State Universities in Illinois —
At a Glance
Summary of Minimum High School Course Requirements for
Admission of Freshman to Illinois Public Universities
—Effective 2003—
Social
Total English Studies Mathematics Science Electives and Other Requirements
Chicago State + 15 41 38 310 320 2 years of foreign language, music, vocational education or art
Eastern Illinois 15 41 35 310 317 2 years of academic or vocational electives. Flexible units are allowed
Northeastern Illinois 15 41 35 310 317 2 years of foreign language, fine arts, or one vocational education.
Western Illinois + 15 41 35 310 3 2 years of foreign language, music, vocational education, art, theater, film,
religion, philosophy, speech or journalism
3 years, lab science which includes biology, chemistry, physics, earth
science, or other college preparatory science.
Illinois State 15 41 25 310 217 2 years of one foreign language or fine arts; and 2 years of electives,
including course work in any two of the four categories
(mathematics, social studies, science, foreign language or fine arts)
and courses in vocational education or computer programming.
Northern Illinois 15 42 3 3 3 2 units of foreign language, art, or music; 3 units of the required
15 units may be distributed by deducting no more than one unit from the
categories of social science, mathematics, sciences, and electives and
completing those 3 units in any of the 5 categories of coursework.
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale 15 or 15.5 41 38 3 or 3.512 320 2 years of electives in foreign language, art , fine arts, music or vocational
education; if a foreign language is taken, it must include two semesters of
the same language.
Edwardsville 15 43 37 313 319 1 year chosen from foreign language, music, the visual arts, theater, dance
and/or vocational education. (2 years of one foreign language and 1 year of
music, the visual arts, theater, and/or dance are recommended.)
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign 15 or 15.5 44 28 3 or 3.514 220 2 years of one foreign language are required; and 2 years (flexible
academic units) from any of the five subject categories. Approved art,
music, or vocational education courses may be counted in the flexible
academic units category.
Springfield 15 44 3 3 3 2 years of one foreign language are required.
Chicago
Pattern 1* 16 4 29 215 221 2 years of electives in foreign language, music, vocational education and/or
art; and
3 years (flexible academic units) of additional English, math, laboratory
science, social studies, foreign language, music and/or art; and 1 additional
year of other high school coursework.
Pattern 2** 16 4 29 3.516 221 2 years of electives in foreign language, music, vocational education and/or
art; and
1.5 years (flexible academic units) of additional English, math, laboratory
science, social studies, foreign language, music and/or art; and 1 additional
year of other high school coursework.
NOTES:
+ Suggested Electives - includes other academic courses.
1. Emphasizing written and oral communication and literature.
2. Three units of English must be from NIU recognized courses emphasizing written and oral
communication and literature.
3. Emphasizing grammar, composition, written and oral communication, and literature; may
include not more than 1 year of creative writing or journalism.
4. Studies in language, composition, and literature requiring practice in expository writing in
all such work. Coursework should emphasize reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
5. Emphasize history and government.
6. Two units of social studies must be from NIU-recognized courses one of which must be
U.S. history or a combination of U.S. history and government.
7. At least 2 years of history and/or government; other acceptable subjects are anthropology,
economics, geography, psychology, and sociology.
8. HIstory and government are preferred. Additional acceptable social studies include
anthropology, economics, geography, philosophy, political science, psychology, and
sociology.
9. One unit must be American History plus 1 unit of history, government, psychology,
economics or geography.
10. Introductory through advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or fundamentals of
computer programming (Computer programming not applicable at ISU).
11. Two years of mathematics must be NIU-recognized courses in college preparatory
mathematics, including 1 year of introductory algebra and a second year of plane geome-try
or advanced algebra. A third year of college preparatory mathematics is strongly
recommended.
12. Algebra through advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or computer science. 3.5
units of mathematics are required for engineering programs.
13. One year of introductory algebra, 1 year of geometry, 1/2 year of algebra beyond the
introductory year, and 1/2 year of more advanced mathematics or fundamentals of
computer programming.
14. Algebra, geometry, advanced algebra, trigonometry. Typically, such courses as
career/occupational mathematics, consumer mathematics, applied business mathematics,
pre-algebra, and computer courses are not acceptable. 3.5 years of mathematics includ-ing
trigonometry are required in the following curricula: Agriculture-agricultural engineer-ing;
Commerce-all curricula; Engineering-all curricula; Fine and Applied Arts-architectural
studies; Liberal Arts and Sciences-specialized curricula in biochemistry, chemical engi-neering,
chemistry, geology, and physics.
15. Pattern 1: 1 year algebra and 1 year geometry.
16. Pattern 2: 2 years of algebra, 1 year geometry, and 0.5 year of trigonometry.
17. Laboratory sciences, primarily biology, chemistry and physics.
18. Two years of science must be from NIU-recognized courses in the physical or biological
sciences. One unit must be a laboratory science.
19. One year of biology, 1 year of chemistry, and 1 additional year of earth science, physics,
biology, or chemistry. (All must be laboratory sciences.)
20. Laboratory courses in biology, chemistry, or physics are preferred. Laboratory courses in
astronomy and geology are also acceptable. General science will not be acceptable.
21. Not including general science.
* UIC Pattern 1: Art and Design; Art History; Kinesiology; Liberal Arts and Sciences, and
Performing Arts.
** UIC Pattern 2: Architecture, Business Administration, Engineering Exercise Physiology and
Nursing.
