Merge Campus Visit Program

Grainger Engineering is one of the world's top-ranked engineering colleges. Our students, faculty, and alumni set the standard for excellence. We drive the economy, reimagine engineering education, and bring revolutionary ideas to the world.

Each fall, the Merge Campus Visit Program provides an opportunity for students with various experiences and goals, and who come from many educational, socio-cultural, geographic, and familial backgrounds to explore and consider Grainger Engineering graduate programs. The Merge Campus Visit Program supports prospective students through pre-application seminars, program-specific connections, and campus visits.

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. citizens or permanent residents
• Currently enrolled in or recently completed an accredited curriculum in engineering, computer science, or physics
• Minimum GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 point scale)
• Persons with diverse experiences and goals, who come from many educational, socio-cultural, geographic, and familial backgrounds

Application Requirements

• A resume or CV
• An unofficial transcript
• An academic statement addressing your plans for graduate study, including research interests, career goals, relevant coursework completed, and other educational experiences (up to 1,000 words)
• A personal statement addressing both of the following prompts (up to 1,000 words):
  1. Please describe any experiences and/or challenges that may have shaped your intellectual and personal development. 
  2. Provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with diverse perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively.

Grainger Engineering Five-Year Ph.D. Funding Guarantee

Grainger Engineering Ph.D. students in their first five years of enrollment are guaranteed a funded appointment for fall and spring that includes a full tuition waiver, a partial fee waiver, and a stipend. Students are also eligible for summer support. Students must remain in Good Academic Standing and successfully perform the duties of their assistantships. Learn more.

Unique "Micro-Urban" Community

Urbana-Champaign is on an accelerated development track, emerging as a leading example of a "micro-urban" community—a population center of less than 250,000 with a set of highly desirable attributes commonly found in larger cities. Our vibrant arts/culture/nightlife scene, internationally diverse population, strong technology base, and commitment to societal issues coupled with a world-class university make this an ideal place to live, study, and work.

True Interdisciplinary Spirit

We're home to numerous research centers, multidisciplinary research efforts, and many advanced laboratories. Interdisciplinary discovery is a topic of conversation at every university today. At Illinois, it isn't just talk. It's a way of life. Here it's possible to redefine success, and invent new ways of working with colleagues from across campus in almost any field, for almost any reason.