How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine-Related Majors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Choose a College and Intended Major on the Application, Molecular & Cellular Biology Starts With an Intended Biology Major and Is Declared Later, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) offers life-science and health-related bachelor’s degrees in several colleges: the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS), where the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology (School of MCB; Molecular & Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry) and the School of Integrative Biology sit; the College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS) with Public Health, Kinesiology and Interdisciplinary Health Sciences; and the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences (ACES), whose Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition has the nutrition options. This guide follows Illinois’s websites and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. There is no pre-medicine major in the United States, so the pre-med section reports only what Illinois’s pages say.

1. Which related undergraduate majors exist

• Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB), BSLAS: the catalog says the major builds a foundation in molecular biology, molecular genetics, microbiology, cell biology, biochemistry, physiology and structural biology, with chemistry, math and physical science; the degree also has an Honors Concentration and an “MCB + Data Science” version. The school’s website adds an MCB + Teaching Licensure program, five certificates (Cell & Developmental Biology, Infection Biology, Neuroscience, Microbiology, Quantitative Biology) and a minor for non-majors.
• Neuroscience, BSLAS: also in the School of MCB; the catalog says it combines molecular and cellular biology with neuroscience, neurophysiology, neurochemistry and neuropathology, using model organisms such as fruit flies, fish and mice.
• Biochemistry: the School of MCB’s site describes it and says it prepares students for graduate study and for medical school and other professional programs such as dental, pharmacy or veterinary. We did not read the Biochemistry catalog page; check the catalog for its courses.
• Integrative Biology, BSLAS: housed in the School of Integrative Biology; the catalog says it studies life from molecules to global cycles, with preparation in genomics and evolution, comparative anatomy, physiology and development, and ecology and behavior; the degree also has an honors concentration and a five-year combined BSLAS & MS.
• College of Applied Health Sciences: Public Health BS (four concentrations: Health Education & Promotion, Health Administration and Policy, Epidemiology, Community Health Practice); the department site says the Community Health major no longer accepts students as it became the Public Health major, and students admitted before fall 2026 may still complete the Community Health curriculum. Kinesiology BS (four concentrations: Health Sciences, Applied Exercise Science, Biobehavioral Health Science, Teacher Education PreK–12) with a five-year BS + Master of Public Health option applied for late in the third year. Interdisciplinary Health Sciences BS; the catalog says it prepares students for graduate or professional programs such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine, nursing and physician assistant. The same catalog page lists seven concentration names (old and new names) while its text says “choose one of four concentrations”; follow the catalog for the exact options.
• Food Science and Human Nutrition (ACES): the department site says it offers four majors; its admissions and transfer page names two health-related options, Dietetics & Nutrition and Nutrition & Health. For Dietetics & Nutrition, the page warns that post-baccalaureate dietetic internships are competitive and that first-year applicants should use the first application essay (300 words or fewer) to show their knowledge of dietetics and reasons for choosing it.
• Engineering: the biomedical-type engineering majors in the Grainger College of Engineering were not read; check the college website.
• Nursing, pre-pharmacy and combined programs (such as BS/MD): the pages we read do not mention them; not published there.
• STEM designation: not published on the pages we read.
• Credit scale (catalog 2026–27): the MCB major with supporting courses is 67–71 hours (21 at the 300/400 level); Neuroscience 83–84 hours (29 at 300/400 level); Integrative Biology generally 66–75 hours; Public Health, Kinesiology, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and Integrative Biology all state 40 hours of upper-division coursework. The MCB and Neuroscience pages state 120 hours for graduation.

