Preparing for Course Registration

All students must complete University Writing, Foreign Language, and Mathematics requirements. Placement tests should be taken in each of these areas before attending Orientation so that you are able to enroll in the courses you need to ensure a timely graduation.

Placement in English courses is determined by an evaluation of the student’s College Essay and the student’s standardized score on the College Composition Skills Test.

• Students who place into English 160 must register for English 160.
• Students who place into English 071 are in need of English Composition skills improvement and are required to register for English 071.
• Students who have ACT- English sub-score of 27 or higher are not required to take the placement exam for English. These students will receive 3 hours of credit for English 160 and should enroll in English 161.
• Students whose College Essays indicate that they are in need of an “English as a Second Language” course will be required to enroll in either ESL 050, 060 or ENGL 070. The Department of English will make this determination.

Grades of C or better are required in English 160 and 161. These courses should be completed by the end of the freshman year.

UIC Business requires two years of a single foreign language (with minimum grades of C) at the high school level, one year of the single foreign language at the college level, or approved proficiency in a foreign language. If you are deficient in this category, you will be required to take two semesters of a single foreign language at the college level (earning minimum grades of C) at UIC or elsewhere. The hours earned will not count toward the degree requirements.

If you want to begin or continue the study of a foreign language, you must take the placement exam for that language. Credit may be applied to the elective category if it is not considered duplication of high school credit.

Note: You will not receive credit for course taken in your native language. Proficiency credit for any foreign language will not be counted toward the degree. If you are a native speaker of another language, please meet with your Adviser during your first semester of attendance at UIC, as you may be exempt from this requirement.

Business students must register for a mathematics course each semester until the required courses are completed. Grades of C or better are required in Math courses. After completing the required mathematics sequence, students must enroll in IDS 270. Some students may be required to take prerequisite math courses prior to enrolling in the required math courses, due to their placement score. Credit earned for these prerequisite courses will not count toward the hours required for graduation and the grades earned are not included in the grade point average (GPA). Students required to take prerequisite math courses may place anywhere in this sequence: Math 088/090->090->110->165 and 180. Satisfactory grades are required in MATH 088/090, 090 and 110 to progress to the next math course.

All students must fulfill the General Education requirements in order to graduate. General Education courses include the following categories: Analyzing the Natural World, Exploring World Cultures, Understanding the Creative Arts, Understanding the Individual and Society, Understanding the Past, and Understanding U.S. Society. Familiarize yourself with the General Education requirements by looking in the Undergraduate Catalog.