University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Courses

Aerospace

The Department of Aerospace Engineering under The Grainer College of Engineering offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Students can pursue a major in different areas. The graduate program places emphasis on aircraft and spaceflight engineering.

The Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering is also offered online. The degree requirements are the same as for the on-campus program. Online students have five years to complete the program.
Although the prerequisite for graduate study is the equivalent of a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, graduates in other fields of engineering, pure sciences, or mathematics may be admitted. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 (A = 4.00) of the last two years of undergraduate study is required. Scores on the GRE general test are required of all applicants. A quantitative score in the 80th percentile is recommended.

The TOEFL is required of applicants whose native language is not English with a minimum score of 103. Such applicants can also take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), wherein they must score a minimum of 7.0 overall and 6.0 in all subsections. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Dynamics and controls
• Space systems
• Hypersonics
• Aerodynamics and fluid mechanics
• Aerospace structural mechanics
• Combustion and propulsion
• Orbital mechanics and space mission optimization
• Aerospace materials

List of Labs:

• Center for Exascale Simulation-coupled Combustion

Bioengineering

The Department of Bioengineering offers Master of Science in Bioengineering for which one will need to complete the core curriculum and the requisite number of electives apart from research activities for which you will be allocated credit hours. You need to complete the thesis and cover a significant amount of hours to complete the course. You can opt for the non-thesis option also.The Department of Bioengineering also offers a one-year non-thesis professional Master of Engineering (M.Eng) in Bioengineering degree.

The Bioengineering Graduate Program integrates the sciences of biology and medicine with those of engineering. The Graduate Program in Bioengineering admits few M.S.-only students. Successful applicants usually have GPAs above 3.5 (on a 4.0 = A scale) and GRE scores above the 80th percentile.Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in bioengineering or a related field. Engineering students must have prior training in the life sciences, while Biology students must have a strong understanding of mathematics.

The Master of Science program in Bioinformatics is in partnership with four academic units that are consistently ranked among the top in the world. Prospective students should apply directly to the group of their choice:

• Department of Animal Sciences
• Department of Computer Science
• Department of Crop Sciences
• School of Information Sciences

Research in bioinformatics takes place in several leading interdisciplinary centers on the campus. The MS degree offers both thesis and non-thesis options. All students must take courses in each of three core areas:

• Fundamental Bioinformatics – Courses in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, and computational biology
• Biology – Courses in general biochemistry and cell biology
• Computer Science – Courses in database systems and combinatorial algorithms
• Chemical Engineering - Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 

Students applying to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university, an exceptional academic record, strong GRE test scores, and three recommendation letters. International students are required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores. Preferred applicants possess a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (4.0 is A). Outstanding students with degrees in other areas are welcome to apply. All graduate students are supported financially if they maintain satisfactory academic progress. Support can include research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships.

Areas of Expertise:  

• Biotechnology and biomolecular engineering
• Colloid science and complex fluids
• Materials engineering for chemical applications
• Materials and devices for energy conversion
• Computational, process and systems science

List of Labs:

• The Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems

Civil and Environmental

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers courses across these areas:

• Construction Engineering and Management
• Construction Materials
• Energy-Water-Environment Sustainability
• Environmental Engineering and Science
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Societal Risk Management
• Structural Engineering
• Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems
• Transportation Engineering
• Water Resources Engineering and Science

The department offers the degrees of:

•  Master of Science in Civil Engineering
• Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
• M.Eng. in Railway Engineering Concentration

Students can develop cross-disciplinary programs in consultation with their advisers. The department offers courses in computational science and engineering and energy and sustainability engineering in its graduate programs. They also offer a professional master's degree program (non-thesis option) to students. The major in Engineering for the M.Eng. degree requires the selection of an interdisciplinary concentration.

For the M.S./Joint Degree programs, admission is provided to graduates of accredited institutions whose requirements for the Bachelor's degree are like those of the university. The applicant's academic average should be at least 3.00 (A = 4.00). GRE is required. Applications are considered for both spring and fall admissions.

The requirements for admission to the Ph.D. program are substantially higher.

All applicants whose native language is not English must submit a minimum :

• TOEFL score of 79 (iBT)
• 213 (CBT)
• 550 (PBT)
• IELTS academic exam scores of 6.5 overall and 6.0 in all subsections.

