College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
1301 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-3380
The mission of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences (ACES) is to enhance the quality of life for rural and urban
people through teaching, research, and outreach programs focused on
human activity, food, fiber, and natural resource systems. The ACES
College enrolls more than 2,200 students in the seven departments
leading to a bachelor of science degree. Students can select from
majors and concentrations that direct the focus of study to
their specific interests. Since its establishment, the ACES College
has awarded over 25,000 baccalaureate degrees. It enjoys a rich history
of scholarship, research, and outreach related to human interactions,
natural resources, and environmental systems.
Teaching, research, and outreach opportunities are supported by excellent
resources. The College of ACES Library and Information Center houses
the college Microcomputer Facility and the college collection of educational
resources. This facility also houses the College of ACES career development
and placement office, which assists students in personal and career
development through internships and work experiences, and placement
after graduation. The Child Development Laboratory, the Edward R.
Madigan Laboratory, and extensive research centers in Champaign-Urbana
and across the state are other examples of unique and excellent college
resources. For instance, the Morrow
Plots, a national historic landmark established in 1876, are the oldest
agronomic research plots in the United States. The Morrow Plots are located
on campus next to the undergraduate library.
Programs such as the ACES James Scholar Honors Program and the Jonathan Baldwin Turner
Undergraduate Research Program offer excellent opportunities for students
to be involved in cutting edge research and solving contemporary challenges.
Research is conducted in the broad areas of consumer behavior, crop
production, vegetable production, ornamental horticulture, forest
production and protection, food science, human nutrition, natural
resource systems, environmental quality, marketing and utilization
of agricultural products, individual and family well-being, and agroecology.
Increasing the international knowledge and experience of students
and faculty helps meet the growing demand for graduates who are internationally
literate and able to work effectively in different countries, in different
languages and with people of different cultures. The academic programs
office provides initiative and focus to College international study
abroad programs as well as integrating an international dimension
to the educational experience.
The distinguished faculty, innovative programs, and pioneering achievements
in teaching, research, and outreach activities, together with an enthusiastic
and competitive student body, place the College of ACES among the
top institutions in the country in a survey of peers.
Departments and Curricula
The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering offers courses
in agricultural engineering and technical systems management. The
agricultural engineering courses cover the principles of engineering
science and design used to solve a broad spectrum of engineering problems
related to agriculture. Areas of specialization include food and process
engineering, off-road equipment design, bioenvironmental engineering
of plant and animal facilities, and the protection of soil and water
resources and of soil and water quality. The technical systems management
courses cover agricultural technology and agribusiness management
and focus on such technical specialties as machinery, electronics,
computers, automatic controls, materials handling, buildings, waste
management, grain and food processing, ventilation and heating, and
soil conservation.
The Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics offers core
programs and specialized courses of study to prepare students in the
following areas: agri-accounting, agri-finance, farm management, agribusiness
markets and management, consumer economics
and finance, environmental and natural resource management, individually
planned curricula, policy, and international trade and development.
The Department of Animal Sciences offers courses in the areas of animal
evaluation, behavior, genetics, nutrition, physiology and meat science,
and other courses related to the application of scientific principles
to animal agriculture. Courses involve studies with beef and dairy
cattle, horses, poultry, sheep, swine, and companion animals.
The Department of Crop Sciences offers courses in plant breeding and
genetics, biotechnology and genetic engineering, crop evaluation,
crop protection, plant pathology, design of field experiments, weeds
and their control, and production and pathology of cereals, corn,
soybeans, and forage crops.
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition offers courses
in foods and nutrition, dietetics, and hospitality management, as
well as courses applying biology, engineering, chemistry, physics,
and microbiology to the processing, formulation, packaging, and distribution
of food.
