high school units, SAT I: Reasoning Test or the American College Test (ACT), and grade point average and credits earned.
2. Satisfaction of minimum requirements of the college and curriculum of choice in terms of high school subjects and any additional requirements prescribed for admission.
3. Satisfaction of the University requirement of competence in English.
4. Adequate financial resources (for international applicants only).
5. Verification of immigrant status (for immigrant applicants only).

An international applicant for admission must submit the following:

1. An application for undergraduate admission, available online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad.
2. The nonrefundable, international application processing fee in the form of a check or money order in U.S. dollars payable to the University of Illinois.
3. Official records for at least the last four years of secondary school study and any postsecondary or university-level work completed or attempted. Records must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the UIC Office of Admissions and Records.

All credentials presented for admission or readmission become the permanent property of the University, cannot be subsequently released to the student or to another individual or institution, and cannot be held for reconsideration of admission to subsequent terms.

For complete information on admission requirements, consult the Web site http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/home/.

English Language Competency Requirements

See the earlier section on English Language Competency Requirement for All Applicants.

Financial Resources Requirement

In order for international students to enter or remain in the United States for educational purposes, evidence of adequate financial resources must be provided before visa documents can be issued. Acceptable documentation of adequate financial resources includes a certified UIC Declaration and Certification of Finances or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Affidavit of Support. Either of these documents must be accompanied by a certified letter from a bank showing evidence of adequate funds in U.S. dollars (checking accounts are not acceptable). Applicants unable to provide satisfactory evidence of adequate finances will not be granted admission. The University of Illinois at Chicago does not offer scholarships or other types of financial assistance to international undergraduate students.

Verification of Immigrant Status

Immigrant applicants (permanent residents, temporary residents, refugees-parolees, or conditional entrants) must provide proof of immigration status by submitting a notarized Certification of Immigration Status form (available online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/forms or from the Office of Admissions) or a copy of both sides of their Alien Registration Receipt Card, Temporary Resident Card, or other document.

Alternative Admission Programs

Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions

The Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions (GPPA) is one of UIC’s programs for academically talented students. Each fall, 300 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
  • Human Nutrition
  • Movement Sciences
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
• Architecture
• Art and Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Industrial Design
• Business
• Dentistry
• Education
• Engineering
• Law^a
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Pharmacy
• Public Health
• Urban Planning and Public Affairs
  • Public Administration
  • Urban Planning and Policy

^a Offered pursuant to an agreement between UIC and The John Marshall Law School, which is a private institution and is not part of UIC.

Admission to GPPA is competitive, based on each professional program’s requirements for ACT or SAT score, high school percentile rank, preparatory course work, and other criteria.

A minimum ACT score of 28 or an SAT-I score of 1240 and a high school rank in the top 15% are required for application. To be considered for GPPA, students must apply to one of the UIC undergraduate colleges and to GPPA in the professional college of their choice. Applications are accepted from September 1 through January 15 with the exception of College of Medicine applications. Applications to the College of Medicine are accepted from September 1 through December 15. All decisions will be announced in late March.

To request the GPPA application packet or more information, consult the Web site http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/spec_prog/gppa or call 312-996-8365.

Upon completion of the junior year in high school, superior students in Illinois who meet University requirements may attend classes for college credit at UIC. To qualify for this program, seniors should rank in the upper 10 percent of their class, have a minimum ACT score of 25 (or SAT score of 1120), and be at least 16 years old.

Grades and course credits are recorded on the student’s permanent UIC record and appear on any official transcript issued to or for the student. If the student enters the University after graduation from high school, the courses are credited toward University graduation if they are applicable to the chosen degree program.

For application and information, consult the Web site http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/summersession/special-highschool.html or contact the Office of Special Scholarship Programs (M/C 115), University of Illinois at Chicago, 703 South Morgan Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607; 312-355-2477.

An early admission applicant is a superior high school student who wishes to enter UIC at the completion of the junior year in high school. The program is designed to permit the particularly able and mature student to begin an academic career at the university level prior to high school graduation, provided that all the other requirements for a beginning freshman applicant are met.

To qualify, students should rank in the upper 10 percent of their high school class, have a minimum ACT score of 25 (or SAT score of 1120), and have a superior high school record.

Each case is considered on an individual basis by the executive director of the Office of Admissions and the dean of the college concerned. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Admissions, 312-996-4350.