For the Joint Degree programs, students need to be graduates of accredited institutions whose requirements for the Bachelor's degree are like those of the University. The applicant's academic average should be at least 3.00 (A = 4.00). GRE is required. The test scores for admission to the Ph.D. program are higher. All applicants whose native language is not English must submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.

• The TOEFL score should be a minimum of 79 (iBT)
• 213 (CBT)
• 550 (PBT)
• The IELTS scores should be 6.5 overall and 6.0 in all subsections.

Areas of Expertise:

• Energy, water and environment sustainability
• Environmental engineering and science
• Sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems
• Structural engineering and mechanics
• Societal Risk Management
• Transportation engineering
• Environmental hydrology and hydraulic engineering
• Geotechnical engineering
• Construction management
• Construction materials engineering
• Public health engineering

List of Labs:

• Center of Excellence for Airport Technology
• Advanced Transportation Research and Engineering Laboratory
• Illinois Center for Transportation
• Prairie Research Institute
• Mid-America Earthquake Center

Computer Science

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science offered by the Department of Computer Science is a research-oriented degree, and credit hours accumulated can be counted towards the Ph.D. in Computer Science. Students must complete three different courses, each from a different area, with a grade of B- or higher.

There is an option to pursue the course online too. The online option allows students to earn a Master of Computer Science degree in up to five years.

These students have the option to complete the Professional MCS track or the MCS program with a data science track. The department also offers M.S. in Bioinformatics Program as well.
Applicants must have a 4-year bachelor’s degree equivalent to that granted by the university. Eligibility also depends on the country where the applicant received their degree please see the Graduate College's list of eligible degrees. The University requires applicants to hold at least a 3.0/4.0 or higher GPA in the last two years of their undergraduate study to be eligible for graduate studies on this campus.

Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science must have enough background in computer programming, data structures and algorithms, computer architecture, and theory of computation.
GRE general aptitude tests (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) and subject test scores are recommended but not required. All applicants whose native language is not English must submit a minimum TOEFL or IELTS score.

Areas of Expertise:

• Computer architecture, parallel and distributed computing
• Big data, data mining, information retrieval
• Theory and algorithms, formal methods
• OS, networking, embedded and secure systems
• Programming languages, compilers, software engineering
• Scientific computing
• Human-computer interaction, graphics and multimedia
• Artificial intelligence, computer vision, natural language processing

List of Labs:

• Image Laboratory:
  • Multimedia Signal Processing
  • Analysis
  • Visualization
• National Center for Supercomputing Applications
• Information Trust Institute
• Computational Science and Engineering

Electrical & Computer Engineering

The Master of Engineering degree offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a coursework-only degree and appropriate for students who wish to enter the professional workforce. Students interested in a career in research should go for the Master of Science (M.S.) program.The Master of Science degree allows students to master concepts which will help them to become visionaries in their fields. The candidates for the M.S. degree should complete all the requirements for the degree within five calendar years of their entering college.

A total of thirty-two hours of credit, of which 20 must be 500-level ECE hours, are required. Please click here for more details.M.S. degree candidates who wish to continue toward the Ph.D. degree must take the Qualifying Examination at the time specified. It is not necessary to complete the M.S. degree requirements before taking the examination. Students who are not able to satisfy the necessary requirements by the beginning of the fourth semester in residence are not eligible for admission to Ph.D.The graduate faculty evaluates the Ph.D. candidate’s ability to do independent research work.

Scholastic competence including grades, class ranks, instructor evaluations, and comments, and GRE scores are taken into consideration. Students entering the doctorate program with Bachelor's degrees must take the Qualifying Examination before the fourth semester in residence. A student must have the Ph.D. Thesis Adviser Agreement on file with the ECE Graduate Advising Office. Moreover, there is a specific requirement for the number of hours of coursework to be completed. A grade-point average of at least 3.25 is required in all graduate coursework completed and on the 500-level Electrical and Computer Engineering coursework completed. 

All applicants whose native language is not English must submit a minimum :

• TOEFL score of 96 (iBT)
• 243 (CBT)
• 590 (PBT)
• minimum IELTS academic exam scores of 6.5 overall and 6.0 in all subsections.

