New Student Advising and Registration
Welcome Fall 2025 students!
Congratulations on your admission into the College of Engineering! We’re excited to welcome you to our community. To support your transition, we’ve outlined key steps and resources to help you prepare for advising, registration, and your first semester at UIC.
Orientation
Preparing for Advising Session
- Placement Exams: All incoming First Year and Transfer Undergraduate students (if applicable) must complete placement exams before receiving information about registering for an ENGR New Student Advising Session. Access to placement exams can be found in the UIC Connect Tab in your uic.edu
Tip: We recommend taking the Physics exam if you do not already have transfer credit for PHYS 141 as Physics will be a required course for most majors for Spring 2026.
- New Student Advising: All newly admitted engineering students must register for the ENGR New Student College Advising Registration Session (NSAR) as this is how COE advisors are notified of the students seeking to enroll for Fall 2025. Login to your my.uic.edu student portal to select the next available date.
Advisors meet with students in the order the advising sessions are booked, so register early!
- Review your Degree Audit: Check your u.Achieve Degree Audit Report found in your student portal my.uic.edu to see how your AP/IB, A-Level or Transfer Credits are applicable toward your degree. Advisors will refer to this audit when recommending courses.
- Submit Final Transcripts and AP Scores: Make sure your final official transcripts or AP scorecards are sent to the Office of Admissions promptly. Transfer credit processing may take 1-3 weeks. Instructions for submitting transcripts can be found here.
- Advising Dates: Advising for Fall 2025 will begin in June and is scheduled on a first-come, first served basis. Plan ahead to secure your preferred date.
Week Before Scheduled Advising Session
- Course Recommendation Email: Engineering students can expect to be contacted by a COE advisor via their UIC email with course recommendations and registration instructions prior to their scheduled advising session. (Usually 1-5 business days before your session)
- Register Before Your Session: If possible, register for classes in advance. You can adjust your schedule during the advising sessions. This gives your advisor time to review your selections and provide feedback.
Advising and Registration Day
You’ll meet with COE Advisors in a group classroom setting. The session includes:
- Overview of college resources and expectations
- Common questions from new students
- Time to review and finalize your schedule with an advisor
Bring your laptop or tablet to make any necessary schedule changes.
Please note only students may attend the session.
Readmitted Students
If you’ve been readmitted, you are not required to register for orientation or an ENGR New Student Advising Session. You can contact uic-engr@uic.edu for further assistance. Please remember to include your UIN in your message.
Advising in the College of Engineering
Engineering students are assigned two types of advisors within the College:
- Academic Resource Center (ARC) Advisor also referred to as COE Advisor: Assigned by Week 2 of your first semester.
- Faculty/Department Advisor: Assigned by Week 10
Advising Week occurs during the 10th week of each fall and spring semester. During this week, a hold will be placed on your registration, and you must meet with your Faculty/Department Advisor to plan for the next term and have the hold removed.
Registration Resources
Registration Resources
Final deadline to register or make schedule changes: September 5, 2025.
Once your COE Academic Advisor has contacted you via email with a recommended course schedule you are able to proceed to register for courses. There are two ways to register for classes, please see links below for your reference:
When registering, you must meet prerequisites for classes, otherwise you risk being dropped with penalties.
Tip: Most students will be recommended to register for a General Education Elective (GenEd). See link below to learn more about the categories and how to use the XE Registration system to identify current classes available for the Fall 2025 term.
Contact your Advisor
Your Academic Resource Advisor can answer most of your immediate questions about the College and the policies. Therefore, any questions or concerns you have about your recommended courses you can simply reply to the email sent to you or ask to schedule an appointment.
Evaluation of Transfer Credits
Engineering Courses (e.g., Unknown, Engr Syl Req’d):
Submit a Transfer Articulation Petition with a detailed course syllabus, which should include (week-by-week topics) to have it reviewed for credit. Evaluation may take 1-2 weeks.
Non-Engineering Courses (e.g., Math, Science, Humanities):
Email the syllabus to syllabus@uic.edu. Include your name, UIN, and course info.
Evaluation may take 3–4 weeks.
Students with Advanced Placement Program (AP), International Baccalaureate, or A-Level credit can reference the link below for the list of scores accepted by UIC. As a reminder you must have the scores sent to the Office of Admissions to properly transfer the credits.
https://catalog.uic.edu/ucat/degree-programs/academic-standing/#creditbyexam
Check your UIC Email
We encourage you to check your UIC email via Outlook and iAdvise regularly for important updates on advising, course availability, deadlines, and more.
Additional Resources
Helpful links
- Activate 2-Factor Authentication to be able to access your my.uic.edu student portal and XE registration system.
- Obtaining your UIC I-CARD
- Submit the Campus Care Health Insurance waiver if you would like to opt out of the school health insurance
- Set up a Payment Plan (if applicable) through the University Bursar
- Review Tuition and Fees
- Check your Financial Aid Award Letter (if applicable) in my.uic.edu portal or contact Office of Financial Aid for questions related to your aid
- UIC Bookstore
- UIC Calendar First day of school 08/25/25 last day to finalize schedule 09/05/25.
Scheduled Closed Days:
Please note the College of Engineering will be closed on the following days:
- June 19, 2025
- July 4, 2025