APPLYING & REQUIREMENTS
Requirements Overview
APPLICATION
- Submitted online application
- $70 application fee (non-refundable) or applicable waiver
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION AND CREDENTIALS
Review the requirements above for your country/territory to determine whether you meet qualifications for study at the Graduate level. An International Credential Evaluation Fee is assessed for the evaluation of international coursework. See the Academic Credentials section below for complete details.
Required documentation:
- Credentials for all undergraduate coursework completed
- Credentials for all post-baccalaureate coursework completed
- Degree award certificate/diploma for all completed degree programs
International applicants with U.S. coursework should refer to the Credentials section on the Domestic Requirements page.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
Review English proficiency requirements above for your country/territory to determine whether English proficiency requirements apply. See the English Proficiency section below for complete details.
- TOEFL iBT or rPT
- IELTS Academic
- PTE Academic
- Education-based waiver
- Employment-based waiver
PROGRAM-REQUIRED MATERIALS
These are determined by program. See the program's website for complete details. Program requirements may include (but are not limited to) items such as:
- GRE scores - use our Institutional Code 1851 to report your results
- personal statement - refer to the program for prompts or topics
- letters of recommendation - online requests initiated through the application
- writing samples
- resume/curriculum vitae
- application for graduate appointment (pdf) - general Graduate College form - some programs may require use of their own form
Academic Credentials
Please refer to the requirements per country/territory above to determine which credentials are needed in your case. For the purposes of application review, only a PDF copy of the credentials should be submitted online. Official, sealed credentials will be requested only from admitted applicants intending to enroll.
- Academic credentials must be issued by the institution you attended.
- Third party evaluations (such as WES or ECE) are not required by the Office of Admissions and will not be accepted in place of institution-issued credentials.
- A degree award certificate or diploma should be submitted for all completed degree programs.
- Documents issued in a non-English language should be submitted along with certified, literal English translations (see below for details).
INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIAL EVALUATION FEE
A mandatory, non-refundable $100 International Credential Evaluation Fee (effective with Summer 2021 applications, $50 for Spring 2021 and earlier) is assessed for all graduate and professional degree-seeking applicants who have post-secondary coursework taken outside the United States.
International applicants who have only U.S. coursework are not required to submit this fee. Study abroad coursework by U.S. students is excluded from this policy. The fee is assessed once per application term. Payment of the fee will be requested online through the application system.
TRANSCRIPTS
We understand that from the viewpoint of many countries, the word “transcript” is an American term. When the Office of Admissions asks you for transcripts, we are actually asking for a copy of your academic record which includes courses taken, course descriptions, credits earned or hours completed, and posted grades. The following academic records are always acceptable as “transcripts”:
- Bosnia & Herzegovina - Index or Upsinica
- Croatia - Indeks or Uvjerjenje
- Germany - Scheinen or Student Reported Summary which has been certified by the university
- Poland - Indeks
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka - See Marksheets below
- Countries following the Bologna Agreement - Transcripts. A diploma supplement may also be required.
MARKSHEETS
Some institutions (such as those in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) provide a separate sheet for each year or semester which details the classes taken and marks achieved by a student. The following criteria are applied when the Office of Admissions reviews these credentials:
- Marksheets provided should be issued on a yearly or semesterly basis.
- These should be unconsolidated. Consolidated marks will not be accepted.
- All yearly or semesterly marksheets should be combined into a single PDF for upload.
- All examination attempts, including failures, must be included.
- Marks secured, minimum passing marks, and maximum marks should be shown.
- Marksheets may be issued by the university or the college.
- University marksheets are preferred over college transcripts, however, if the college credentials contain all the necessary information, they will be sufficient.
- Marksheets should clearly list the course names.
- If all that is shown is Paper I, II, and III or Exams I, II, III for a certain subject, the Office of Admissions will ask for a syllabus or course descriptions.
- Always provide the back of the marksheets if any information regarding courses or grading policies is listed on it.
DEGREE CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA - PROOF OF DEGREE
The Office of Admissions requires proof of all degrees that a student has earned. This should be a copy of your diploma or degree award certificate. It should state the type of degree you were awarded, the fact that it was granted to you, and the date of conferment. See below for information on types of certificates accepted as proof of degree.
Unacceptable proofs of degree:
- Certificates which indicate only the passing of an examination or semester
- Exam Certificates, Final Exam Certificates, Pass Certificates, Degree Exam Certificates
- Certificates or statements issued by the college or a college official.
- Proof of degree must be issued by the university which has the authority to grant the degree.
Acceptable proofs of degree:
- A copy of the conferred degree award certificates or diploma, issued by the university.
