College of ACES viewbook

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) offers tremendous opportunities for students to pursue impactful careers that can change the world. ACES teaching, research, and outreach addresses the safety and abundance of the global food supply, promotes healthy families and children, advances reliable energy, and supports a thriving, sustainable environment.

MORE THAN MEETS THE I.

In the College of ACES, we put our students first—supporting you with a compassionate and close-knit academic community. You get the benefits of a Big Ten campus and top-ranked university and college, but personalized advising and smaller classes.

Our curriculum is rooted in research to deliver real-world solutions for challenges in food, agriculture, environment, family, and communities.

Your potential to make a difference is not limited to the classroom. ACES offers international programs, study abroad, and leadership opportunities to expand experiences and perspective.

Ready to learn why the College of ACES is MORE THAN MEETS THE I?

ACES MAJORS and concentrations

AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING (ABE)

Combining fundamental engineering skills with practical training related to enhancing systems involving food, water, energy, environment, and agriculture.

• Agricultural Engineering

• Biological Engineering

AGRICULTURAL AND CONSUMER ECONOMICS (ACE)

Preparing students for the challenging role of feeding, clothing, and financing the aspirations of billions of people around the globe.

• Agri-Accounting

• Agribusiness Markets and Management

• Farm Management

• Finance in Agribusiness

• Consumer Economics and Finance

• Financial Planning

• Environmental Economics and Policy

• Policy, International Trade, and Development

• Public Policy and Law

AGRICULTURAL LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNICATIONS (ALEC)

Providing a vibrant opportunity for students to study how people work together and lead their peers, learn from and educate others, and communicate issues relevant in agriculture.

• Agricultural Communications

• Agricultural Education

• Organizational and Community Leadership

ANIMAL SCIENCES (ANSC)

Discovering innovative ways to improve the efficiency of food animal production, enhance the well-being of animals we keep, and further global animal conservation efforts.

• Science, Pre-Veterinary and Medical

• Companion Animal and Equine Science

• Food Animal Production and Management

COMPUTER SCIENCE + ANIMAL SCIENCES (CS+ANSC)

Combining disciplines to work with sensor technology and predictive analytics to improve the health and wellbeing of production animals and pets.

COMPUTER SCIENCE + CROP SCIENCES (CS+CPSC)

Combining disciplines to revolutionize plant production systems using digital technology.

CROP SCIENCES (CPSC)

Enhancing food and fuel production through management and improvement of agronomic and horticultural cropping systems.

• Agroecology

• Biological Sciences

• Crops

• Crop Agribusiness

• Horticulture Food Systems

• Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology

• Plant Protection

FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN NUTRITION (FSHN)

Advancing science to provide a safe, nutritious, accessible, and affordable food supply.

• Human Nutrition

• Dietetics

• Food Science

• Hospitality Management

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES (HDFS)

Gaining understanding of how children develop, how families function effectively, and how to improve the lives of children, adolescents, adults, and families.

• Child and Adolescent Development

• Family Studies

METROPOLITAN FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS (MFST)

Understanding and implementing solutions for the serious challenges urban food and environmental systems face today.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (NRES)

Bringing biological, physical, and social scientists together to learn how to discover and apply solutions that improve the health and sustainability of urban and natural ecosystems.

• Ecosystem Stewardship and Restoration Ecology

• Environmental Science and Management

• Human Dimensions of the Environment

• Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

TECHNICAL SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT (TSM)

Applying engineering principles to operate, manage, and maintain systems in agriculture, food, energy, environment, and water.

• Construction Management

• Environmental Systems Management

• Mechanization, Marketing, and Technology Management Systems

• Processing Systems

• Renewable Energy Systems

UNDECLARED

Exploring courses in the 10 ACES majors to help students determine which career path and major to choose.

Learn more about the majors that interest you: academics.aces.illinois.edu/majors

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Get even more out of your academic experience through activities designed for honors students, undergrad research projects, extracurricular activities, and study abroad opportunities.

Create lasting relationships with academic advisors who will become personal guides on the path toward graduation.

Discover the benefits of the ACES Career Services Office—résumé reviews, job and internship postings, mock interviews, career advising, workshops, and career fairs.

PUT YOUR EDUCATION TO WORK IN THE REAL WORLD.

Explore the rapidly expanding frontiers of science and technology, meet new intellectual challenges, and contribute to scientific knowledge through an undergraduate research experience.

Apply what you study in class to real life through our experiential learning courses designed to help you understand the skill sets needed to succeed in different career paths.

OUR STUDENTS GRADUATE IN 4 YEARS. Our 4-year graduation rate is 75%. We are No. 1 among universities with comparable programs when it comes to the amount of time it takes our students to graduate+.

Our alumni network is full of industry leaders who return to campus to speak to classes, engage with students, provide job shadow experiences, and ultimately hire ACES students for internships and jobs.

OUR GRADUATES MAKE MORE MONEY. On average, our highly sought-after graduates earn 21% more than their peers at universities with comparable programs over a 20-year period. They earn more than double what their peers from other Illinois universities with similar programs earn during that same period++.

+US News & World Report 2018. National average for public universities is 33% according to U.S. Department of Education. ++ Payscale.com

APPLICATION & ADMISSIONS TIMELINE

SEPTEMBER 1: Admissions Application Opens (apply.illinois.edu)

NOVEMBER 1: Early Action Deadline

MID-DECEMBER: Early Action Notification

JANUARY 5: Regular Action Deadline

EARLY MARCH: Regular Action Notification

SCHOLARSHIPS

Consideration for College of ACES merit-based scholarships is based upon your application for admissions. Learn more at academics.aces.illinois.edu/scholarships

VISIT OPPORTUNITIES

Whether you’re just starting to explore colleges or you’ve been admitted to Illinois, we are here to help connect you with opportunities in the College of ACES. Here are a few great ways to explore our programs and campus. Go to aces.illinois.edu/future-students to sign-up.

ACES VIRTUAL INFO SESSION

Join an advisor and student ambassador to learn about majors, classes, student experiences, and career opportunities in the College of ACES.

TAKE A TOUR

Take a virtual tour and explore our University of Illinois campus.