2. Admission: choosing a college and intended major

• Apply through the Common App and choose a first-choice major and an optional second-choice major. Illinois says the major you choose can affect your review. If you are not admissible to your first choice you are reviewed for the second, and if admitted to the second choice or another program you are considered wait-listed for the first. With no second choice you are considered for the first only and can be wait-listed or denied. Not every major is available as a second choice; the FAQ lists the exceptions.
• Molecular & Cellular Biology: the School of MCB says first-year applicants who want MCB should apply to LAS and choose biology as the intended major; in the first year they take an introductory MCB course and an introductory Integrative Biology course and typically choose and declare a major during the second semester. For MCB + Data Science, Neuroscience and Biochemistry, applicants choose that major as their intended major on the application.
• How applications are reviewed: Illinois describes a holistic review that first checks required coursework, then the rigor of the classes available and chosen, performance over time and recent coursework, and the fit with your chosen major (“some programs have specific expectations or prerequisites”).
• Admit rates (2026 first-year, first-choice majors only): 38.1% overall; College of LAS 40.6%, College of Applied Health Sciences 28.9%, College of ACES 46.7%. Illinois notes that rates change every year. Admit rates for these specific majors are not published on the pages we read.
• Conditions for entering the major after admission: the pages we read do not give an extra GPA threshold for admitted first-year students in MCB or Neuroscience; internal-change conditions are in Section 9.
• Public Health and similar: the AHS apply page sends applicants to the university-wide first-year application; whether individual majors have extra entry conditions is not stated on the pages we read.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school coursework (first-year applicants): Illinois states that one college semester equals one year of high school work. English 4 years; math 3 or 3.5 years (4 recommended); social science 2 years (4 recommended); lab sciences 2 years (4 recommended; biology, chemistry, physics labs, plus agricultural science, astronomy or geology; “general science” does not count); a language other than English 2 years (4 recommended); flexible academic units 2 years (4+ recommended).
• Majors with a higher math requirement: at least 3.5 years of math including trigonometry or higher is required for Biochemistry (LAS) and Molecular & Cellular Biology + Data Science (and all engineering, business and similar majors). Plain Molecular & Cellular Biology is not on that list.
• MCB courses (catalog): core MCB 150 (Molecular & Cellular Basis of Life), IB 150 (Organismal & Evolutionary Biology), MCB 250 (Molecular Genetics), MCB 251, MCB 252 (Cells, Tissues & Development), MCB 253, MCB 354 (Biochemical & Physiological Basis of Life); plus at least four 300–400 level approved advanced MCB courses including a lab. Supporting courses: general chemistry (CHEM 102/103/104/105 or the accelerated CHEM 202–205), organic chemistry (CHEM 232/233), a physics sequence, calculus (MATH 220 or MATH 221) and STAT 212 (Biostatistics). The MCB site encourages students to take MCB 150 on campus regardless of AP credit.
• Neuroscience (catalog): introductory courses MCB 150, MCB 170 and PSYC 100; core courses MCB 250–253 and PSYC 210 (Behavioral Neuroscience) or PSYC 224 (Cognitive Psychology); advanced courses MCB 314, 354, 460, 461, 462 plus five advanced electives (at least 15 hours); supporting courses include calculus, MATH 231 or STAT 212, general chemistry, CHEM 232/233 and general physics.
• Integrative Biology (catalog): IB 150, MCB 150, calculus, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, STAT 212, and IB 202 (Physiology, with animal dissection, the 4-hour version), IB 203 (Ecology), IB 204 (Genetics), IB 302 (Evolution), plus advanced area courses. The catalog says it cannot be double-majored with MCB.
• Public Health (catalog): core HK 111 Introduction to Public Health, HK 201, HK 202, HK 206, HK 208 Introduction to Medical Ethics, HK 209 Introduction to Biostatistics and Health Data Analysis, HK 271, HK 300, HK 410, HK 470, plus 12 hours of HK electives and a 12-hour concentration; the language requirement is completion of a third level.
• Placement and credit: Illinois’s placement page lists math (ALEKS PPL), chemistry, biology (IMR) and MCB placement. AP credit posts automatically once scores are received (College Board code 1836); the subject-by-subject conversion is in a dynamic table on the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning pages, which we did not read in detail, so check that page or the admissions office. A-Level subjects mostly earn credit with a C or better; college courses taken in high school earn credit if transferable and on an official college transcript. Illinois also notes that sometimes it is better to decline test credit and take the course, and to discuss this with an advisor.

4. Pre-med and the health professions

• No pre-med major: the School of MCB’s pre-med and pre-health guide says MCB is an excellent choice for pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy and other pre-health students and that the curriculum prepares students for careers including medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine; it advises contacting an MCB advisor to make a four-year plan.
• Volunteering and summer programs: the page lists local hospital volunteering (Carle, OSF) and a community health center, plus the national advisors’ association list of student opportunities and the AAMC post-baccalaureate premedical database; it also says that if a procedure is not allowed in the U.S., you should not perform it on a medical mission abroad.
• Where graduates go: the page lists professional schools (medical, osteopathic, dental, pharmacy, optometry) attended by School of MCB graduates; we do not reproduce the list, and no counts were shown.
• Advising and mentoring: the School of MCB runs a professional mentorship program linking students with physicians, pharmacists, dentists and other health professionals; the page also links MCAT preparation accounts and application fee-assistance programs, which we did not read.
• Other majors: the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences catalog says it prepares students for graduate or professional study in medicine, nursing, physical therapy and more; the Kinesiology catalog says graduates are well-positioned for physical therapy, medicine and other advanced study; the Neuroscience catalog says its research aims include understanding disorders from neurodevelopmental to neurodegenerative and developing biomedical treatments.
• International students and pre-med: the guide does not give a separate statement for international students applying to U.S. medical schools; not published there. We do not cover medical school applications.
• Combined programs (BS/MD): not mentioned on the pages we read.

