• About the Division of General Studies
• Meeting with an Advisor
• Exploration
• Declaring or Applying to a Major
• Admissions
• Honors Program
• Academic Achievement Program
• DGSociety
• Majors and Minors Fair
• Apply Yourself Workshop
• Program for Academic Support & Success
• Parents Corner
• Fifth Story Gallery
• Policies and Procedures

Applying To DGS as a Transfer Student

Hello prospective transfer student! The Division of General Studies serves undergraduate students interested in exploring academic options, pursuing pre-professional curricula, or finding a major that fits well with their career goals. Combining advising and mentoring, our academic advisors are uniquely qualified to guide students as they make informed academic decisions and craft their future goals.

Because our undeclared program is unique from many other campuses, we encourage you to explore more of our website, starting with About the Division of General Studies and the 2008 College Profile.

Admission Criteria

DGS transfer student admission decisions are based on a thorough review of your application package, For a stronger application package, you should meet all or most of the following criteria:

• Have completed the equivalency of the University of Illinois' Composition I requirement, usually a two-course English composition sequence at most other institutions.
• Students who have 30 or more hours (completed and in-progress) at the time of application must have earned at least a 2.70 GPA in all completed coursework at the college level.
• Students who do not have 30 hours (completed and in-progress) at the time of application are required to submit ACT/SAT scores. Additionally, a final high school transcript is required for review. These students should have earned B- or higher grades on all completed coursework at the college level.
• Have completed no more than 50 transferable hours (completed and in-progress) at the time of application (not including test based credit hours such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams).
• Language Requirement:  Transfer admission requires at a minimum completion of two years of one language other than English in high school or through the second level (two semesters) of one language other than English in college. As a graduation requirement, students will ultimately need to complete three or four years of one language other than English in high school or through the third or fourth level of one language other than English in college, depending on the transfer student’s eventual declared program of study.
• Your application essays help us understand how you would benefit from our explorative mission. Your essays may include subjects or fields that interest you, academic programs you are considering, career or pre-professional goals, or relevant experiences that have influenced your academic and career interests.

Declaring a Major

DGS does not grant degrees but prepares students to move into one of the many majors on campus. Our transfer students can ultimately move into majors in every college at the University of Illinois once they have met the required intercollegiate transfer or declaration criteria. Please note that a few majors are either closed or restricted for DGS transfer students.

Programs that are not available to DGS transfer students include:

• All majors in the College of Business
• Bioengineering

Programs that are temporarily closed or very difficult to declare include:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Architectural Studies

What Should You Know About DGS?

Check out our 2009 College Profile for more information about the DGS experience.

Learn more about DGS and our students by visiting the About the Division of General Studies section of our website.

Additional questions about DGS? Please contact us at 217.333.4710.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions

For more information about the transfer student application process to the University of Illinois, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.