How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at the University of Illinois Chicago: Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Nursing, Public Health and Applied Health Sciences in Separate Colleges, a Pre-Med Advising Route Plus GPPA, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is in downtown Chicago, next to a large medical center. Life-science and health-related bachelor’s degrees are spread across several colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences (Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Biochemistry), Nursing, Public Health, Applied Health Sciences (Kinesiology, Nutrition, Health Information Management and others) and the Retzky College of Pharmacy’s BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences. UIC has no direct-entry bachelor’s to medical school: the catalog says Pre-Medicine is an advising route rather than a major and that you must finish a bachelor’s degree before entering the College of Medicine; the only undergraduate entry to the medical school that we read about is the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions (GPPA) program. This guide summarises UIC’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Engineering majors are not covered.

What we read: the admissions office (admissions.uic.edu), the undergraduate catalog (catalog.uic.edu, a CourseLeaf catalog on UIC’s own domain), the GPPA website and the registrar. The country-by-country credential table on the international requirements page loads dynamically and was not used, and the registrar’s tuition tables also load dynamically so no tuition figures were read.

1. Relevant bachelor’s programs

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
  • Biological Sciences: a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a major in Biological Sciences, in three concentrations: General Biology; Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology; and Evolution, Ecology, and Environmental Biology. There is also a minor. 120 credit hours.
  • Neuroscience (BS): a joint program of the Departments of Biological Sciences and Psychology, supported by Chemistry and Philosophy faculty, and advised by Biological Sciences. The catalog says it suits students interested in graduate school, medicine or behavioral sciences.
  • Biochemistry (BS): shared requirements from Biological Sciences and Chemistry.
  • Integrated Health Studies: the catalog lists a Behavioral Health concentration that incorporates many prerequisite courses for nursing programs, and it appears in the double-major list paired with Biological Sciences or Psychology.
• College of Nursing: the BS in Nursing (BSN). The catalog says the traditional BSN is offered at Chicago, Springfield and Urbana, and the RN to BSN is online through UIC Extended Campus.
• School of Public Health: the BA in Public Health Practice and the BS in Public Health Sciences. The catalog says the BS is geared toward epidemiology, biostatistics, dentistry, environmental and occupational health, medicine and pharmacy; the BA toward socio-cultural determinants of health and community practice.
• College of Applied Health Sciences: BS in Kinesiology, BS in Nutrition (Nutrition Science concentration, an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics), BS in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, BS in Disability and Human Development and BS in Health Information Management (a two-year professional sequence). The catalog counts five bachelor’s degrees.
• Retzky College of Pharmacy: the BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS), usually entered in the third year, with a BSPS/PharmD pathway.
• STEM status: not stated on the pages we read.
• Honors: the Honors College can be combined with any major.
• Biomedical engineering sits in the College of Engineering and is not covered here.

2. How admission works

• Applying: first-year applicants must use the Common App, including UIC’s own questions and essays. Choice of major is one review factor and each college sets its own admission criteria. UIC names biological sciences, engineering, computer science and pre-health majors as fields with possibly different expectations for high school math and science.
• Applied Health Sciences and Public Health: first-year applicants can apply directly to the degree they want. Applied Health Sciences allows an “Undeclared” option, with an intercollege transfer to a major expected by the end of the first year; Public Health allows “Public Health–Undecided”, with a choice of BA or BS after introductory courses, and C or better in prerequisites is required before upper-level major courses.
• Nursing (a limited program): fall admission only. First-year applicants apply directly to the College of Nursing; there is no minimum to apply, but the catalog says the most successful candidates have an ACT composite of 28 (optional) or SAT 1310 or higher and an unweighted GPA of 3.50 or above; because of demand, not all eligible students can be admitted. Other routes: transfer, Dual Admission ADN+BSN with contracted community colleges, and GPPA for the Springfield campus. All students need a background check and drug test on admission, and admission is rescinded if the results would make a student ineligible for placement at practicum agencies.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences majors: LAS students must declare a major by 45 credit hours, and the college may restrict enrollment by space. For Biological Sciences, continuing, readmitted and undeclared transfer students need at least a 2.00 GPA in all biology courses, subject to space; meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. Neuroscience requires a 3.00 cumulative GPA and BIOS 286 or PSCH 262. Whether first-year applicants are admitted directly into the Biological Sciences major is not stated on the pages we read.
• Pre-Health/Pre-Science program and differential tuition: new students without a declared major who are exploring a science curriculum or pursuing specific pre-health goals are placed in the Pre-Health/Pre-Science program and charged differential tuition; registering for certain preparatory courses moves a student into it before the tenth day of the term. The differential tuition amount is not stated on the pages we read.
• Internal moves: current UIC students can apply through intercollege transfer. Admission to LAS generally requires a UIC cumulative GPA of at least 2.00.
• Health Information Management: prerequisites come first, and the campus-based professional sequence starts each fall.

3. The pre-med route

• The Preprofessional Studies page says pre-medicine students may choose any major and that students who want to apply to the University of Illinois College of Medicine must complete a bachelor’s degree by the time of matriculation. LAS pre-health and pre-law advisors run workshops and on-demand webinars; individual appointments are available from sophomore standing, and students are advised to declare a pre-health educational goal on entering.
• Minimum coursework to apply to the University of Illinois College of Medicine, 46–50 hours: BIOS 110 and BIOS 120; one general chemistry sequence (10 hours); CHEM 232 and CHEM 233 (organic chemistry and lab); BIOS 352 or BIOS 452 (biochemistry); one physics sequence (8 hours); three behavioral or social science courses (anthropology, economics, gender studies, psychology or sociology, 9–10 hours); and one more 200–400 level biology course. Recommended: college algebra or precalculus, statistics, psychology and sociology. The page notes that one introductory biochemistry course may substitute for the second semester of organic chemistry but not all medical schools accept this, and recommends completing Organic Chemistry II.
• Applicants also take the MCAT and apply through AMCAS or AACOMAS; the page notes that scores from all MCATs taken are released to medical schools.
• Other pre-professional tracks on the same page: pre-dentistry (40–41 hours), pre-occupational therapy (33–34), pre-physical therapy (42–43), pre-veterinary medicine (37–38), pre-nursing (57), pre-pharmacy and others. Medical school acceptance statistics and any note on pre-health advising for international students are not stated on the pages we read.
• GPPA (Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions): the catalog says up to 150 entering freshmen each fall are admitted with a guaranteed seat in a professional or graduate program, including medicine (MD), dentistry, pharmacy, public health (MPH) and occupational and physical therapy. For medicine: applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and Illinois residents; Honors College membership is required; students must enroll in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering and/or Public Health (nursing, applied health sciences and pharmacy do not count); the MCAT is still required, at the previous class’s average; interviews are held; and the Medical Scholars Program does not allow finishing the bachelor’s in under three years. The GPPA FAQ says the College of Medicine has offered admission to between 43 and 55 applicants each year over the past ten years. Applicants may apply to only one GPPA program, only as incoming first-year students; the deadline is 2 November 2026.

4. High school preparation

• UIC says the following are not required but make an application more competitive. For all majors: English 4 years; mathematics 3–4 years (including algebra, geometry, advanced algebra/trigonometry); science 3 years; social science 3 years; second language 2 years. For STEM and business majors: mathematics 4 years (coursework at or above precalculus highly recommended) and science 4 years. For STEM majors it “strongly recommends four years of math and science”, naming engineering, computer science, biological sciences and pre-health majors.
• After you arrive: the Biological Sciences major needs calculus (MATH 170 or 180) or STAT 130, one physics sequence, one general chemistry sequence (CHEM 116/118 or CHEM 122–125), organic chemistry (CHEM 230 or 232 with CHEM 233), and BIOS 110, 120, 220, 222 and 230 plus the chosen concentration, 40 hours of major courses in a 120-hour degree. Neuroscience and Biochemistry have their own required sequences (Biochemistry adds Calculus I and II, physical chemistry, Biochemistry I and II and inorganic chemistry) and both ask for the equivalent of two years of one college-level language (0–16 hours).
• Nursing prerequisites (57 hours, most often completed in LAS): ENGL 160 and 161, BIOS 250 Microbiology, CHEM 115, anatomy and physiology (KN 230–233), NURS 250 Human Development Across the Lifespan, HN 196 Nutrition, STAT 101 or 130, plus general education. The timing rule for the four science courses applies to transfer applicants and is in section 9.
• AP / IB credit (fall 2026 version; check for 2027): AP Biology 3–5 earns BIOS 110 and 120 (8 hours); AP Chemistry 4–5 earns CHEM 122–125 (10 hours) and a 3 earns CHEM 100 (5 hours); AP Calculus AB 4–5 earns MATH 180 (4 hours) and BC 4–5 earns MATH 180 and 181 (8 hours); AP Statistics 3–5 earns STAT 101 (4 hours) outside business; IB Biology (standard or higher) 5–7 earns BIOS 110 and 120 (8 hours); IB Chemistry standard level 7 or higher level 6–7 earns CHEM 122–125 (10 hours); IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches higher level 6–7 earns MATH 180.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• First-year early action: 2 November 2026, with all documents complete by then; this is also the scholarship priority date, the GPPA deadline and the priority date for the Honors College and Business Scholars.
• First-year regular decision: 1 February 2027; the Honors College first-year final deadline is also 1 February 2027.
• Spring 2027 entry: first-year 1 October 2026; transfer 15 October 2026 (not every transfer program opens for spring).
• Application fee: $70, non-refundable; fee waivers are accepted only for domestic applications and are not offered to international students.
• Materials: the Common App (with UIC’s questions and essays) and official high school transcripts; SAT/ACT optional, and if sent they need a score report (no self-reported scores or superscores); AP/IB scores are reviewed if provided. UIC encourages letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors or activity supervisors and the mid-year report. About two-thirds of applicants chose to be reviewed without a score.
• What reviewers weigh: high school performance, course selection and rigor, GPA, essays, quality of writing, demonstrated academic interest, any current circumstances that affected high school performance, and choice of major; UIC says it considers the courses available at your high school.
• Latest admitted profile (fall 2026, middle 50% of admitted students): test-optional profile (unweighted GPA): Applied Health Sciences 3.2–3.7, Liberal Arts and Sciences 3.3–3.7, Nursing 3.6–4.0, Public Health 3.1–3.5, with an average of 6–9 AP/IB/honors classes. Test-inclusive profile: Applied Health Sciences GPA 3.3–3.9, SAT 1210–1370 (ACT 25–30); Liberal Arts and Sciences GPA 3.4–3.9, SAT 1240–1430 (ACT 26–32); Nursing GPA 3.8–4.0, SAT 1240–1378 (ACT 26–30); Public Health GPA 3.4–3.9, SAT 1240–1430 (ACT 26–32). UIC stresses these are not cut-offs.
• When applications open: first-year from 1 August 2026; fall 2027 transfer from 15 December 2026.

6. U.S. applicants

• In-state and out-of-state costs: tuition depends on state residency, entry date and credit hours. The catalog says degree-seeking undergraduates get a four-year tuition guarantee (each entering cohort keeps the same tuition schedule for four years; students taking longer should expect an increase), and fees can change each year. No tuition figures appear on the pages we read; use the cost estimator and the registrar’s tuition tables (including part-time and online rates) for current numbers.
• UIC Aspire: new undergraduate Illinois residents from households with income of $75,000 or less pay $0 in tuition and fees for fall 2026 entry.
• Non-Illinois U.S. students: the UIC Merit Tuition Award is for high-achieving nonresident applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents; it considers GPA, test scores and major.
• Other scholarships: completing the UIC application automatically considers you for most university and college scholarships; Honors College scholarships need a separate Honors application and an interview; the President’s Award Program is for outstanding Illinois students from underrepresented groups; Business Scholars needs its own application. Need-based aid requires the FAFSA.
• In-state preference: the GPPA medicine and dentistry programs are limited to Illinois residents; no general in-state preference is described elsewhere on the pages we read.
• Research and clinical placements: Biological Sciences offers independent study and research courses (BIOS 391 and 399, up to 5 hours counting toward the major); Kinesiology encourages undergraduate research and has an internship course (KN 393, 300 hours); nursing clinical placements are at partner agencies. Places and requirements are not stated on the pages we read.

