Undergraduate admissions are processed through the University Office of Admissions and Records, and the College of ACES Academic Programs Office makes the admission decisions. To select NRES as the department to which you are applying, make sure you have selected Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, which is in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES).

Apply through the Admissions Office

Want to learn more?

Plan a visit to NRES to learn more about the department and the campus.

Transferring to NRES from Another Major

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences welcomes current Illinois students in other majors and colleges to apply to be an NRES major. Generally, approximately half of the students who graduate with the NRES B.S. started at the University of Illinois in another major. So if you are thinking of changing your major, consider NRES. We are happy to accept transfers.

The process of changing your major at Illinois is called "ICTing" (either Inter-College or Intra-College Transferring). There are several factors to keep in mind when you are thinking about changing your major:

• NRES looks for the following qualifications in potential ICT students:
  • GPA of at least 2.5, though extenuating circumstances will be considered and exceptions are occasionally made.
  • Progress in completing general education requirements such as chemistry, composition, public speaking, and calculus.
• Consider the implications for the time it will take you to complete your degree. Refer to the NRES degree requirements and 8-semester plans. You should also run a "what-if" DARS audit.
• There are specific dates during which you can ICT. In the College of ACES, those are:
  • two weeks prior to the beginning of the early registration period for each term (note: curriculum changes will not be allowed after registration begins); and
  • one week prior to the start of instruction for the term and through the first week of instruction.
• At the University of Illinois, freshmen are required to remain in the college to which they were admitted for the first year. As a result, the first opportunity freshmen have to ICT is the ICT period before early registration for the fall of their sophomore year. Transfer students must remain in the college to which they were admitted for the first semester.

To learn more about the possibility of becoming an NRES major or to begin the ICT process, make an appointment to meet with: