Nondegree Admission

Nondegree status is designed for two types of applicants who hold the baccalaureate:

  • Individuals who do not wish to pursue a degree but want to take courses for professional or scholarly reasons or personal enrichment.
  • Individuals who have been out of school for several years or in a different field of study and wish to take a few courses before deciding whether to apply for a degree program.
  • For more information about the application process, please see Graduate Applicants FAQs.

The Graduate College minimum requirements for non-degree admission are as follows:

Graduate College application – Apply Online!

Prior Degrees: A baccalaureate or its equivalent from an accredited college or university. Nondegree applicants must submit proof of the degree with their application.

Transcripts: Not required by the Graduate College except to provide proof of a baccalaureate degree.

Tests Required: Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The test score cannot be more than two years old. A minimum score of 550 (paper-based test) or 213 (computer-based test) is required by the Graduate College; many departments have a higher minimum. UIC’s Institutional Code is 1851. No other tests are required by the Graduate College.

Other Requirements: International students who require certification of admission (I-20 or IAP-66) sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service will not be admitted as nondegree students.

Some programs require additional credentials for nondegree admission, and some programs do not admit nondegree students. Applicants can be admitted as nondegree but remain ineligible to register for certain classes. It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the program offering specific courses to determine their eligibility to enroll.