Areas of Expertise:

• Networking and distributed computing
• Communications and control
• Electromagnetics, optics, and remote sensing
• Circuits and signal processing
• Biomedical imaging, bioengineering, and acoustics
• Nanotechnology
• Microelectronics and photonics
• Power and energy systems
• Computing systems hardware and software
• Reliable and secure computing systems

List of Labs:

• Grainger Center for Electric Machinery and Electromechanics
• Power Systems Engineering Research Center
• Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium (CREDC)
• Center for Computational Electromagnetics and Electromagnetics Laboratory
• Illinois Center for Cryptography and Information Protection
• Center for Reliable and High-Performance Computing
• Coordinated Science Lab
• Micro and Nanotechnology Lab
• Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid

Industrial & Enterprise Engineering 

The Department of ISE Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering offers:

• M.S. Industrial Engineering (On-campus/Online and Thesis/Non-thesis)
• MS Industrial Engineering with Advanced Analytics Concentration
• MS Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering (Thesis/Non-thesis)
• MS in Financial Engineering (MSFE degree)

Students are required to submit an advisor agreement and choose the thesis or non-thesis option.

Foreign candidates need to submit the following in addition to the application form

• Resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts in English and native language (may be unofficial, but the names of the applicant and university must appear)
• Certificate of a degree in English and native language (if earned)
• Official GRE scores
• Official TOEFL scores (can be omitted in certain circumstances)
• Passport
• Evidence of financial resources (may be submitted after admission) 

Areas of Expertise:

• Data Analytics
• Financial engineering
• Design and Manufacturing
• Operations Research
• Decision and Control Systems

List of Labs:  

• Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment
• Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC)

Materials Engineering - Materials Science & Engineering

The graduate school of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering provides practical skills and professional experience in advanced materials.

The department offers :

• Master of Science (Thesis/Non-thesis)
• Doctor of Philosophy programs in Materials Science and Engineering

Students may choose to specialize in various aspects of materials science and engineering including :

• Ceramics
• Metals
• Polymers
• Electronic Materials
• Biomaterials
• Composites

Students entering the graduate program may have undergraduate degrees in different scientific and engineering disciplines, e.g.,:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering
• Physics
• Mechanical Engineering

Admission is based on undergraduate performance, standardized test scores, a statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation.

A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 (4.0=A) is required. The GRE General Test (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) is required. All applicants whose native language is not English should submit the results of the TOEFL or IELTS as evidence of English proficiency. Scores necessary for full admission status: TOEFL-104/ IELTS greater than 7.5 and must be less than 2 years old at the time of admission.

Areas of Expertise:

• Electronic materials
• Ceramic materials
• Biomaterials
• Nano, micro and meso-technology
• nanomanufacturing
• Metallic materials
• Polymeric and organic materials

List of Labs:

• Frederick Seitz Materials Research Lab
• Materials Research Science and Engineering

 
Mechanical - Mechanical Science and Engineering

The Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering offers campus and online options for  M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering (MSME). The department also offers a Master of Science in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (MSTAM). Most MS students are given financial assistance through research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and/or fellowships.

The Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (M.Eng. ME) provides campus/online options and in-depth technical knowledge beyond that of a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. BS is offered in Engineering Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering.

Applicants must apply online with the transcripts, resume/CV, Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement, three letters of recommendation. Also, GRE scores and TOEFL/IELTS scores for non-native English speakers are necessary.

Areas of Expertise:

• Biomechanics and mechanobiology
• Manufacturing processes and manufacturing systems control
• Controls and dynamics and tribology
• Nano, micro and meso-technology, and nanomanufacturing
• Computational science and mechanics and applied math
• Energy Science, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Combustion
• Robotics and autonomous systems
• Materials, solid mechanics and applied physics

List of Labs:

• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center
• Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute
• Manufacturing Research Center
• Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems

Pure Science

The program leading to the degree of Master of Science in the Teaching of Chemistry is designed to be completed in one year of full-time study by students entering without deficiencies.

The Doctoral programs are offered in a wide range of specialties including the traditional areas of :

• Analytical
• Inorganic
• Organic and Physical Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Chemical Biology.

Students are required to present a seminar, pass an oral preliminary examination on research preparation, present and defend an original research proposal not related to their thesis research, and submit a thesis on original research, which is defended at a final oral examination.

Areas of Expertise:

• Astrophysics, cosmology, and general relativity
• Atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information science
• Condensed matter physics and nanotechnology
• High-energy physics
• Biological physics

List of Labs:

• Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
• Center for Theoretical Astrophysics