University of Illinois Transfer Handbook Effective: 8/1/20 – 7/31/21

GRAINGER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
The Grainger College of Engineering

The Transfer Handbook is intended as a guide for students transferring to Illinois from another institution.
Students who entered the university as freshmen and are seeking transfer to or within the college should
follow instructions and requirements posted on the DGS PREP and Grainger Engineering websites.

Please note: Any transfer student interested in completing a major, including a dual degree, in The
Grainger College of Engineering must apply and be admitted directly into the college at time of transfer.
Transfer students entering other colleges on campus are not eligible for later admission/on-campus
transfer to the Pre-Engineering Program (PREP) or Grainger Engineering. No exceptions will be granted.

Overview

The Grainger College of Engineering invites qualified students to apply for transfer admission.

Transfer applicants are considered, for fall term admission only 1, for the following Programs of Study:

May be listed as first or second choice May be listed as first choice only
Aerospace Engineering Computer Engineering
Agricultural and Biological Engineering Computer Science
Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering
Engineering Mechanics Mechanical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering
Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
Physics, Engineering
Systems Engineering and Design

Transfer students are NOT accepted to the Bioengineering Program of Study.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) administers the Chemical Engineering Program of Study.

Admission to Grainger Engineering is competitive, and not all qualified applicants are accepted. Each
application is evaluated utilizing a holistic review process with consideration given to:

• GPA
• technical coursework
• academic rigor
• essay(s)
• activities and work experience
• high school transcripts and ACT/SAT scores – for applicants with fewer than 30 graded hours of
college coursework at the time of application

1 The Aerospace Engineering; Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Civil Engineering; Engineering Mechanics; Industrial Engineering;

Materials Science and Engineering; Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering; Physics, Engineering; and Systems Engineering and
Design majors within the Grainger College of Engineering are open for the spring 2021 term as an exception due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Students who were admitted to Grainger for fall 2020 and were unable to attend due to the pandemic will be given preference
in admission. There is very limited space (if any) for applicants outside of that group. If your preferred major is not open, we would
advise that you do not select another major within the college as there is no guarantee that you can later transfer to your preferred
major once on campus. All Grainger programs will resume being closed to spring admission for 2022.

CONTACT INFORMATION Transfer Programs, The Grainger College of Engineering, 210 Engineering Hall, 1308 West Green Street,
Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 333-2280 Email: [email protected]

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University of Illinois Transfer Handbook Effective: 8/1/20 – 7/31/21
GRAINGER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Courses being completed during the summer prior to fall admission will not be considered as
part of the application review. Applications for second bachelor’s degree are accepted; however,
applicants seeking a first bachelor’s degree receive priority in limited-capacity majors.

Applicants, especially those to Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical
Engineering are encouraged to submit and complete their application by the February 1 priority deadline.

Academic Expectations and Required Coursework

It is generally expected that applicants will have a minimum of 3.00 (A = 4.00) overall GPA, but admission
to specific majors may be significantly more competitive during any given admission cycle. For fall 2020, the
average transfer GPA for admitted students was 3.85 with the middle 50% of GPAs ranging from 3.74–4.00.

Academic rigor: competitive applicants will typically complete 2-3 technical courses in their first semester
and a minimum of 3-4 technical courses each semester thereafter while maintaining a full-time schedule of
15+ credit hours. Applicants should demonstrate mastery of subject matter by earning a B or better
(3.00/4.00) in all prerequisite courses. If an applicant is not able to complete a listed course or
maintain a full-time schedule, this should be addressed in the Other Academic Information –
Academic Challenges section of the application.

All applicants must have transfer coursework equivalent to the University of Illinois courses listed below
completed prior to application:

CHEM 102 and CHEM 103, General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I
CHEM 104 and CHEM 105, General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Lab II 1
MATH 220, Calculus or MATH 221, Calculus I
MATH 231, Calculus II
PHYS 211, University Physics: Mechanics
One of the following, as recommended by the Program of Study (see transfer chart):
• CS 101, Intro Computing: Engineering & Science, or
• CS 125, Intro to Computer Science, or
• SE 101, Engineering Graphics and Design, or
• ME 170, Computer-Aided Design

In addition, applicants to Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and

Mechanical Engineering are expected to complete as much additional transfer coursework
equivalent to the University of Illinois courses noted in the transfer chart as possible.
Applicants with all required courses completed will be given priority.

Completion of the following courses is strongly recommended:

RHET 105, Writing and Research 2

ECON 102, Microeconomic Principles or ECON 103, Macroeconomic Principles
Language Other Than English (LOTE) 3

1 Specifically required only for the following Programs of Study: Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering
Mechanics, and Materials Science and Engineering. A full year of chemistry may be required, regardless of major, depending
on course transferability from your current institution. Please note, AP Chemistry awards credit for the lecture only. Applicants
are responsible for completing the full lecture and lab sequence(s).
2 At most institutions the equivalent requires a two-course sequence transferring as RHET 105 or UCI and UCII.
3 To meet graduation requirements, students in the College of Engineering must complete a Language Other Than English (LOTE), either

in high school or college, through the third level. While there is no longer a language requirement for transfer admission, it is strongly
recommended that students fulfill LOTE prior to their first term of enrollment at Illinois. Not doing so may result in an increase in time to
degree completion.
CONTACT INFORMATION Transfer Programs, The Grainger College of Engineering, 210 Engineering Hall, 1308 West Green Street,
Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 333-2280 Email: [email protected]

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University of Illinois Transfer Handbook Effective: 8/1/20 – 7/31/21
GRAINGER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Please note that the courses listed above are a minimum requirement for admission consideration, and
applicants are encouraged to make additional progress toward degree requirements whenever possible.

Current course articulation information is available at www.transferology.com.

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Physics, Engineering SR SR SR SR SR SR
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1
Electrical and Computer Engineering: If MATH 284 or 285, students must also complete MATH 225 or 415. If MATH 286, no additional course required.
2
Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering: students may
elect to take TAM 210 or 211.
3
Completion of SE 101 or ME 170 is strongly recommended.
4
Students interested in Computer Science are expected to have formal coursework covering at least 2 out of 3 of the following programming languages:
Java, C++, Python. This may require completion of an additional course(s) not specifically noted in the chart above.
5
In addition to the specific courses noted in the chart, students must complete one of the following as a science elective: CHEM 104 and 105 or PHYS 213
and 214.

CONTACT INFORMATION Transfer Programs, The Grainger College of Engineering, 210 Engineering Hall, 1308 West Green Street,
Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 333-2280 Email: [email protected]

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University of Illinois Transfer Handbook Effective: 8/1/20 – 7/31/21
GRAINGER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is there someone who can assist me with schedule planning?

Yes! It is recommended that potential applicants work with a Transfer Programs advisor in Grainger
Engineering for schedule planning, including selection of general education coursework. Admission is
competitive; students are welcome and encouraged to contact us as early in their college careers as possible
to discuss transfer requirements and preparation. Navigating the transfer process can be challenging; our
program staff are here to help. For the quickest response, please email [email protected].

Is there a limit to how many credit hours I can transfer?

Grainger Engineering does not limit the number of credit hours a student may transfer nor does a high
number of credit hours earned negatively impact the transfer admissions process – please note, this policy
varies by college. Regardless of number of credit hours transferred, all students are required to complete
the campus residency requirement, which specifies that each candidate for a bachelor’s degree from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign must earn at least 60 semester hours of University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign credit, of which 21 hours must be 300 or 400 level courses.

As a transfer student, am I eligible for the James Scholar Honors Program?

Transfer students may apply to the James Scholar Honors Program after completing an initial full-time
semester on campus (fall or spring). Current requirements for admission are an Illinois GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Can I change majors after being admitted as a transfer student to Grainger Engineering?
It depends. Major change requests within the college must be approved by Transfer Programs staff. Due
to space constraints, no dual-degree petitions or major change requests to Bioengineering, Computer
Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering are permitted. A student
admitted to Electrical or Computer Engineering, with limited exposure to the introductory courses at their
previous institution (e.g. ECE 110, 120, 210, 220), may be considered for a major change within the
department if the request is made prior to completion of their second semester of enrollment at Illinois.
Requests for all other majors will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Questions about declaring a major
outside of Grainger Engineering should be directed to the respective college or department.

I already earned a bachelor’s degree; am I eligible to apply for a second bachelor’s degree?
Grainger Engineering does accept second bachelor’s degree applications for consideration; however,
applicants seeking a first bachelor’s degree receive priority in limited-capacity majors. Regarding the
application: If the first bachelor’s degree was earned from another institution, then proceed as a transfer
applicant through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. If the first bachelor’s degree was earned from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, please contact Transfer Programs in Grainger Engineering
for additional information on how to proceed. The guidelines and course requirements established in the
Transfer Handbook apply to all applicants, as do the transfer admissions dates and deadlines.

Can I use test-based credit (AP, IB, etc.) to fulfill transfer requirements?
All students are subject to the test-based credit policies in effect at time of matriculation to the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For incoming students, these policies are not finalized until after the
admissions cycle is complete. Test-based credit policies can and do change. As such, transfer students are
strongly encouraged to fulfill admissions requirements by earning graded, transferable credit.

Additional questions? Contact us.

CONTACT INFORMATION Transfer Programs, The Grainger College of Engineering, 210 Engineering Hall, 1308 West Green Street,
Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 333-2280 Email: [email protected]

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University of Illinois Transfer Handbook Effective: 8/1/20 – 7/31/21
GRAINGER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Applicants are strongly encouraged to make additional progress toward degree completion by
taking other courses required by their desired Program(s) of Study.

Aerospace Engineering:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/aerospace-engineering-bs/

Agricultural and Biological Engineering:

http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/eng_aces/agricultural-biological-engineering-bs/

Civil Engineering:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/civil-engineering-bs/

Computer Engineering:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/computer-engineering-bs/

Computer Science:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/computer-science-bs/

Electrical Engineering:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/electrical-engineering-bs/

Engineering Mechanics:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/engineering-mechanics-bs/

Engineering Physics:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/engineering-physics-bs/

Industrial Engineering:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/industrial-engineering-bs/

Materials Science and Engineering:

http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/materials-science-engineering-bs/

Mechanical Engineering:
http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/mechanical-engineering-bs/

Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering:

http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/nuclear-plasma-radiological-engineering-bs/

Systems Engineering and Design:

http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/engineering/systems-engineering-design-bs/

CONTACT INFORMATION Transfer Programs, The Grainger College of Engineering, 210 Engineering Hall, 1308 West Green Street,
Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 333-2280 Email: [email protected]

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