The Department of Human and Community Development includes courses
in agricultural communication, agricultural education, child and adolescent
development, family studies, extension education, youth programs,
and rural sociology.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences provides
courses for those interested in forest management and floriculture,
landscape horticulture, production of fruits and vegetables, turf
management, and wildlife habitat and recreation. The department also
offers courses focusing on the study and understanding of natural
resources and environmental sciences including soil and water conservation,
soil physics and chemistry, soil fertility and management, and soil
microbiology.
Requirements
Admission
Besides meeting the general admission requirements of the University,
students entering the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences as freshmen must have taken, prior to entry, eight semesters
of English, four semesters of algebra, two semesters of plane geometry,
four semesters of laboratory science, four semesters of social studies,
and four semesters of the same foreign language.
Applicants for freshman admission are evaluated on the basis of their
ACT scores, high school percentile rank, and statements of personal and
professional interest, among other factors. Detailed information on the
admission process may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records.
Applicants who have earned 60 semester hours of transferable baccalaureate
credit at other institutions may be considered for transfer admission.
Such applicants are evaluated on the basis of their transfer grade
point averages and completion of core requisites including quantitative
reasoning (mathematics). Transfer applicants to the Dietetics and Human
Nutrition major must have a grade point average of at least 3.0, and all
other curricula require a minimum grade point average of 2.5. Applicants are
encouraged to consult the Office of Admissions and Records for specific
course requirements.
Graduation
The number of hours required for graduation varies between 126 and
130 for all curricula within the college. Included in the total must
be all courses prescribed in the given curriculum and a sufficient
number of electives to obtain the total number. The student should
consult the College of ACES Student Handbook for a listing of credit
restrictions that apply in evaluating elective credits toward graduation.
A transfer student from a four-year college must also complete the
senior year, not less than 30 semester hours, in residence at the
University. A transfer student from a community college must complete
at least 60 semester hours at a senior college and at least the last
30 semester hours at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Each candidate for graduation must have a grade point average of not
less than 2.0 (A = 4.0), including grades in courses transferred from
other institutions, and a grade point average of not less than 2.0
in all courses taken at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Statement on Academic Progress
In addition to maintaining prescribed academic performance levels,
a student in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences is also expected to make progress in courses required in
his or her academic major. Each student is required to have at least
one College of ACES course in their schedule each semester, except
when the specific curriculum does not make that desirable. Students
not complying will be denied continuing enrollment.
General Education
The categories currently included in campus General Education
requirements are noted below. See the GenEd
Requirements for up-to-date information.
A. English Composition
- Composition I. This requirement may be fulfilled by the satisfactory completion of one of the following selections or an equivalent: RHET 105, or RHET 108, or RHET 100 and 101 in addition to RHET 100 and 102 or RHET 103 and 104, or SPCM 111 and 112, or ESL 114 and 115. The SPCM 111 and 112 sequence also fulfills the speech requirement of all College of ACES curricula.
- Advanced Composition. This requirement is met by completing an approved writing-intensive course. Some College of ACES curricula require specific courses from the list. These courses may also fulfill other curricular requirements.
B. Quantitative Reasoning
- Quantitative Reasoning I is fulfilled by a mathematics course in the College of ACES. Students should consult the specific curriculum to identify the appropriate course.
- Quantitative Reasoning II will be satisfied in many curricula by completing a required statistics course. When no specific course or choice of courses is required, students may select from the campus approved list of courses.
C. Cultural Studies
- The campus requires that a minimum of two courses must be completed in the Cultural Studies area. One course must be approved and designated as concentrating on Western culture and one of either non-Western culture or American subcultures and minority groups.
D. Natural Sciences
- Six hours minimum. See individual curriculum.
E. Humanities and Arts
- Six hours minimum. See individual curriculum for specific requirements.
F. Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Six hours minimum. See individual curriculum for specific requirements.