- A Provisional Degree Certificate, issued by the university
- Provisional certificates must indicate that you have qualified for the degree and that it will be conferred at a future date.
CERTIFIED TRANSLATIONS
The Office of Admissions requires literal, certified translations for all documents issued in a language other than English.
When not officially provided by your prior university, we accept translations from the following:
- ATA certified translators
- translation agencies
- court-appointed translators
- the consulate
Translations should be on a translator’s letterhead and should be literal (not an interpretation or a paraphrasing).
Plain translations, notarized translations, and translations done by someone other than a certified translator are not acceptable. Evaluations performed by agencies such as WES and ECE will not be used in place of certified translations.
DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT
The supplement provides a description of the nature, level, context and status of the studies a student pursued and successfully completed.
SYLLABUS/COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Applicants may be required to submit a syllabus or course descriptions if an academic credential does not provide enough detail about the courses taken. These items will usually provide a key for understanding the courses you have taken and will provide the highlights of that course's curriculum. These will be requested on a case-by-case basis.
English Proficiency
Valid English proficiency test scores must be submitted if required, based on the country or territory in which an applicant previously studied. Refer to the requirements for your country/territory above.
The following are the only tests accepted at UIC as evidence of English proficiency. The Graduate College minimum scores* are indicated for each. UIC does not accept Duolingo, IELTS General exams, iTEP, the TOEFL Essentials exam or any other form of examination not explicitly listed.
| TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic | PTE Academic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Score | 80 | Overall Score | 6.5 | Overall score | 54 |
| Listening | 17 | Listening | 6 | Listening | 47 |
| Writing | 21 | Writing | 6 | Writing | 56 |
| Reading | 19 | Reading | 6 | Reading | 51 |
| Speaking | 20 | Speaking | 6 | Speaking | 53 |
*Note that departments may set higher minimums for consideration of admission to certain programs. Please refer to the program's requirements for additional information.
Applicants with scores below the published minimums are not automatically denied. If recommended for admission by the program, these cases are referred to the Graduate College for additional approval.
English proficiency test scores and assessments are considered valid for two years following the test date and must be valid at the time of application.
TEST SCORE SUBMISSION
- TOEFL scores must be reported* to UIC directly from ETS.
- Use our Institutional Code 1851.
- All programs are able to access the test scores regardless of department code, as long as our institutional code is used.
- PTE Academic scores must be reported* to UIC directly from Pearson.
- Select University of Illinois Chicago from the institution selection menu.
- IELTS Academic
- IELTS results must be delivered to our Electronic Download account by the IELTS test center.
- Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent to our E-Download account using the IELTS system with the following information:
- Institution: University of Illinois Chicago
- Department: Office of Admissions
- Address: 1200 West Harrison Street
- Address2: Suite 1100
- City: Chicago
- State: IL
- Zip: 60607
- Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent to our E-Download account using the IELTS system with the following information:
- IELTS results must be delivered to our Electronic Download account by the IELTS test center.
- English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) performed by the UIC Tutorium in Intensive English. Click here to find out more details.
*Note that it can take up to two weeks from the process/ship date for reported scores to be reflected as received within our application system.
REQUIREMENT EXEMPTIONS
The English proficiency test requirement may be waived under the following circumstances, if the conditions have occurred within the last five years:
- Enrollment at a U.S. institution for at least two years of full-time study.
- Exemptions based upon enrollment will be applied after receipt of applicable academic credentials.
- Employment in the U.S. for at least one year on a full-time basis.
- Documentation for exemptions based upon employment will be requested to be uploaded through the application checklist after submission of the application.
- It should consist of a letter from your employer issued on letterhead which indicates the length of time you have been employed at the establishment and attests to your proficiency with the English language.
- Your employment should be located in the U.S. and not a remote location abroad.
- Education or employment for the duration of time listed above in a country or territory from which an English proficiency test is not required.
English proficiency requirements are not waived based upon the medium of instruction at a previously attended institution. This includes attendance at a branch or campus of a US or UK institution which is physically located in a country or territory from which an English proficiency test is required.
TUTORIUM IN INTENSIVE ENGLISH OPTION
In certain cases where an applicant presents a strong academic profile but has sub-standard English proficiency test scores, the admitting program can offer the opportunity to enroll in an intensive English program prior to beginning study in the degree program. This is known as the Tutorium in Intensive English program (TIE). Note that this option is offered at the discretion of the admitting program. Programs may choose not to offer admission to the TIE.
Applicants must still follow the standard application procedure and submit all requirements, including valid English proficiency test scores. UIC does not offer the option to defer submission of valid English proficiency test scores.
