On campus there are 15 different engineering fields and over 100 majors to choose from! College is the time to explore your major and career options. You do not need to know what you want to do with the rest of your life right now. We’re here to help guide you and help you find your best fit. The following are various scenarios for those aiming to change your major into Engineering, change majors within Engineering, and switch to majors outside of our College. The most important thing is to work with your advisor so you know the exact steps to take.
The Grainger College of Engineering has an Inter-Departmental Transfer (IDT)/Intercollegiate Transfer (ICT) process that students should start by exploring the information below in order to check eligibility and decide how to proceed. For more details see the Engineering Advising website.
Declaring A Major or Dual Degree in Grainger Engineering
First Year students
- Students entering the university as a first-year students admitted to Engineering Undeclared need to refer to the policies and guidelines for Engineering Undeclared (EU).
- Computer Science, Computer Science + Bioengineering, and Computer Science + Physics are not available majors for declaration.
- Students entering the university as a first-year student admitted to ARISE Engineering Undeclared need to refer to the policies and guidelines for ARISE Scholars.
- Students entering the university as a first year student that is admitted to a major outside of the Grainger College of Engineering need change their major to Engineering Undeclared (EU) within their first year to be eligible for an engineeing major.
- Students entering the university as a first-year student admitted to a major within the Grainger College of Engineering that is interested in dual degree in a second engineering major or the Innovation, Leadership, and Engineering Entrepreneurship dual degree must apply within their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th semester of enrollment. To be eligible for a Dual Degree, students should be eligible for an ICT or IDT into Engineering. More details can be found on the advising dual degree page.
- Students entering the university as a transfer student admitted to a major outside of the Grainger College of Engineering are not eligible to change their major into a major within the Grainger College of Engineering nor Chemical Engineering.
- Students entering the university as a transfer student admitted to a major within the Grainger College of Engineering are eligible to declare the BS dual degree in Innovation, Leadership, and Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE) only.
Changing Majors Within Grainger Engineering
Students currently enrolled in the Grainger College of Engineering may petition to change to another major within the College. Students considering this option should start by speaking with college and department advisors. Learn more about eligibility criteria and course requirements.
Students entering the university as first-year students in the following majors may also use the College petition process and do not need to first apply to Engineering Undeclared:
- Agricultural & Biological Engineering (ACES)
- Chemical Engineering (LAS)
Transferring out of Grainger Engineering
If you've decided that engineering is not right for you, we invite you to speak with a college advisor about your interests and next steps.
Finding the Right Academic Fit
Changing your major is the right path for some, but not for everyone. There are additional options to augment your education and allow you to design an academic curricular experience that is tailored to your goals and interests. Listed below are available academic opportunities you can consider to enhance your education:
Declaring a minor
A minor at the University of Illinois is a secondary academic discipline undertaken during your undergraduate studies. There are required courses and/or credit hours to fulfill the minor. Fewer courses are taken for a minor compared to a major.
- Added through the online Minor Declaration form,
- Modified through the Minor Modification form, and
- Canceled through the online Minor Cancellation Form.
Learn more from Engineering Advising.
Explore a certification
A certificate attests to a student's achievement in an area beyond their major. Certificates do not appear on the final transcript. The following organizations offer certificates that may be of interest to Grainger Engineering students:
- Computational Science and Engineering
- Illinois Leadership Center
- Information Trust Institute
- Technology Entrepreneur Center
A dual degree is when a student studies two different disciplines at the same time and receives two separate degrees. Students may pursue a dual degree with either a second engineering major or a major from a different college. Grainger Engineering students are also eligible to pursue a dual degree in Innovation, Leadership and Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE), intended to teach engineering students the innovative processes involved in identifying complex technical problems and creating, developing and leading efforts to provide engineering solutions.
Learn more from Engineering Advising.
Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Engineering Degree Programs
A combined B.S. and M.S. degree program allows undergraduate students to pursue a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree simultaneously. Only certain Grainger Engineering programs offer the B.S./M.S option. Students typically apply for these programs in their third year.