Special Programs
Scholarship Information
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences recognizes
entering students who have outstanding scholastic records with scholarship
assistance not based on financial need. Entering freshmen are eligible
to compete for $4,000 Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarships. A student
who ranks in the upper 10 percent of his or her high school class
at the end of the junior year or who has an ACT composite score of
27 or better is encouraged to submit a scholarship application. Interviews
are conducted between the junior and senior year in high school. Transfer
students with the most outstanding academic records at the institutions
of previous attendance are recognized each year with $500 transfer
student scholarships. Additional information and scholarship application
forms may be obtained from the Associate Dean for Academic Programs,
101 Mumford Hall, 1301 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801.
Additional scholarships to recognize academic merit are awarded within
the college to continuing students based on their record earned at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. See the financial
aid section for a description of financial assistance available based
on demonstrated financial need.
ACES International Minor
This minor will help students prepare for life and work in a global society and will provide the international skills employers expect of our graduates. While it is the intent of this minor to encourage students to spend time abroad and to develop proficiency in a foreign language, neither is required.
Students enrolled in this minor will be able to draw on resources outside the college as well as select from courses offered by the seven departments in the College of ACES. At least 12 of the total 21 credit hours required for this minor must be College of ACES courses. At least 6 credit hours ACES or non-ACES must come from 400-level courses. Courses in the minor cannot be completed Credit/No Credit.
This minor is administratively based in ACES Academic Programs. Student advising will take place in this unit.
Required Courses for the ACES International Minor
| Hours | Global Study in the Social Science Disciplines |
|---|---|
| 3-9 | Minimum of 3 hours, maximum of 9 hours selected from: |
| ACE 251 - The World Food Economy | |
| ACE 411 - Environment and Development | |
| ACE 435 - Global Agribusiness Management | |
| ACE 451 - Agriculture in Intl Development | |
| ACE 455 - Intl Trade in Food and Agr | |
| ANTH 260 – World Ethnography | |
| ANTH 262 - Women's Lives | |
| BADM 380 – International Business | |
| BADM 381 – Multinational Management | |
| BADM 382 – International Marketing | |
| ECON 420 - International Economics | |
| ECON 450 - Development Economics | |
| EPS 426 - Comparative Education | |
| FIN 451 – International Financial Markets | |
| GEOG 110 - Geography of Intl Conflicts | |
| GEOG 204 - Cities of the World | |
| GEOG 210 - Contemp Social and Env Problems | |
| GEOG 410 - Geography of Dev and Underdev | |
| GWS 480 - Gender Roles and Intl Dev | |
| HDFS 220 - Families in Global Perspective | |
| HIST 258 - 20th Century World to Midcentury | |
| HIST 259 - 20th Century World from Midcentury | |
| NRES 287 - Environment and Society | |
| PS 241 - Comp Politics in Dev Nations | |
| PS 280 - Intro to Intl Relations | |
| PS 382 - Intl Political Economy | |
| PS 389 - International Communications | |
| RLST 110 - World Religions | |
| RSOC 443 - Social Change in Dev Areas | |
| UP 423 - Intro International Planning |
| Hours | Global Study in the Natural Science Disciplines |
|---|---|
| 3-9 | Minimum of 3 hours, maximum of 9 hours, selected from: |
| ANSC 205 - World Animal Resources | |
| ATMS 140 - Climate and Global Change | |
| CPSC 116 - The Global Food Production Web | |
| CPSC 431 - Plants and Global Change | |
| ENVS 201 - Environmental History | |
| HORT 464 - International Horticultural Products | |
| NRES 109 - Global Environmental Issues | |
| PLPA 200 - Plants, Pathogens, And People | |
| TSM 311 - Humanity in the Food Web |
| Hours | Regional Specialization |
|---|---|
| 3-9 | The following four approaches/options can be used (separately or in combinations) to complete this portion of the minor. |
Academic credit earned through study or supervised activities outside the U.S. through:
|
|
Completion of one or more of the following courses offered by the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics
|
|
Completion of courses that are approved by Area Studies Programs (see minor advisor)
|
|
| Foreign language courses that exceed College of ACES graduation requirements. | |
| 21 | Total hours |