Students wishing to apply for early admission should submit the following credentials to the Office of Admissions (M/C 018), University of Illinois at Chicago, Box 5220, Chicago, Illinois 60680-5220 by the deadline for fall admission consideration.

1. Application for admission, available online http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/applyonline/undergrad and the nonrefundable application fee.
2. Official copy of high school transcript, reflecting the most recent class rank and all courses completed or in progress.
3. A letter of recommendation from the high school principal.
4. ACT or SAT I: Reasoning Test scores.
5. A letter from the parents or guardians stating why they believe the student should be granted early admission.
6. A recommendation from the Counseling Center at UIC indicating chances for scholastic success.
7. A written statement from the applicant explaining the objective in seeking early admission.
8. The successful completion of any University subject examinations that may be necessary in order to meet admission requirements.

A student not otherwise eligible for admission may be admitted, with the approval of the executive director of the Office of Admissions and the dean of the chosen college, provided evidence is submitted that clearly establishes ability to do satisfactory work in the curriculum or the courses in which enrollment is desired. A letter of petition should be submitted with the application.

Alternative Sources of Credit

Credit Through ACT or SAT

A student whose ACT subscore in English is 27 or higher or SAT Verbal score is 610 or more may receive a waiver of English 160 and three semester hours of passing credit. No waiver of English 161 will be offered based on the ACT English subscore or SAT Verbal score.

Completion of not less than six months of extended active duty in any branch of the armed forces of the United States entitles an applicant to 4 semester hours in basic military science. These four hours will not be used in determining grade point average for transfer admission. Some colleges may limit or not allow credit in basic military science to count toward the degree. Refer to the sections for the individual colleges in this catalog for details.

Credit is also allowed for those United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) courses for which the American Council on Education recommends credit at the baccalaureate level, provided the student has passed the appropriate USAFI end-of-course test or examination.

Credit for service school courses successfully completed and for other courses taken while the student was in service may be allowed after the applicant is approved for admission. It is the enrolled student’s responsibility to consult an admissions officer in the Office of Admissions for an evaluation of service courses for which transcripts are presented.

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP), administered by the College Entrance Examination Board, is designed to award credit to students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in college-level work. It is the student’s responsibility to have official score reports sent from the College Entrance Examination Board to the Office of Admissions and request the Office of Admissions to evaluate their score reports for advanced standing before credit can be awarded. Credit earned through CLEP examinations neither applies toward nor interrupts the enrollment residence requirement. See Enrollment Residence Requirement in the University Degree Requirements, Graduation, and Commencement section of the catalog.

Students with CLEP Credit from Other Institutions

If credits have been awarded by other accredited institutions on the basis of CLEP examination test scores, equivalent credit will be granted by the University to those students who present on their transcript, exclusive of the CLEP credit, course work from that institution sufficient to qualify the student for transfer student status (24 semester or 36 quarter hours of transferable college classroom credit). Transfer credits based upon CLEP examinations placed upon the student’s UIC transcript apply toward degree requirements only after review by the UIC college in which the student wishes to earn the degree. Students enrolling at UIC without transfer student status may forward CLEP examination scores to the Office of Admissions for possible credit in terms of the published cut-off scores. For information on specific credit awarded for CLEP Examinations, consult the Registering and Enrolling in Courses at UIC section of the catalog.

This program, administered by the College Board, is designed for those high school students about to enter college who wish to demonstrate their readiness for courses more advanced than those ordinarily studied during the freshman year. College credit is awarded to those students who earn sufficiently high grades on the examinations covering basic freshman course subject matter.

It is the student’s responsibility to have official grade reports sent from the College Board Advanced Placement Examination Program, 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023-6992, to the Office of Admissions before credit can be awarded.

For specific credit recommendations, consult the OAR Web site http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/apply/ap-ibcredit.html.

The University of Illinois at Chicago will award credit on the basis of scores from several International Baccalaureate examinations: anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, classics (Latin), economics, English, French, geography, German, history, mathematics, music, philosophy, physics, psychology, and Spanish. Students who wish to have such examination scores evaluated should request an official transcript from the International Baccalaureate program, or request that their high school forward an official score transcript to the Office of Admissions (M/C 018), University of Illinois at Chicago, Box 5220, Chicago, Illinois 60680.