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The application fee is required and must be paid via credit card prior to the submission of the application.

• Domestic applicants: $70
• International applicants: $90

Domestic applicants may be eligible for an application fee waiver in the following instances:

• FreeApp Applicants: FreeApp (download flyer) is designed to increase access to graduate education for students who possess qualities and experiences that enhance the diversity of the intellectual, cultural, and social environments at universities that are part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance. Graduate application fees for prospective domestic students may be waived if they are qualified through this program (visit the FreeApp page to learn how). To participate in FreeApp, applicants must meet the following requirements:
  • Awarded a bachelor's degree by the August preceding enrollment in the graduate program
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale)
  • Have a serious intent to pursue an academic and/or research career 

• United States Military Service: If you have previously or are currently serving in the United States Military, you are eligible for an application fee waiver. You will be prompted to upload documentation of your service on this page. 
• Allied Agencies Applicants: You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you are affiliated with one of our allied agencies. You will be prompted to upload documentation of your affiliation with this allied agency on this page. 

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All applicants are required to upload a copy of their transcripts directly into the Graduate College online application program. If the transcripts are illegible, we will ask you to submit them again. Please include the grading legend if it appears on the reverse side of the transcript. Transcripts should include degree conferral, where appropriate.

For evaluation purposes, we will accept unofficial transcripts; however, if you are admitted, you will be asked to provide an official transcript showing degree conferral. ChBE will not accept copies of web-based listings of courses available to students as official transcripts.

*An official transcript is obtained directly from the institution in a sealed envelope with the stamp/signature of the registrar on the transcript and the envelope.  

Three letters of recommendation are required for each applicant.

Recommenders are strongly encouraged to send their letters electronically via the Graduate College online application system. If the recommender chooses not to send their letters electronically, the recommendation letter must be on the official stationery of the school or institution, bearing a masthead and watermark. Photocopies of letters or letters with mastheads printed out from a personal computer will not be accepted. The recommendation form accompanying the letter must also bear the original signature (not a rubber-stamped signature) of the person writing the recommendation letter as well as their name, title, address, phone number, and email address.

If applicants are unable to send the recommendation form to the person writing the letter, the recommender may submit an official letter of recommendation directly to the ChBE office, as long as it is on official letterhead, bears an original signature, and contains all the information on the recommendation form (name, title, phone number, email and mailing address). In rare circumstances, the ChBE office will accept an email from a recommender with the official letter sent as an attachment (preferably in PDF form).

*Updated December 1, 2021: Previously, we requested applicants to submit a "Personal Statement"; however, this document has been renamed by the Graduate College and is now called an "Academic Statement of Purpose," which is required by our department (see definition below). The current application form includes the option to upload a Personal Statement, which is not required by our department (see definition below). Please contact our Graduate Program Coordinator Connie Knight if you have questions about this change and what documents are required. We apologize for any confusion.

Please follow these guidelines when submitting your application.

We do require an "Academic Statement of Purpose" (which we referred to as a "Personal Statement" prior to December 1, 2021). We suggest that your statement does not exceed three pages with double-spacing. Our department does not have formal format requirements or page/word limits; therefore, your personal statement may exceed the 1000-word limit stated on the Graduate College website. Your statement should address the following: 

• substantive scholarly questions you are interested in exploring during graduate study
• your academic background, intellectual interests, and any training, research, or other experiences that have prepared you for graduate study
• how our program will help you achieve your intellectual goals
• any specific faculty members, if applicable, whose research interests align with your own 
• your professional interests
• please address any potential gaps or issues with your application/qualifications, including how your experiences may have been impacted by COVID-19

We do not require you to upload a "Personal Statement" but encourage you to do so. The Personal Statement is now defined as an invitation for applicants to describe their potential contribution to the institution and alignment with our strategic priorities to create "an institution committed to excellence in discovery, teaching, and research, and a climate where all can achieve their highest aspirations in a safe and welcoming environment." A personal statement includes the following: 

• describe how your personal background and interests influenced your decision to pursue graduate school 
• provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively together 

Successful applicants typically have an overall grade point average (GPA) above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale* (equivalent to a ‘B’ average) from their undergraduate studies. Grades received in science and mathematics courses will be closely evaluated. However, we evaluate students holistically and welcome explanations for your academic performance in your personal statement. 

Please provide your GPA for all advanced degrees (including master's degrees) to be considered as part of your application. 

*When reporting GPAs, applicants should not convert their scores to the U.S. 4.0 system but should report the scores based on their home institution’s grading system (e.g., 80%, 7/10).

Students who remain in good standing, and continue to make satisfactory academic progress in the program based on their annual reviews are guaranteed full financial support for the duration of their studies in our graduate program. This support includes a stipend* that easily covers living expenses in the Champaign-Urbana area, paid tuition, and costs of research and supplies. Our graduate students are typically required to serve as a teaching assistant during three semesters of their time on campus.

*Our graduate student stipend is among the highest offered at the University of Illinois and extremely competitive compared to other chemical engineering programs with higher costs of living. 

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We do not require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission to our graduate program. GRE scores are not factored into our admission process; there is no advantage to providing a GRE score with your application. 

We are proud to join a myriad of higher learning institutions across the United States who, over the past several years, have deemed the examination unreliable in predicting the future success of students based on a number of scientific studies by experts. 

TOEFL iBT® is required for international applicants whose native language is not English, with two exceptions:

1. Applicants who have received a master’s degree at a U.S. institution.
2. Applicants who have spent 2 of the last 5 years at an English-speaking institution as a full-time student. The English-speaking institutions must reside in countries where English is the primary language – e.g., the United States, England, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the English-speaking provinces of Canada.

Our admissions committee will consider applicants whose scores on the spoken section of the exam are at least 24 (the minimum speaking score required to teach at the university). Applicants whose speaking scores fall between 20-23 may be considered if the rest of the application is strong and English proficiency is demonstrated by other means. The total score must meet the university minimum of 79. Successful applicants with a total score of less than 103 will be admitted with limited status and must sit for an English Placement Test (EPT) upon arrival in the fall.

Students who matriculate with a score less than 24 (speaking) are required to sit for the English Proficiency Interview (EPI) upon arriving at Illinois. If you have EPI-related questions, please contact me at citl-epi@illinois.edu or 217-265-6136. In lieu of the iBT, the IELTS/TSE may be accepted.

Please visit the Graduate College website to learn more about the specific requirements. 

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The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is not required for admission, but may be accepted in lieu of the TOEFL iBT®. International students who serve as teaching assistants are required to pass with a score of 50 or higher before being allowed to teach at the university. The fact that a student has taken the TSE and received a passing score will be taken into consideration when decisions on international applicants are made.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) will also be accepted. Students who receive a score of 8 on the spoken section of the exam would be eligible to teach. The university minimum score in any section is 6.5.

We guarantee financial support for incoming students, therefore, the Declaration and Certification of Finance form is not required for international students applying to the ChBE program.

However, it is important to note on your application if you are going to receive financial support through a government or a private source (like Fulbright, etc). In those cases, we would supplement your stipend support to the level of other graduate students in our program.