7. International applicants

• Who counts: students who studied at a foreign secondary school or university, or who need a visa to study in the U.S.; deadlines are the same as first-year or transfer.
• Fees and documents: first-year international applicants pay a mandatory, non-refundable $170 in total ($70 application fee plus a $100 international evaluation fee) with the Common App; transfer and second-bachelor’s applicants with coursework from outside the U.S. pay a $100 international evaluation fee in addition to the $70 fee. Transcripts and marksheets must be official and sealed; documents not in English need an ATA-certified translation; transfer applicants must submit syllabi. Documents become UIC’s property and are not returned, so do not send your only originals.
• English: only these tests are accepted: TOEFL iBT 80 (older scale) or 4.5 (taken on or after 21 January 2026); IELTS Academic 6.5 (6 in each section); PTE Academic 54; Duolingo 120 (115 in each subscore), accepted only for fall 2027 and later; the UIC Tutorium in Intensive English assessment is also accepted. TOEFL code 1851; scores are valid for two years. UIC says applications below the minimums are not automatically denied, and colleges may set higher minimums.
• Exemptions: two consecutive years of full-time high school or university study in a country where English is the only official language (on official transcripts); one year of full-time employment in such a country; SAT EBRW 570 or higher; ACT English 24 or higher; AP English Language and Composition 4 or higher; IB English A Language and Literature 5 or higher; IGCSE or O-level English with at least five subjects at A, B or C. UIC states that the medium of instruction at a previous school does not waive the requirement, including branch campuses of U.S. or UK institutions in countries that require a test.
• Visa: after admission the Office of International Services requests visa documentation. The catalog says students needing F-1 or J-1 status must register full time as degree-seeking students and are not eligible for financial aid.
• International scholarships: no scholarship specifically for international students is listed on the pages we read; international students entering since fall 2016 pay a higher tuition rate than Illinois and U.S. residents. The Merit Tuition Award is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Whether Honors College or departmental scholarships are open to international students is not stated on the pages we read.
• Nursing and clinical limits: whether international students face limits in nursing or clinical placements is not stated on the pages we read. The GPPA medicine program requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international requirements page has a country selector showing the credentials and English requirements by country, which loads dynamically and was not used; the static pages we read do not mention the Gaokao. Enter “China” in that selector or contact undergraduate admissions.
• Transcripts and school-leaving exams: official transcripts must be sealed, or attested by the school and sent in a school-sealed envelope; Chinese-language documents need an ATA-certified translation. How to submit school-leaving exam records is not stated on the pages we read.
• English: prepare TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or (for fall 2027 and later) Duolingo as in section 7.
• Math and science: no China-specific guidance; check the recommended courses in section 4 with admissions.

9. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer applicant: someone with college credit after high school who is not a first-year or readmission applicant. Use the UIC web application, pay the $70 fee, and send official transcripts from every college attended.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 transfer 1 April 2027 (applications open 15 December 2026); nursing transfer 15 January 2027 (a footnote says this is the priority deadline and the application stays open until the final deadline of 1 April); spring 2027 transfer 15 October 2026.
• High school transcript: the transfer page's heading says “fewer than 25 hours”, while its text says a high school transcript is required for fewer than 36 graded, transferable hours; the LAS page also says 36 hours. The pages disagree.
• Entry conditions by program: Nursing requires a 2.75 cumulative transfer GPA, a 2.50 natural science GPA, pre-nursing courses at C or higher and the four science courses completed within seven years, plus a background check and drug test. Kinesiology recommends a 2.50 transfer GPA, with at most 60 hours accepted from a two-year college; Nutrition requires at least 2.50 and does not guarantee admission. LAS recommends a 2.50 GPA. The BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences requires a 2.75 cumulative GPA, a 2.50 science/math GPA and at least 58 hours including the prerequisites, all at C or higher. Biological Sciences needs a 2.00 GPA in biology courses and Neuroscience a 3.00 GPA plus BIOS 286 or PSCH 262. Nursing, Health Information Management and Public Health transfer applicants submit supplemental documents.
• Credit transfer: UIC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative, so a completed General Education Core Curriculum satisfies general education; it offers Transfer Guides, Transferology, community college TAG partnerships and intercampus transfer among UIC, UIS and UIUC. Students attain junior standing at 60 credit hours.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Early action 2 November 2026 or regular 1 February 2027; Common App; test scores optional; four years of math and science strongly recommended for STEM and pre-health
• Pre-med: any major, finish the bachelor’s first; medicine GPPA is for Illinois-resident U.S. citizens or permanent residents and needs the Honors College

International applicants (including China):

• $170 in fees ($100 of it for evaluation); TOEFL 80 or 4.5, IELTS 6.5, PTE 54, Duolingo 120 (fall 2027 on)
• Sealed official documents with ATA-certified translations; not eligible for financial aid; check the country selector or admissions about the Gaokao

Transfer students:

• 1 April 2027 (nursing 15 January priority); nursing 2.75 and 2.50 GPAs; BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2.75 and 2.50 with 58 hours

Sources: University of Illinois Chicago, Requirements and deadlines; First-year requirements; Transfer requirements; International requirements; Deadlines; Tuition and financial aid; Catalog: Admissions; Catalog: Tuition, fees and assessments; Catalog: AP and IB credit; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Biological Sciences; BS Biological Sciences; Neuroscience; BS in Neuroscience; BS in Biochemistry; Preprofessional Studies; Pre-Medicine; College of Applied Health Sciences; Kinesiology and Nutrition; BS in Kinesiology; BS in Nutrition; College of Nursing; BS in Nursing; School of Public Health; BS in Public Health Sciences; BA in Public Health Practice; Retzky College of Pharmacy; BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences; GPPA programs; GPPA FAQs. Information is for fall 2027 entry (the AP/IB credit tables are the fall 2026 version, so check them); check UIC’s website for the latest.