As one of the leading engineering schools in the world, the College of Engineering attracts the best and brightest students from across the state, the nation and the world. At Illinois, you can choose from among 15 degree programs in 12 engineering departments. Several minors and dual-degree programs offer even more opportunities to explore your interests.
Additional information about Undergraduate Programs of Study is available online.
Aerospace Engineering
About Us
Aerospace engineers are involved in all phases of research, development, integration, and production of aerospace systems and have chief responsibility for the design and performance of air and spacecrafts and their propulsion systems. Our graduates work in such fields as:
- Aerospace
- Engines
- Defense and Security
- Automotive
- Government
- Manufacturing
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $65,000
Sample Employers
- The Boeing Company
- Lockheed Martin
- GE Aviation
- Raytheon Missile Systems
- Northrop Grumman
- Hamilton Sudstrand
- NASA
Sample Courses
- AE 321: Mechanics of Aerospace Structures
- AE 352: Aerospace Dynamical Systems
- AE 353: Aerospace Control Systems
- AE 433: Aerospace Propulsion
- AE 483: Aerospace Decision Algorithms
Learn more about the Illinois Aerospace experience from Andrew, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
About Us
Agricultural and biological engineers apply scientific and engineering principles to production systems involving agriculture, food, environment, and energy; natural resources; environmental protection and control for plants, animals, and humans; and related biological systems. They develop technologies and apply management strategies to increase agricultural productivity, generate renewable energy, and provide a sustainable environment.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $61,000
Sample Careers
- Agricultural safety and technology
- Food science and engineering
- Bioprocess modeling
- Environmental controls (air quality and waste management)
- Biofuels and engines
- Hydrology, drainage, and irrigation
- Crop conditioning and processing
- Alternatirive energy systems
- Government
- Project management
Sample Courses
- ABE 224: ABE Principles–Soil & Water
- ABE 226: ABE Principles–Bioprocessing
- ABE 430: Project Management
- ABE 446: Biological Nanoengineering
- ABE 483: Engineering Properties of Food Materials
Learn more about the Illinois Agricultural & Biological Engineering experience from Najia, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Bioengineering
About Us
Bioengineers use tools from biology, chemistry, physics, and math to solve engineering problems that arise in biological systems related to biomaterials, biomechanics, and prosthetics; cell and tissue engineering; molecular modeling; biomedical imaging and sensing; bioinformatics; nanomedicine; synthetic biology; and drug delivery.
The goal of research and education in bioengineering is to advance fundamental understanding of how human biological systems function and to develop effective technology-based solutions to the wide spectrum of societal needs in human development and disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $52,000
Sample Careers
- Medicine (M.D., M.D./Ph.D., disease diagnostic tools development, drug delivery tools, equipment/product development)
- Research
- Forensics
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
- Consulting
- Pharmaceuticals
Sample Courses
- BIOE 201: Conservation Principles
- BIOE 205: Circuits and Systems
- BIOE 302: Modeling Human Physiology
- BIOE 414: Biomedical Instrumentation
- BIOE 435 & 436: Senior Design I and II
Learn more about the Illinois Bioengineering experience from Asha, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
About Us
Chemical engineers study and practice the transformation of substances at large scales for the tangible improvement of the human condition. Such transformations are executed to produce other useful substances or energy and lie at the heart of vast segments of the chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and electronic industries.
Biomolecular engineering is a subset of chemical engineering focusing on biological applications. Our graduates work in such fields as food sciences, medicine, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, energy, semiconductor processing, personal care, fibers and materials, and research and development.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $69,000
Sample Careers & Companies
- Process Engineer (Dow Corning, Procter & Gamble)
- Reservoir Engineer (ExxonMobil)
- Rotational Chemical Engineer (Stepan Company)
- Production Assistant (ADM)
- Operations Development Program Engineer (SABIC)
- Staff Engineer (Eli Lilly & Company)
- Semiconductor Fabrication Engineer (Texas Instruments)
Sample Courses
- ChBE 221: Principles of Chemical Engineering
- ChBE 321: Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
- ChBE 421: Momentum and Heat Transfer
- ChBE 422: Mass Transfer Operations
- ChBE 424: Chemical Reaction Engineering
Learn more about the Illinois Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering experience from Ayesha, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
About Us
Civil and environmental engineers are responsible for the design and construction of the nation’s civil and marine infrastructure (buildings, bridges, and offshore structures; highway systems, airports, and energy transport systems; dams, locks, levees, and canals; all water treatment and distribution systems; and all aspects of environmental management and pollution prevention and remediation). Because civil and environmental engineers receive a broad education, they frequently find successful employment outside of engineering in business, law, and research fields.
Our graduates work in such areas as construction, project management, pollution and ecology, water quality and treatment, hydrology, biohazards, contamination, underground dynamics, waste containment, railroads, transportation, urban planning and management, highway and traffic engineering, structure behavior, analysis, and design.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $58,000
Sample Careers
- Structural engineers (tall buildings and bridges)
- Geotechnical engineers (foundations and tunnels)
- Environmental engineers (water treatment plants)
- Transportation engineers (highways and railroads)
- Construction materials experts (strong, durable, and sustainable building materials)
- Hydrosystem engineers (waterways, locks and dams, and levies)
- Construction managers (convert civil engineering design into reality by controlling labor, equipment, materials, time, money, quality and safety)
Sample Courses
- CEE 449: Environmental Engineering Lab
- CEE 415: Geometric Design of Roads
- CEE 401: Concrete Materials
- CEE 453: Urban Hydrology and Hydraulics
- CEE 421: Construction Planning
Learn more about the Illinois CEE experience from Elena, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Computer Science and Engineering
About Us
Computer scientists design, implement and analyze computing systems, with an emphasis on software systems.
CS graduates work in every sector of the economy by:
- Developing gene sequencing algorithms via techniques in computational biology
- Designing user interfaces for mobile applications
- Designing methods for high frequency trading
- Creating computer generated graphics and special effects in the gaming industry
- Creating embedded real time systems to be deployed in medical devices
- Analyzing social data from internet communication patterns
Our program provides a strong foundation coupled with advanced coursework in the area(s) of each student's choosing.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $70,000
Sample Careers & Companies
- Software Development Engineer (Amazon – work on challenging large-scale distributed problems)
- Product Management (Google – conceive, design, and launch innovative products)
- Studio Tools Developer (Pixar – create and maintain software tools for animation and computer effects used in the motion picture industry)
- Consultant (Cerner Corporation – work with hospitals and clinics to evaluate health care technology needs and recommend solutions)
- Software Engineer / Advertising Analyst (Yahoo! – design applications for deployment in the on-line marketplace)
- Quantitative Researcher (Jump Trading – apply data-mining and forecasting techniques to build models of market behavior Cloud Database)
- Engineer (Netflix –test and analyze performance of one of the largest distributed databases in existence)
Sample Courses
- CS 412: Introduction to Data Mining
- CS 418: Interactive Computer Graphics
- CS 440: Artificial Intelligence
- CS 461: Computer Security I
- CS 465: Human Computer Interaction
Learn more about the Illinois CS experience from John, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
About Us
Electrical and computer engineers design, construct, and maintain products and services and perform research to create new ideas, particularly in the areas of electrical and electronic equipment and computer systems.
Our graduates work in such areas as:
- Information security
- Computer systems and networks
- Electromagnetics
- Lasers
- Semiconductor materials and physics
- Software engineering
- Communications and wireless networks
- Operating systems
- Integrated circuits
- Nanotechnology and quantum devices
- Robotics
- Signal, image, and speech processing
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $69,500
Sample Careers & Companies
- Project Engineer (Digital Energy, GE Energy)
- System Verification Engineer (Bio-Rad Laboratories)
- Design Engineer (Microsoft)
- Incubation Sourcing Manager (Microsoft)
- Flow Meter Marketing (Smart Grid, Texas Instruments)
- Systems Engineer (Bombardier Transportation)
- Technology Analyst (Goldman Sachs)
Sample Courses
- ECE 210: Analog Signal Processing
- ECE 310: Digital Signal Processing
- ECE 333: Green Electric Energy
- ECE 391: Computer Systems Engineering
- ECE 438: Communication Networks
Learn more about the Illinois Electrical Engineering experience from Johnny, a current student.
Learn more about the Illinois Computer Engineering experience from Jeff, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Engineering Physics
About Us
Physicists study, measure, and manipulate the fundamental interactions of matter, energy, space, and time to solve scientific mysteries and reveal the workings of nature. Physics has produced the science behind many of today’s technologies, including:
- Superconducting magnets for MRI machines
- Cell phones
- Supermarket scanners
- Particle accelerators
- Lasers for CD players
- Fiber optic communications
Physicists expand our understanding of the universe—from the cosmos to the nanoscale, from metals to biomolecules.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – Not enough responses from physics grads to calculate
Sample Career
- Nuclear medicine
- Complex systems modeling
- Laser technology
- Astronomy
- Geophysics
- Atmospheric sciences
- Particle accelerator technology
Sample Courses
- PHYS 212: Electricity and Magnetism
- PHYS 213: Thermal Physics
- PHYS 325: Mechanics and Relativity
- PHYS 435: Electromagnetic Fields
- PHYS 486: Quantum Physics
Learn more about the Illinois Engineering Physics experience from Aaron, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
General Engineering
About Us
The General Engineering program is a specialization within Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at Illinois. A degree in General Engineering provides a broad and solid foundation in math, science, and engineering fundamentals. With this foundation, students in General Engineering can concentrate their studies on pre-approved options such as Automotive Engineering, Control Systems, and Robotics or individualized options such as pre-med, mathematics, and renewable energy. The General Engineering degree compares to a systems engineering program at other universities.
A common misconception is that general engineering is the undecided option for students who have not yet chosen an engineering major. In contrast, it is a very specific major with the full academic rigor of all engineering majors.
A unique feature of the General Engineering program is that it integrates principles of business throughout the curriculum. General Engineers from Illinois are positioned to pursue a wide variety of graduate programs, practice engineering, or take on other professions such as consulting, management, and administration.
Our graduates often serve as a link between engineering and management and work in such fields as:
- Automotive, controls systems, and manufacturing
- Communication and computer systems
- Engineering administration
- Operations and quality control
- Business systems integration and consulting
- Construction
- Marketing and product testing
- Robotics
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $62,400
Sample Careers
- Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM)
- Engineering Administration
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Engineering Consulting
- Robotics
- Law Consultant (Patent, Intellectual Property, Product Liability)
- Systems Engineer
- Plant Manager
- Quality Control Specialist
Sample Courses
- GE 101: Engineering Graphics and Design
- GE 161: Business Side of Engineering
- GE 320: Introductory Control Systems
- GE 424: State Space Design for Control
- GE 494/495: Senior Engineering Project I/II
Learn more about the Illinois General Engineering experience from Evan, a current student.
Visit our website for more information
Industrial Enterprise Engineering
About Us
The Industrial Engineering program is a specialization within Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at Illinois. Industrial Enterprise engineers work to solve problems through the integration of engineering and business principles.
They are often technical people who are leaders and can manage budgets and projects. Industrial systems engineers work to improve performance and productivity, using optimization approaches and solving problems through a systems approach.
Our graduates often serve as a link between engineering and management and work in such fields as:
- Automotive, controls systems, and manufacturing
- Communication and computer systems
- Engineering administration
- Operations and quality control
- Business systems integration and consulting
- Construction
- Marketing and product testing
- Robotics
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $63,300
Sample Careers
- Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM)
- Engineering Administration
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Engineering Consulting
- Robotics
- Law Consultant (Patent, Intellectual Property, Product Liability)
- Systems Engineer
- Plant Manager
- Quality Control Specialist
Sample Courses
- IE 300: Analysis of Data
- IE 310: Operations Research
- IE 413: Simulation
- IE: 430 Economic Foundation of Quality Systems
- GE 494/495: Senior Engineering Project I/II
Learn more about the Illinois Engineering experience from Evan, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Materials Science and Engineering
About Us
Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) is an interdisciplinary field of study that involves taking courses in chemistry, physics, and engineering to build a fundamental understanding of materials. Advanced materials are instrumental in major industries such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, chemical, electronics, energy, and telecommunications.
While learning about the broad spectrum of materials, MatSE students have the opportunity to specialize in one area – metals, ceramics, electronic materials, polymers, or biomaterials.
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $61,000
Sample Careers
- Materials Engineer (Lyondell Chemical)
- Manufacturing Engineer (Federal Mogul)
- Materials Research Engineer (Naval Research Laboratory)
- Packaging Engineer (Kraft Foods)
- Process Engineer (Intel)
- Quality Engineer (ExxonMobil)
- Scientist (The Clorox Company)
Sample Courses
- MSE 201: Phases and Phase Relations
- MSE 307: Materials Laboratory
- MSE 401: Thermodynamics of Materials
- MSE 402: Kinetic Processes in Materials
- MSE 406: Thermal and Mechanical Behavior of Materials
Learn more about the Illinois MatSE experience from Jaime, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Mechanical Engineering/Engineering Mechanics
About Us
Mechanical Engineering
Among the most diverse of the engineering fields, mechanical engineering applies mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles to study forces acting on bodies of solid or fluid material, and the resulting dynamic motion of those bodies. These principles are used to design and control machines and systems that create motion, apply loads, transport matter and energy, and convert one form of energy to another.
Mechanical engineering graduates work in such fields as:
- Manufacturing, energy and transportation
- Aerospace
- Defense and security
- Computer software and electronics
- Automotive
- Environment
- Health and biological engineering
- Research and development
Engineering Mechanics
Mechanics is the study of forces that act on bodies and the resultant motion that those bodies experience. With roots in physics and mathematics, Engineering Mechanics is the basis of all the mechanical sciences: civil engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, and aeronautical and aerospace engineering.
Engineering Mechanics provides the “building blocks” of statics, dynamics, strength of materials, and fluid dynamics, and is the discipline devoted to the solution of mechanics problems through the integrated application of mathematical, scientific, and engineering principles. Special emphasis is placed on the physical principles underlying modern engineering design.
Engineering Mechanics students are prepared for careers at the forefront of a wide variety of fields, including:
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Software
- Electronics
- Manufacturing
- Computers
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $64,000
Sample Careers
- Plant Engineer
- Equipment Operations Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Technical Advisor
- Telematics Systems Engineer
- Mining Engineer
- Machine Tooling Engineer & Designer
Sample Mechanical Engineering Courses
- ME 170: Computer-Aided Design
- ME 350: Design for Manufacturability
- ME 403: Internal Combustion Engines
- ME 445: Introduction to Robotics
- ME 483: Mechanobiology
Semple Engineering Mechanics Courses
- TAM 252: Solid Mechanics Design
- TAM 335: Introductory Fluid Mechanics
- TAM 438: Viscous Flow and Heat Transfer
- TAM 461: Cellular Biomechanics
- TAM 518: Wave Motion
Learn more about the Illinois Mechanical Science experience from Valeria, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering (NPRE)
About Us
Nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineers research and develop processes, instruments and systems that derive benefits from nuclear energy and radiation. Our graduates work in such fields as:
- Power plant design, supervision operations, and safety
- Microelectronics
- Materials performance and processing
- Energy policy and security
- Health physics
- Medical diagnostics and therapy
- Waste management
- Fusion energy
- Government and state regulatory organizations
- Controls and control systems
- Nuclear and medical instrumentation
Average Starting Salary (Bachelor’s Degree) – $61,000
Sample Careers & Companies
- Nuclear Utilities (Duke Energy, Exelon, Energy Northwest, Entergy, First Energy)
- Nuclear Suppliers & Consultants (Enercon, Sargent & Lundy, Nexus Engineering)
- Design Firms (General Electric, Westinghouse)
- Nuclear Research & Development Firms (Bechtel Bettis, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Department of Energy Laboratories)
- Nuclear Regulatory Agencies (United States Nuclear Regulatory Agency)
- Military Services (United States Navy)
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Companies (Intel)
Sample Courses
- NPRE 247: Modeling Nuclear Energy Systems
- NPRE 446: Radiation Interaction with Matter
- NPRE 421: Plasma and Fusion Science
- NPRE 431: Materials in Nuclear Engineering
- NPRE 441: Radiation Protection
Learn more about the Illinois NPRE experience from Nicholas, a current student.
Visit our website for more information.
Academic Minors within Engineering