The Tutorium in Intensive English (TIE) coordinates UIC’s intensive English instruction. Students enrolled in only intensive English instruction pay UIC fees and assessments for campus services and TIE tuition. As students transition to UIC standard instruction, students pay UIC tuition proportionate to the credit hours taken in standard UIC classes.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT FOR ASSISTANTSHIPS
UIC has a separate policy and English language assessment for admitted students who are offered assistantships. Under the Graduate College, the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) administers the Oral Certification Interview (OCI) for prospective Teaching Assistants. Click here for information about the Illinois state law and UIC's policy on the spoken English requirements for non-native English-speaking Teaching Assistants.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Assistantships and Funding
Department awards and financial assistance in the form Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships and Fellowships are awarded by the program.
More information on financial support can be found on the Graduate College website.
Contact your intended program to see what funding opportunities are available and whether you are being offered funding.
Visa Process for Admitted Students
Financial documents for visa processing are requested by the Office of International Services. Applicants may begin submitting OIS-requested documents online through the application system checklist during the application period, however, they do not need to be submitted until after an admission decision is made.
OIS document requests and visa processing do not affect application review or admission decisions.
Please see the website of the Office of International Services for additional details and contact them with inquiries about OIS document requests or financial documents you've submitted.
Official Credential Guidelines
Only admitted applicants who intend to enroll at UIC will be required to submit official, attested and sealed copies of their academic credentials to the Office of Admissions. Official credentials are due during your first week of enrollment. This includes both the transcripts or marksheets and the degree certificate/diploma.
If English translations were required, the original translations should also be submitted.
From institutions outside the U.S., copies of original credentials which have been attested by the university or college authority and sealed by the same individual will be considered as official. We understand that many universities only issue one set of final, original credentials. Please do not send originals to UIC, as received documents cannot be returned.
We are unable to use an original, unsealed document to meet the official credential requirements. We cannot simply view your original documents or take plain photocopies of them. We instead request attested and sealed versions of all required materials that have been stamped as authentic by the issuing institution. In most cases, you should be submitting attested and sealed items that match those included as an upload with your application. If submitting official records that include marksheets, they must be unconsolidated. You may find detailed information about the requested items by logging into your application status page.
Attestation:
- Make a copy of your transcripts or marksheets and degree.
- Have them stamped/attested by the university or college authority.
- Each page should be individually attested.
- Acceptable attestation authorities include: Registrar (Assistant/Associate/Deputy), Controller of Examinations, Attestation Officer, Principal, Dean.
- The same authority will need to seal the credentials in an envelope.
- The same attesting stamp should be placed over the flap.
The university may issue the official credentials directly to UIC or to the student. As long as the seal is not broken, the credentials will be considered official.
Documents may be considered unofficial for any of the following reasons:
- Attestation is not consistent.
- If pages were stamped or sealed by different individuals, they are not considered official.
- Attestation is not done by an acceptable authority.
- Credentials were submitted in plain, unstamped or open envelopes.
- Envelopes must be sealed at the time they are received by the Office of Admissions.
- If envelopes were opened by a postal or other legal authority, retain and submit the documentation provided by them.
- Attestation has been done by EducationUSA or other third party.
International applicants are those where any of the following statements apply:
- You would need a student visa to study in the U.S.
- You are currently in the U.S. on a student visa at another institution.
- You are currently in the U.S. on a non-student visa, such as an H1B, H4, B1, etc.
International applicants are held to the international application deadlines, as applicable for their intended program of study.
UIC's admissions requirements are defined in the sections below. All application materials must be received promptly by the published application deadline. There is no secondary document submission date. Incomplete applications may be subject to cancellation at any time after the deadline.
We encourage applicants to refrain from requesting deadline extensions or grace periods for document submission; acceptance of English proficiency exams not explicitly listed; application fee or international evaluation fee waivers outside the preset categories; substitutions for the required academic records; transfer of applications or application materials to other programs or to future terms. We are unable to grant these requests.
All inquiries about Program-Required Materials (GRE/GMAT scores, personal statement, letters of recommendation, writing samples, resume/cv, portfolio, application for graduate appointment) should be sent to your desired academic program. The Office of Admissions is unable to provide advice regarding the submission or waiver of these materials.
To ensure that you application is successful, we recommend that you carefully adhere to the requirements & deadlines defined here and on the website of your desired academic program.
To find credential guidelines, degree qualifications, and English proficiency requirements based on the country or territory in which you studied, please select the country/territory from the dropdown below.
Note that while official credentials are referenced, only a scanned photocopy of the documents is required to be uploaded to the application system for the purposes of application review. Official, attested and sealed credentials will be requested only from admitted students.
The University of Illinois Chicago reserves the right to request official credentials at any time during the application process if deemed necessary, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between unofficial and official credentials are found.
