Admitted Graduate Students
Welcome to chemical engineering at UIC! Heading link
Congratulations on your admission to graduate study at the University of Illinois Chicago!
This page is designed to give incoming chemical engineering master’s and PhD students easy access to the resources you need to get started at UIC.
We look forward to seeing you in class, and we are here to help as you begin your graduate program. If you cannot find the answer on this website to any question you may have, please contact us at uicche@uic.edu.
Important Next Steps Heading link
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Go the university student portal, my.uic.edu, to activate your account and receive your university NetID. You will need your Social Security number (SSN) or Temporary Control number (TCN), your university identification number (UIN), and your date of birth to complete the activation. Look for the activation link on the left side of the page. Once you have activated your portal account, you will be able to manage all aspects of your education at UIC through this site. The portal has information on UIC e-mail, registration, academic records, financial records, and more.
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If you are accepted to the program and plan to attend, you must submit your “intent to enroll” to hold your place in the class.
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All students should plan on attending the Graduate College orientation and the chemical engineering graduate student orientation in August. Dates for these orientations will be sent by email.
International students on a visa can enter the country 30 days prior to the start of the term. We strongly suggest you arrive early enough to allow plenty of time to find housing, register for classes, and get acclimated to the campus. International students are required to attend an additional Office of International Services (OIS) student orientation.
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Begin investigating the list of 400-level and 500-level chemical engineering courses that will make up the backbone of your academic program. Please keep an eye out for prerequisites and take those into account when making your selections.
All of our graduate courses are geared for students with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering or an equivalent understanding.
Rules and minimum requirements for class levels will be discussed during the chemical engineering graduate student orientation.
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- SEVIS hold – All new international students have a “SEVIS hold” automatically placed on their accounts. You must check in with the Office of International Services (OIS) upon your arrival in Chicago. OIS staff will provide details on how to remove the hold.
- Immunization hold – If you are residing in on-campus housing, an immunization form must be filled out by your doctor and submitted prior to or upon your arrival at UIC. The immunization form is available online. Download this immunization form and submit it by the deadline indicated.
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- UIC photo ID: Your university ID is called an iCard. You can get one after you have registered for classes. Full details and instructions are on the ID Center website.
- U-Pass: This is a transit pass for Chicago public transportation—CTA buses and trains—that is issued to eligible students. The U-Pass is issued on a semester-to-semester basis, with validity from the beginning to the end of the semester. Visit the ID Center’s U-Pass webpages for information on eligibility and distribution.
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Check out these helpful links before the start of your program.
- Chemical engineering graduate student resources page
- UIC graduate student admitted student page
- Graduate College main page
- University portal: my.uic.edu (in particular, ensure that you read all messages and attend to any requests)
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- Social Security Number (SSN) – SSN card is issued to newly arriving international students only if they are employed. See OISs SSN information page for further details.
- Banking – You can open an account in any bank that you choose. However, it may be easiest to start an account with one of the UIC affiliated banks – PNC / Credit Union 1 until you have more time to learn about the other local banks. Visit OISs banking page for further details.
Orientation Information Heading link
New chemical engineering graduate students may be required to attend one or more orientation sessions. These sessions include:
ChE Department Orientation for All Graduate Students
All new chemical engineering graduate students are required to attend this session. Degree requirements, department policies, student expectations, and other important topics will be covered. This orientation is held once per year, prior to the start of the fall semester. New students will receive date, time, and location information by email from the department.
New TA and New International TA Orientation
This orientation is conducted by UIC’s International Teaching Assistant Program and is mandatory for all new teaching assistants. New international students will attend the OIS New International Student Summit the same day, but those who have TA assignments will be dismissed in time to attend the TA orientation. See this page for further information.
International Student Orientation
UIC’s Office of International Services (OIS) runs an orientation program that is mandatory for all new international students. There is an orientation fee for this program, which is charged to international students’ accounts. Visit the OIS website for information and schedules.
Graduate College Orientation
UIC’s Graduate College holds an orientation session for new graduate students from across UIC’s colleges each fall. There is no session in the spring term. Limited spaces are available for this orientation, which has no fee, and registration is required. The chemical engineering department highly recommends that new graduate students choose to attend. Learn more on the Graduate College orientation page.