All you need to know about the University of Illinois at Chicago

The University of Illinois at Chicago is a public research university founded in 1982. It runs the largest medical school in the United States and is affiliated with the universities research association and great cities universities. In 1946, the Chicago undergraduate division was established as a temporary branch. This branch enrolled approximately 4,000 students. It was later transformed into a permanent university known as the University of Illinois. Owings, Walter Entsch, and Merril, the architects from Chicago, designed the university. It is a structure designed in a brutalist style.

UIC’s origins can be traced back to the 1859 founding of the Chicago College of Pharmacy. It was formed in 1982 by merging the University of Illinois at Chicago circle and the University of Illinois at the Medical center. Today, the university is a global leader in various fields, including nursing, pharmacy, communication, education, law, and public administration.

Bobby Rush (Civil Rights leader), Mark Culler (Mathematician in Geometry Group Theory), Jimenez Lai (Comic book artist), Tina De Rosa (Author of Paper Fish), Bernard Shaw (Anchor for CNN), Stuart Kaminsky (Author of 50 award-winning mystery novels), and Dartunorro Clark are among UIC’s notable alumni (Political reporter for NBC News).

History

The University of Illinois Chicago has its roots in several private health colleges founded in the late 1800s, including the Chicago College of Pharmacy, which opened in 1859, the College of Physicians and Surgeons (1882), and the Columbian College of Dentistry (1891).

The University of Illinois was established in Champaign-Urbana in 1867 as the state’s land-grant university. In exchange for agreeing to the Champaign-Urbana location, Chicago-area legislators were promised the establishment of a ‘polytechnical’ branch in the city.

The Chicago-based health colleges joined the university in 1896-97, eventually fully integrated into the University of Illinois as the Colleges of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy in 1913.

In the following decades, medical education and research expanded, establishing several other health science colleges merged to form the Chicago professional colleges.

Campus

UIC has three campuses, approximately 29,000 students, and 25,000 faculty members. These campuses are spread throughout university village and Little Italy in Chicago. Walter Nestch’s field theory is depicted on the campuses. The campuses are designed in a traditional style. The west campus is the oldest and was built in the gothic style. It houses medical, pharmacy, dentistry, applied sciences, and public health colleges. The university has 9 residence halls for its students, with approximately 3,000 students currently residing in the UIC residence hall.

The Student Media is a significant media house within the university run by the student body. The Chicago Flame, UIC radio, Red Shoes review, Journal for Pre-Health Affiliated Students (a medical journal), the Argus, and 243 Magazine are among the publications included. Accounting Club, Intramural Sports, Model UN, Mock Trials, and the German Student Association are a few other organizations.

Graduate degree programs, post-graduate degree programs, and interdisciplinary degree programs are available at the university. The subjects are divided into several schools, including the school of liberal arts and sciences, the school of nursing, the school of dentistry, the school of art and architecture, and the school of business administration. Criminology, Clinical Psychology, Public Health, Sociology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Fine Arts are among the university’s top 50 graduate programs.

Colleges and courses

UIC comprises several colleges that offer undergraduate, certificate, postgraduate, and professional programs.

College of liberal arts and sciences

Over 40 major and minor programs in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as 11 pre-professional programs, are available.

College of nursing

The UIC College of nursing, ranked 20th nationally by US News & World Report, has been a top-ranked school for the past 25 years.

School of public health

Those interested in a career in public health have various academic options ranging from a bachelor’s degree to a certificate.

College of pharmacy

U.S. News & World Report ranked it sixth among the best pharmacy schools, and the national institutes of health ranked it seventh for research funding.

College of education

Developing national leaders in urban education and human development who have gone on to lead state-wide task force programs and advise the president of the United States on national policy.

College of architecture, design, and the art

Chicago’s premier architecture and urban design school, where students can work with award-winning faculty.

College of business administration

Located on the outskirts of Chicago’s downtown financial district, this school teaches core accounting, finance, information management, marketing, and management principles.

College of dentistry

The DMD Advanced Standing program allows dentists who have trained outside the United States to practice in the United States.

College of medicine

The Illinois medical district, the nation’s largest, is home to UIC’s west campus, which offers an urban and rural experience with campuses in Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria.

College of engineering

It is one of the few US engineering schools that offer guaranteed paid internships, launching students into successful careers in major computer science and engineering disciplines.

University of Illinois Chicago school of law

Chicago’s first and only public law school, allowing a broader range of professionals greater access to the legal profession.

Tutorium in Intensive English

The University of Illinois Chicago campus, the Tutorium in Intensive English, provides English as a second language (ESL) courses.

It was founded in 1978 and employs instructors with advanced degrees in TESOL, Applied Linguistics, or a related field. They all participate in regular professional development activities and professional services, and, unlike many other schools, no graduate teaching assistants are employed as instructors.

The Tutorium offers

• Intensive English Programme (IEP)
• Custom Courses for Businesses and Organizations

Rankings

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) ranks  317th in the QS World University Rankings 2023.

Other rankings

• 283 (QS WUR Ranking By Subject)
• 161-170 (Graduate Employability Ranking)
• 36 [US UNI (universities)]

Key takeaways

• The University of Illinois at Chicago is an open research university. It operates the largest medical school in the US and is affiliated with the universities research association and great cities universities.
• UIC has three campuses. It admits approximately 29,000 students and has 25,000 faculty members. These campuses span across University village and Little Italy in Chicago. 
• The subjects taught at the university are divided into several schools, including the school of liberal arts and sciences, the school of nursing, the school of dentistry, etc. Criminology, Clinical Psychology, Public Health, Sociology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Fine Arts are among the university’s top 50 graduate programs.

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FAQs

Q1. What GPA do you need to enter the University of Illinois at Chicago?

Ans- Minimum GPA needed to enter UIC is 3.35. The University accepts students who are below average. You should avoid getting C’s and D’s because application readers might feel confused about how you can handle college academic stress.

Q2. Is the University of Illinois Chicago hard to get into?

Ans- The University of Illinois—Chicago admissions process is more selective, with a 79% acceptance rate and a 91.7% early acceptance rate. Half of those admitted to the University of Illinois—Chicago has an SAT score of 1080 to 1310 or an ACT score of 23 to 31.

Q3. Is the University of Illinois at Springfield D1?

Ans- The university has been a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II level, primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).