University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC)
Programme Details
Minimum mark 60%
Level Undergraduate
Language/s English
Agreement Scope University-wide exchange, check with your department regarding compatibility with your degree programme
Exchange Places 3 full year places for 2024/25 (1 place reserved for a history student)
Overview
About: Founded in 1867, the University of Illinois is a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. The campus is known for its landscape and architecture, as well as distinctive landmarks.
Contacts at UIUC:
Kyle Schmude or Chelsea Swick (las-exchange@illinois.edu)
International Programmes, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, 2002 Lincoln Hall, 702 S Wright St, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
Highlights: UIUC was ranked 48th globally by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2020 and 75th in the world by the QS World University Rankings for 2020
Location: Located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, about 140 miles south of Chicago, it is home to 51,000 students.
Academic information
Courses / Modules:
Please note that students who require Economics modules (including PEP students) cannot take replacement years with this partner due to the incompatibility of modules.
Use Illinois Course Explorer to help guide your search for courses you intend to study at UIUC
Restricted Courses
Due to high demand from degree-seeking students at Illinois, some courses are not available to exchange students.
Credit (Full-time Load per semester):
12 UIUC credits = 60 York credits
This has been calculated by the University of York and students should not compare it with the requirements of other universities. Taking insufficient credits can lead to students failing the year. Any alteration to credits/modules must be discussed with your department prior to making any changes.
Teaching Periods:
Fall term/semester: End of August to Early December
Spring term/semester: Late January to early May
Language:
Classes at UIUC are taught in English.
You may be required to provide evidence of your English language ability if English is not your first language.
Student life
Accommodation:
• IAGE (Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange) does not reserve housing for students. They are responsible for arranging their own housing.
• There are options for housing
• University Housing - An application and a contract form for a space in one of the University Residence Halls was enclosed with your notice of admission. You may also choose to submit a contract online after you are admitted. Please visit the University Housing website for more information.
• Private certified housing - the University of Illinois certifies all of the Private Certified Housing facilities for all students, including freshmen. These facilities are part of the University's housing program. Within any given year about 25% of the entering freshmen class chooses to live in one of these facilities.
Support Services:
A number of support services are available to international students at UIUC
Visas:
Medical Aid:
Information on the health insurance requirements required for exchange students.
Travel insurance:
If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries. You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange.
Student experiences
Eleanor, History, Year Abroad 2019/20
My time at UIUC led to me developing a huge range of new interests in my uni course (history), to the extent that I'm focusing on something I learned there for my dissertation. The classes were all really enjoyable, and surprisingly they're one of the things I'll actually miss the most about my year there. We got a lot of work, but they're more lenient with marks, so it balanced out. During the first term I missed my friends and York quite a lot, and it was hard to make a lot of friends outside of lessons as I'd joined in third year; however, the honours societies/clubs and large population of international students helped to change this! I also feel like I became more independent while away, as there was a lot to sort out when I first arrived. Having to move to online classes was fairly simple, but having them in the evening once I got back to the UK, while also working on my dissertation proposal, made it more challenging. Overall I'm glad that I'll soon be back in York with my friends, but there are definitely people I'll miss and I'm sad that I (and so many others) had to miss out on the last bit of their year.
Top Tips for Studying in the USA
Please note: these tips have been provided by students who have studied abroad in the USA - Global Opportunities recommends that you use these as a guide only and do your own research on what is best for you.
Money and Banking:
'REVOLUT - cannot recommend this enough. Allows for free currency conversions and transfers into US bank accounts. It is cheaper even than Transferwise. The best way to pay bills to the university is to pay Flywire with a domestic US bank transfer through Revolut.'
'I used my UK or French bank accounts and I opened a bank of America account .......'
'I used a Revolut Card which had a really good exchange rates. But I didn't open up a new Bank account.'
Staying Connected:
'I bought a sim from AT&T.....It was a monthly contract that could be cancelled at any time, so it's good for international students. I know some other [students] who either only used WiFi (there's wifi all around campus and it's usually reliable) or who changed their usual contract to an international one.'
'Pretty much every exchange student used Mint Mobile. Not all phones work on US frequencies though, so I bought a Google Pixel 3a which works everywhere.'
'At first, I got a new SIM card but it wasn't compatible with my European phone (due to the software or something). I then borrowed a phone from one of my American relatives.'
Food:
(Drexel University) 'I was on campus and I had a dining plan so I mostly got food in the university's dining facilities.'
(University of Denver) 'A micro fridge is a worthwhile investment for snacks and drinks outside of mealtime!'.
Paperwork and bureaucracy:
'The most tedious thing was getting the visa sorted, but after that most of the paperwork was easy to get done. You might feel like you've forgotten to do some things, but chances are you haven't and they'll send a reminder if you did.'
'Be patient, keep a well labelled folder, email when feeling stressed and your not sure what to do. The main thing is keeping in mind that the paperwork will end and once you arrive at our host country everything is easier face to face.'
'Be meticulous and create checklists. Get all the paperwork necessary for visas etc. before even beginning the process of applying. Flights do not necessarily get more expensive as the travel date gets closer. They can go down too (I booked a flight to NYC to save money before the Philly flight halved in price so I should have just waited).'
What I wished I'd known...:
'Research accommodation a bit more. Expect delays with communication. Expect the mundaneness of normal day to day living- expectation management is a useful skill. All the feelings are very normal!'
'How much it costs! I was happy to pay for the flights even though they're expensive, but having to buy 4-5 books for every module adds up quickly, especially when some of them are $50+ ....... Other things are more expensive too, like clothes, which can cost twice as much as they would here even after converting it.'
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