5. Deadlines, materials and fees

• Rounds (first-year): application opens September 1; Early Action November 1 (materials November 7); Regular January 5 (materials January 11); Early Action decisions January 29, Regular decisions February 26; honors and scholarship updates by April 1; commit deadline (Decision Day) May 1. The page shows no year; confirm it is for fall 2027 entry.
• Platform and materials: the Common App; after submitting you receive an email link to self-report courses and grades (the SRAR); no official transcript is needed until you enroll (a mismatch with what you self-reported leads to the offer being rescinded). You also answer essay prompts and list activities and honors. The application fee is $75; a counselor can submit a fee-waiver form if you qualify.
• Recommendation letters: the FAQ says Illinois does not accept letters of recommendation or other unsolicited materials.
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional for all majors and for international students; the highest composite or total is used with no superscoring; SAT code 1836, ACT code 1154; the choice cannot be changed after submission; scores not reported at application cannot be added later for scholarships, honors or placement.
• English scores: see Section 7.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• In-state and out-of-state: Illinois says about 27% of undergraduates are not from Illinois and are evaluated against the same criteria as in-state students.
• Costs (Illinois’s estimates, 2026–27, full-time, before aid): in-state tuition and fees $18,530–$24,018, food and housing $15,858, books $1,200, other expenses $2,500, total $38,088–$43,576; out-of-state tuition and fees $41,206–$49,618, other expenses $2,840, total $61,104–$69,516. Illinois says costs vary by major, housing and meal plan.
• Illinois Commitment: Illinois residents with family income of $75,000 or less may have tuition and campus fees covered for up to four years. Other items: a tuition guarantee program (the page says you pay the same tuition each year; eligibility applies), federal and state aid (FAFSA), university and college scholarships (considered automatically on application; colleges contact those selected).
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional; see Section 5.

7. International applicants

• How to apply: the FAQ says there is no separate application for international applicants: the same Common App and SRAR.
• English proficiency: the international requirements page says that, regardless of citizenship, applicants who did not complete grades 10–12 in an approved English-speaking country must submit a TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test or ACT/SAT score, “this requirement cannot be waived”; scores must be within two years of the intended entry term; and if you choose to have SAT/ACT considered, it is used for all aspects of review and cannot be sent just to prove English. The FAQ and policies page word it differently: applicants who report SAT/ACT are “strongly encouraged” to also submit an English test, while those who do not report SAT/ACT are required to; the policies page speaks of the most recent three full years of secondary education. Approved countries include Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the mainland U.S. A minimum score for first-year applicants is not stated on the pages we read. TOEFL code 1836; TOEFL MyBest and IELTS General are not accepted. The TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is accepted for fall 2027 according to the international requirements and policies pages, while the FAQ says fall 2026; check the latest page.
• Proof of funds: not required with the application; Illinois says it requests financial documents and official transcripts only if you are admitted and choose to attend.
• Costs: Illinois estimates international students’ tuition and fees at $42,248–$53,078, food and housing $15,858, books $1,200 and other expenses $2,840, total $62,146–$72,976. A separate scholarship for international students is not described on the pages we read; the scholarships page says all applicants are automatically considered for university scholarships and that each college has its own.
• Credentials and curricula: Illinois gives country and curriculum guides for the SRAR (Canada, China, GCSE/GCE, India, IB, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and others). If your country requires military service after secondary school, complete it before applying; admission cannot be deferred for it. Home-schooled students educated outside the U.S. must earn a GED before enrolling.
• Agents: Illinois says it does not partner with agents or private organizations to recruit students; work directly with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• Restrictions in clinical placements: not mentioned on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Entering your record: Illinois has a “China – Application Help” page for the SRAR: choose “Other” as the grading scale and create a conversion with the ranges for a 0–100 or 0–150 scale (or descriptor grades such as Excellent, Good, Average); for grades 9–11 report each grade and the maximum for that course; for grade 12 report the final grade and maximum if finished, or In Progress (IP) if not; Civics and Politics goes under Social Science.
• International curricula: for students who took O Levels/GCSEs and then switched to IB, report only grade 11 and 12 IB courses (with SL or HL and full course names) and enter the O Levels/GCSEs under International External Exam Results.
• Gaokao and Huikao: the pages we read do not say whether Gaokao scores are considered or what the Huikao materials are; not published there, so ask the admissions office (admissions@illinois.edu).
• English: see Section 7; no separate China-specific score is stated; whether the TOEFL ITP Plus is accepted is not stated on the pages we read.
• Transfer from China: transfer applicants submit high school transcripts showing the graduation month and year, or a graduation certificate.
• Essays and recommendations: essays are part of the application; Illinois does not accept recommendation letters.

9. Transfer students

• Dates: fall entry: application opens January 15, priority deadline February 1 (materials February 15), final deadline April 1 (materials April 5), priority decisions by April 15 and regular decisions by June 1. Spring entry: opens September 1, deadline October 1 (materials October 15), decisions by November 15; not all programs admit in spring. The pages show no year; confirm it.
• GPA guidelines (transfer requirements page): Illinois says these are the minimum GPAs to be a competitive applicant. LAS: Molecular & Cellular Biology, MCB + Data Science, Neuroscience and Integrative Biology each 2.7 cumulative and 3.0 technical; Biochemistry 3.2 cumulative and 3.2 technical. Applied Health Sciences: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences 3.0 and Kinesiology 3.0, all other majors 2.8 to 3.0 depending on level. ACES: Dietetics and Nutrition 3.0 and Nutrition and Health 3.0.
• MCB Transfer Handbook: applicants with more than 6 semesters or 80 hours get an additional review, with priority for those who can finish within ten semesters of college (not counting summers); the handbook expects at least a 3.0 in technical subjects (biology, chemistry, physics, math) and a 2.7 cumulative GPA on all transfer coursework; introductory biology must include an organismal/evolutionary course and a molecular/cellular course. With fewer than 50 transferable hours at application you must have coursework equivalent to CHEM 102 with 103, CHEM 104 with 105, and IB 150 or MCB 150; with 50 or more, IB 150 and MCB 150 as well. Organic chemistry CHEM 232/233, calculus and Composition I are recommended, not required. The handbook states 124 semester hours (at least 45 at Illinois) for graduation while the catalog page states 120 hours for MCB; the two disagree, so confirm with an MCB advisor.
• School of MCB note: transfer students typically need five or six semesters on campus because their first MCB courses are likely to be the foundation courses at the 100–200 level.
• Review focus: Illinois says transfer review focuses on college coursework and required classes for the major, that “missing prerequisites is the most common reason for denial”, that with fewer than 36 graded transferable hours high school performance is also considered, and that admission may depend on space in the major.
• Materials: application fee or waiver, official transcripts from all colleges attended, a high school transcript or equivalency results, and English scores if required. International transcripts cannot be emailed by the student or sent from international institutions; electronic transcripts through approved third-party vendors are accepted.
• English (transfer): one of the minimum conditions listed on the policies page: TOEFL iBT for exams on or after January 21, 2026, total 5.0 with all subscores 4.5+ (before that, 100 total with subscores 20+); IELTS 7.5 total with subscores 6.5+; Duolingo 130 overall with subscores 125+; or completing all secondary and post-secondary schooling in an approved English-speaking country, among other conditions. Illinois says these are only minimums and actual admission standards are often much higher.
• Changing into School of MCB majors from another LAS major: take MCB 150 and a chemistry lecture (such as CHEM 102) on the Illinois campus with a C or better and keep an MCB-major GPA of 2.50 or higher (MCB + Data Science also needs MATH 220; Biochemistry also needs MATH 220 or another required math course); attend a School of MCB information meeting; submit the Curriculum Change Form during the posted period (one week before classes through the 10th day of class, plus October, March and June). Students in other Illinois colleges first transfer into LAS and declare the major.
• Kinesiology and others: the Transfer Handbook has prerequisites for each major; we read only the MCB page, so check the handbook for the others.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by November 1 (Early Action) or January 5 (Regular) with the Common App, choose the first-choice major (for MCB, intended biology) and a second choice, pay the $75 fee, then self-report grades; SAT/ACT optional; no recommendation letters
• Complete English 4, math 3–3.5, social science 2, lab science 2, language 2 and flexible units 2; Biochemistry and MCB + Data Science need 3.5 years of math including trigonometry

International applicants (including China):

• Same timeline; submit English proof if you did not complete grades 10–12 in an approved country (or use SAT/ACT as the rules allow); follow the China guide for the SRAR; funds proof comes after admission
• Gaokao and Huikao handling is not published; ask the admissions office

Transfer students:

• Apply by February 1 (priority) or April 1 for fall; check the GPA guideline and the Transfer Handbook prerequisites; transcripts through the school or approved vendors

Sources: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, First-year requirements; First-year application; First-year dates; Applicant FAQ; How admission works; Admit rates; International requirements; China application help; Admission policies; College credit; Transfer requirements; Transfer dates; Tuition and costs; Cost and aid; Scholarships; Transfer Handbook: Molecular & Cellular Biology; Catalog: Molecular & Cellular Biology; Catalog: Neuroscience; Catalog: Integrative Biology; Catalog: Public Health; Catalog: Kinesiology; Catalog: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences; School of MCB: major; School of MCB: undergraduate admissions; School of MCB: transferring; Biochemistry major; School of MCB: pre-med and pre-health guide; Health and Kinesiology: Public Health; Kinesiology; Interdisciplinary Health Sciences; Applied Health Sciences: apply; Food Science & Human Nutrition: undergraduate degrees; Food Science & Human Nutrition: undergraduate admissions; Placement and credit cutoffs; AP credit. The date pages show no year; check the University of Illinois website to confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry.