< College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

104 Mumford Hall
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 2,000 students in the seven departments representing 13 majors leading to a bachelor of science diploma. Individual majors can select from many options that direct the focus of study to specific interests of students. 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. These include campus computer systems and the College of ACES Microcomputer Facility. A new College of ACES Library and Information Center will house the college Microcomputer Facility and the college collection of educational resources. This facility will also house 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. This land-grant institution is physically located on some of the richest soils and enjoys some of the most favorable growing conditions in the world. A national historic landmark, the Morrow Plots are the oldest agronomic research plots in the U.S.; established in 1876, they are located on campus next to the undergraduate library.

Programs such as the JBT 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 focus to College international programs that are related to study abroad 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 Consumer Economics offers core programs and specialized courses of study to prepare students in the following areas: agri-accounting, agri-finance, farm management, food and agribusiness management, consumer and textile marketing, markets and price analysis, consumer economics and finance, environmental and natural resource management, individually planned curricula, policy, and international trade and development.

The Department of Agricultural 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 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 the 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 and high school percentile ranks. A portion of the applicants are required to submit a Statement of Professional Interest as well. Detailed information may be obtained in the Admissions Information brochure contained in the admission application packet.

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). Some variation may occur in the grade point average required for transfer admission into the various curricula. Applicants are encouraged to consult the Office of Admissions and Records for specific course and grade point average 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. An updated list of approved courses in the general education category can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.uiuc.edu/providers/provost/gened.html.

A. English Composition

(1) 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 SPCOM 111 and 112, or ESL 114 and 115. The SPCOM 111 and 112 sequence also fulfills the speech requirement of all College of ACES curricula.

(2) 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

(1) 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.

C. Cultural Studies

(1) 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

(1) Six hours minimum. See individual curriculum.

E. Humanities and Arts

(1) Six hours minimum. See individual curriculum for specific requirements.

F. Social and Behavioral Sciences

(1) 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.

< College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences