First-year students admission is based on several factors and it is best to review the following:

Undergraduate admission application

You may also want to consider a visit to campus and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Explore ACES, held annually, is a two-day event in the spring that provides an opportunity to get to know the programs and people in the College of ACES.

The College of ACES provides a wide variety of information on Academic Programs.

NOTE for Dietetics & Nutrition: Due to the competitiveness of post-baccalaureate dietetic internships, incoming freshmen should focus their letter of application to include knowledge of dietetics and the reasons for choosing dietetics as a career. Do this as effectively as possible for Essay 1 (of the university application) in 300 words or less.

Transfer Information

Successfully transferring into a concentration depends on your academic history, adherence to transfer requirements specific to your concentration, and space availability.

On-Campus Transfer

Transferring from another college or major at the University of Illinois

In order to a request transfer into one of our concentrations, review the transfer requirements below, then fill out the appropriate application:

Applications will be reviewed by FSHN advising coordinators. Your academic history and professional interest statement will be considered.

Once admitted, you will be assigned an advisor prior to the registration period. It is your responsibility to meet with your advisor and plan a program of study. You are admitted to the program with the understanding that all courses must be taken in their proper sequence and that no prerequisites will be waived. In addition, you may need to stay an additional semester or year to meet your concentration requirements, depending on your background.

Transfer Requirements

The following are some specific requirements to be considered for transfer into each of our concentrations. These requirements include, but are not limited to:

Dietetics & Nutrition

  • Completion of FSHN 101 or FSHN 120, or consent of Dietetics & Nutrition advisor
  • NOTE - GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher is needed to be accepted into the highly competitive post-baccalaureate dietetics internships
  • Particular attention will be given to grades in science and math courses prior to a transfer request

Contact Dr. Justine Karduck at karduck@illinois.edu to arrange a meeting.

Food Science

  • Completion of FSHN 101, or consent of Food Science advisor
  • GPA of 2.5/4.0 or higher

Contact Dr. Sihui Ma at sihuima@illinois.edu to arrange a meeting.

Hospitality Management

  • Completion of FSHN 140 or FSHN 145, or consent of Hospitality Management advisor
  • GPA of 2.5/4.0 or higher

Contact Jill Craft at jnorth@illinois.edu to arrange a meeting.

Nutrition & Health

  • Completion of FSHN 101 or FSHN 120, or consent of Nutrition & Health advisor
  • GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher
  • Particular attention will be given to grades in science and math courses prior to the transfer request

Contact Susan Coppess at scoppess@illinois.edu to arrange a meeting.

If you have specific questions about any of our concentrations, please contact the individual advisor at their e-mail address listed above. For general questions about our department's transfer policy, contact Dr. Nicki Engeseth at engeseth@illinois.edu, Department Head and Professor.

Off-Campus Transfer

Are you interested in transferring to FSHN from a community college or from another 4-year institution? The College of ACES provides a wide variety of information, including application materials on the ACES Academic Programs website.

For questions:

Off-Campus Transfers: Minimum Entrance Requirements

All Students:

  • Completion of 60 hours by the time you will begin at UIUC; Sophomore transfer applicants (students with less than 60 transferable semester hours) are allowed, but may be restricted when space is limited.
  • GPA between 3.0 and 4.0
  • Sophomore standing
  • Letter of application; Essay 1 of the university application should be 300 words focused on knowledge of your concentration

If Applying as a Sophomore

  • CHEM 101, Introductory Chemistry or higher
  • MATH 012, Algebra, or higher
  • Language Requirement: Sophomore transfers must have completed two years of one language other than English in high school or at least one semester of foreign language at the college level prior to entry.

If Applying as a Junior

  • CHEM 102, 103, 104, and 105 (General Chemistry and Labs)*does not apply to hospitality management concentration
  • MATH 220, Calculus2 or MATH 221, Calculus I or MATH 234, Calculus for Business I

Recommended for All Students

  • FSHN 101, Intro Food Science Nutrition
  • MCB 100, Introductory Microbiology, and MCB 101, Introductory Microbiology Lab
  • RHET 105, Principles of Composition
  • SPCM 101, Public Speaking
  • STAT 100, Statistics