Transfer Admissions

Yes! We know navigating the transfer process can be challenging, so our admissions staff members are here to help. You can work with a transfer admissions advisor by emailing [email protected] and including the name of your current college/university, major(s) of interest, intended transfer semester (fall terms only) and an attachment of an unofficial transcript of any college coursework completed or in progress. We encourage you to contact us early in your college career to discuss transfer requirements due to our competitive admissions process. 

While the policy varies by college, there is no limit to the number of credit hours you can transfer, and a high number of credit hours earned does not negatively impact your admissions process. Regardless of credit hours transferred, all students must complete the campus residency requirement, which specifies that each bachelor’s degree candidate from UIUC must earn at least 45 semester hours of credit, with 21 credit hours of 300- or 400-level courses. 

Transfer students who complete an initial full-time semester on campus (fall or spring) and have a UIUC GPA of 3.5 or higher are eligible to apply for the James Scholar Honors Program. 

We strongly encourage you to fulfill admission requirements by earning graded, transferable credit, as test-based credit policies are not finalized until after the incoming student admissions cycle is complete, and these policies can and do change often. 

Yes, we accept second bachelor’s degree applications for consideration; however, we give priority to students seeking their first bachelor's degree. For limited capacity majors, including Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, second degree applications are unlikely to be approved. Contact Grainger Engineering Transfer Admissions for more information and alternative paths to achieving your academic goals. All applicants are expected to have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.

If you completed your first bachelor’s degree from a different institution, continue as a transfer applicant; but if you earned your first bachelor’s degree from the UIUC, Contact Grainger Engineering Transfer Admissions for information on how to proceed. Our guidelines and course requirements established in the Transfer Handbook, alongside transfer admissions dates and deadlines, apply to all transfer applicants.

If you completed your first bachelor’s degree from Illinois,  contact Grainger Engineering Transfer Admissions to further discuss your degree options and application process. Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree from Illinois are not able to submit a second application in the transfer application portal and are expected to meet all requirements for transfer in the Transfer Handbook.

For comprehensive information on out to change your major visit Grainger Engineering advising page: https://advising.grainger.illinois.edu/degree-programs/changing-majors

If you entered the university as a transfer student in a major outside of Grainger Engineering you are not eligible to apply.  Off-campus transfer students must be admitted directly to Grainger Engineering at time of transfer to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a Grainger student who was previously an Off-campus transfer student, you may apply to change major. However, it is not guaranteed you will be permitted to change your major and you will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

• If you entered the university as a transfer student in Chemical Engineering you are not eligible to apply.  Off-campus transfer students must be admitted directly to Grainger Engineering at time of transfer to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Carefully explore all of your interests and meet with advisors before requesting to change majors. For questions about changing to a major outside of the Grainger College of Engineering, please contact the respective college or academic department. 

Scholarships are available for students who transfer to Illinois. Some scholarships are offered as part of your acceptance package and others are available for continuing students. Additional information about Undergraduate Aid for Engineers: https://grainger.illinois.edu/academics/undergraduate/aid.