College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
1301 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-3380
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences plays a key role in national and international research initiatives in biological, physical, social, and economic sciences. The scope of the College has broadened dramatically since its founding in 1867, while its purpose remains focused on advancing scientific knowledge that makes life better, healthier, safer, and more profitable for people in Illinois and around the globe. The ACES
College enrolls more than 2,300 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.
Teaching, research, and outreach opportunities are supported by excellent
resources. The College of ACES Library and Information Center houses
the college's collection of educational resources, computing facility and the College of ACES career development
and placement office, which assists students in personal and career
development through internships and placement
after graduation. The Family Resiliency Center, Institute for Genomic Biology, Child Development 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.
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, biotechnology, environmental quality and protection, financial planning, food science, human nutrition, natural
resource systems, and individual and family well-being.
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 two majors: Agricultural and Biological Engineering/Agricultural Engineering Sciences and Technical Systems Management. Students in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering major earn that degree from the College of Engineering and have the option of a second degree in Agricultural Engineering Sciences. This major is designed to produce graduates who have a basic engineering education for careers of engineering service to the agricultural, environmental, and biofuels industries. The intent of the program is to provide a combination of engineering theory and applications courses to permit students to pursue goals in academia, government or industry. The graduates are expected to provide engineering solutions in agricultural production, bioprocesses and product utilization, natural resources conservation, and are exposed to current social and cultural concepts and ideas. The Technical Systems Management major is designed to prepare students for careers requiring the application, management, and marketing of engineering technologies. Students study technological systems, business and economics(including organization, operations, management, marketing, and sales), and oral and written communications. Graduates of the TSM program accept positions of employment at highly competitive salaries.
The Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics offers programs designed to prepare students for business- or policy-related fields with special emphasis on agriculture, consumers, and environmental protection. Students' study is concentrated in one of the following areas: agri-accounting; finance in agribusiness; agribusiness markets and management; consumer economics and finance; environmental economics and policy; farm management; financial planning; policy, international trade and development; and public policy and law.
The Department of Animal Sciences offers undergraduate students unique opportunities to conduct research projects with faculty. In addition, many students gain animal experience by working part-time at the U of I Farms. Internships and field study trips are additional avenues of gaining knowledge and experience. Study Abroad experiences are also strongly encouraged. Areas of concentration are companion animal and equine science; science, pre-veterinary and medical; and technology and management.
The Department of Crop Sciences houses majors in Crop Sciences and in Horticulture. The Crop Sciences major offers concentrations of study in plant biotechnology and molecular biology, crop agribusiness, biological sciences, agroecology, integrated pest management, and crops. In each of these concentrations students receive a strong grounding in science and can apply that knowledge through internship experiences with a wide range of agricultural employers. Each concentration can lead to employment immediately after completion of the B.S. degree, or to graduate or professional study. Students majoring in Horticulture choose from one of two concentrations to meet their educational interests: specialty crops or sustainable landscapes.
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition offers concentration of study in dietetics, food science, food industry and business, hospitality management, and human nutrition. Courses in the department include the applications of biology, engineering, chemistry, physics, and microbiology to the processing, formulation, packaging, and distribution of food.
The Department of Human and Community Development offers the major in Human Development and Family Studies, in which students can choose to concentrate their study in either child and adolescent development or family studies. The program prepares students for graduate education or employment in areas such as child care services, family life education, social work, human services, marriage and family counseling, pediatric services in hospitals, cooperative extension work or business activities related to children and families. Students select course work according to their interests in human development, such as infancy, early childhood or adolescence, or family studies, such as the marital relationship, parent-child interaction, family change or conflict and conflict management in the family. Basic courses in these areas are linked to practical experiences in educational and community settings, and most courses emphasize issues related to cultural diversity and gender.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences provides
students the opportunity to study resource and wildlife conservation and management, restoration ecology, the impacts of global change, and human dimensions of the environment. NRES is an interdisciplinary program that brings biological, physical, and social scientists together to teach and discover techniques to improve the health and integrity of urban and natural ecosystems.
Agricultural Communications is a major offered jointly by the Colleges of ACES and Media. The program is administratively housed in the College of Media. Students specialize in advertising, broadcast, or news-editorial journalism and go on to careers and graduate study in newspaper and magazine writing and publishing, advertising, broadcasting, and public relations.
The program in Agricultural Education offers the Agricultural Leadership and Science Education major. Students select a concentration of either Agricultural Leadership Education or Agricultural Science Education. This curriculum prepares students for positions requiring expertise in formal and non-formal education. Examples include teaching agriculture in the public schools; cooperative extension work; training and program development; and other education-related positions in agricultural and environmental agencies and businesses. Students completing the agricultural science education concentration will be eligible for Illinois teacher certification in agricultural education, and will have instruction in key pedagogical areas as well as agriculture. For teacher education requirements applicable to all curricula, see the Council on Teacher Education (http://www.cote.illinois.edu/).
Requirements
Admission
Freshman applicants must meet general course pattern admission requirements of the University.
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 Undergraduate Admissions.
Applicants who have earned at least 30 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 course requisites. Transfer applicants to the Dietetics and Human
Nutrition major must have a grade point average of at least 3.0; applicants to Agricultural and Consumer Economics and Agricultural Science Education need a minimum GPA of 2.75, and all
other curricula require at least a grade point average of 2.5. Applicants are
encouraged to consult the Office of Undergraduate Admissions 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.
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. Candidates for graduate from Dietetics, Human Nutrition, and Agricultural Science Education must have institutional and overall grade point averages of at least 2.5 (A = 4.0).
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 101 + 100 and 102 + 100 or RHET 103 + 104 or RHET 105, or CMN 111 and 112, or ESL 114 and 115. The CMN 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 most curricula by completing a required statistics course.
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 U.S. Minority culture.
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
A number of scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in the College of ACES are made available through the generous support of alumni and friends of the College. Incoming and currently enrolled ACES students are eligible for consideration for almost $1,800,000 in merit-based awards will be awarded annually by the College. Additional information on scholarships for ACES students can be found at http://students.aces.illinois.edu/scholarships.