University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering

Engineering Pathways

Program Information

Engineering Pathways offers students interested in beginning their college education at an Illinois community college a streamlined transfer experience and guaranteed admission to The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign upon successful completion of program requirements.

Apply Now

 

Upcoming Information Sessions

 Join us via Zoom to learn more about the program (click on a date to register for a session):

For community college faculty, staff, and administrators

Join Zoom Meeting: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/86001306616?pwd=TW00WW9XRmVWd2xEY2o3MC92bXhPZz09
Meeting ID: 860 0130 6616
Password: 469887

For prospective students

Information Sessions for prospective students will be available beginning early November. The application filing period for Fall 2024 will open January 5. 


Program Requirements

  • Follow the Engineering Pathways plans of study
  • Earn a B or better in each required course
  • Maintain a 3.5 GPA overall and in technical coursework*
  • Participate in mandatory advising and programming

Note: students are expected to complete all courses in which they enroll; dropping/withdrawing or failing to earn a B or better in a required course will jeopardize program standing.

*Technical coursework includes chemistry, computer science, math, physics, and engineering.

Plans of Study

Select the term of entry below and then select your community college’s plan of study.

Please note: While students attending any Illinois community college may now apply to participate in Engineering Pathways, not all colleges offer the full sequences of required coursework. Check the plan of study for your college. If a course is not available or not offered in the needed term, it may be necessary for a student to complete coursework at another Illinois community college to fulfill program requirements.

Fall 2022 Plans of Study

Fall 2023 Plans of Study

Participating Majors

Students who successfully complete all program requirements are guaranteed admission to The Grainger College of Engineering. Since 2019, Engineering Pathways has maintained 100% first-choice major placement for the transferring class. Beginning with the Fall 2022 cohort, the program officially offers a major-specific guarantee, to any of the 18 participating majors, for students who successfully complete all program requirements.

 

*Chemical Engineering and CS+X majors (except BIOE and PHYS) are not administered by Grainger Engineering and not included in the guarantee for Engineering Pathways. If you are interested in these majors please speak with your Engineering Pathways advisor about your options.

How to Apply

The application information on this page is intended for students applying to enter Year 1 of the Engineering Pathways plan of study in Fall 2024. The 3-step application process for Engineering Pathways requires an application to both the partner Illinois community college and program. 

Fall 2024 Application Process will open in January 2024.

 Step 1

Apply to the Illinois community college you plan to attend.

 Step 2

Complete assessment testing through the partner college.

  • The ALEKS PPL math assessment is mandatory and may not be waived
  • Reading/writing (English) assessments may be completed according to individual school policy

ALEKS PPL placement: A proctored assessment score of 76 or higher is required to apply to the program for Fall 2024. If you score below 76 on the ALEKS PPL, it is strongly recommended that you take time to study and review the learning modules before retaking the assessment.

If your selected community college does not offer the ALEKS PPL assessment or you have an ALEKS PPL score of 75 or below and have questions about how to move forward with additional assessment or the application, please contact engineeringpathways@illinois.edu.

 Step 3

Submit the Engineering Pathways application between January 5 – April 5, 2024.

The Engineering Pathways application is the final step in the process. To complete this application you will need your student ID number assigned by the Engineering Pathways partner college you plan to attend and a score of 76 or higher for the proctored ALEKS math assessment.

Additional documentation required:

  • To complete the application, you will be required to upload a copy of your ALEKS assessment score. The document must include your full name, the assessment date, the partner college, show that your assessment attempt was proctored, and the overall ALEKS score. Find an example ALEKS assessment document.
  • Official copy of high school transcript(s) sent electronically to engineeringpathways@illinois.edu. High school transcript(s) must include all courses completed, grades received, and any courses which will be in progress for Spring 2024.
  • In the application, there will also be space for you to upload any dual-credit/college transcript(s) and/or a GED completion certificate, if applicable (see application for additional details).

For more information about the Engineering Pathways application, check out our step-by-step guide.

Admission Dates and Deadlines

The application period for Fall 2023 is now closed. There may still be an opportunity to pursue Engineering Pathways. Learn about the Intent to Pursue Pathways track or fill out the Intent to Pursue Pathways (IPP) form.

Fall 2024 applicants:

  • Filing Period: January 5 – April 5*
    *Parkland Pathway filing period: March 5 – April 5
  • Decisions: Admission notifications will be made on a rolling basis.

Contact Us

Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person for questions you have that we haven’t answered on this site. Please contact us or your contact at your local community college.

Jen Sans
Office Administrator
Ph: 217-333-2280
engineeringpathways@illinois.edu