University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Reviews

"The professors have been great, graduate staff have been very helpful. Some of the nickel and dime charges are a headache. The program is on the expensive side. Some of the administrative tools are not easy to use."

"The Civil Engineering program is a highly rated program nationally for both grad and undergrad. The curriculum constantly updates for new advances, but also includes a lot of core work that will provide a good knowledge base that never changes."

"The faculty and staff are very supportive. The classes can be tough and challenging but provide opportunities to collaborate with peers and to learn openly. There are aspects that seem unorganized and chaotic but overall the quality of the program is high."

"The University of Illinois is a wonderful and great place to expand ones intellectual curiosity. I have made a ton of friends and unforgettable memories. However, being from Indianapolis it would be nice if the university had a larger and more interesting city to live in."

"Fantastic program. My professors have been extremely supportive, knowledgable, excellent curriculum, and career support."

"Pros: quality new curriculum Cons: expensive tuition"

"The best part of the Full-Time MBA program are the Networking opportunities and highly competitive faculty."

"Pros: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a melting pot of lots of international students from all over the world. The school is accepting of all individuals and diversity. My program is intense in terms of workload and difficulty. Professors are both intellectually and culturally responsible for their work. Students, especially international students work very hard in school and in terms created a rather competitive environment. Cons: Economics program is more academic oriented. Thus the program may not even provide information on career building. The University of Illinois has several career centers related to specific schools. However, since college of liberal arts and science is so big, they only have a generic career center for the thousands of students in the college. For econ students, very few of them have an understanding about American job hunting skills because they are international students. Economics program should provide more social help on students, not only academic help. Second, Economics program should invite more visiting professors or researchers to talk in seminar. Therefore students who are interested in academia could find it a great opportunity."

"The faculty in the social work program are extremely knowledgable and helpful."

"I love the interdisciplinary approach that I experienced here. As a program requirement, I had to take classes in Geology and Civil Engineering which significantly enhanced my thinking process. Very supportive faculty and staff"

"The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a wealth of experience and resources to offer its students at any level or within any curriculum. As a student of sciences during my undergrad, I had a great opportunity to learn about a diverse range of topics and partake in activities with staff and students from all over the world. The graduate experience thus far has been even more eye-widening and has aided me significantly in pursuit of my career aspirations. I would like to take the knowledge gained from this institution and share UIUC's wealth with the ever growing international community. This time is irreplaceable and will forever mark the most influential time is the education phase of my growth, if not my development as a professional entirely."

"Our department is excellent at student advocacy. My PhD program and advisor in particular are also excellent. The workload expected of my particular advisor is very high, however it is good training for the tribulations of academia. I received very valuable career advice and counseling. One of the biggest strengths of the department is it's strong ties with other interdisciplinary units on campus. You will receive a high-quality, diverse education here. At the graduate level, expect that your output will be high, and likely immediately publishable."

"It is very similar to the undergraduate program at UIUC. But you create a more intimate relationship with community, faculty, and the student body."

"The community health program is combined with the kinesiology program but they seem separate with most resources going to the kinesiology students, including research assistantships and teaching assistantships. The faculty care more about themselves than the success of their students and do not assist in the career search/application packet process for the students who are graduating. The faculty are not really available either, most are not on campus unless they have to teach that day and usually sit in their office with the door close, act annoyed when a student comes to see them, just in general seem unwelcoming and not a fan of students even though the faculty are there because of the students. The local music scene here is amazing making a social life full but heavy workload does not really allow for one, more so if you're a doctoral student."

"The constant workload does not give students time to digest material before they are forced to cram new material"

"Pros: Great reputation within the area, though not sure about nationally. It is highly ranked, but unless people are aware of the Big 10, I feel like this school is largely unknown except for the computer science, electrical and civil engineering departments. Graduates from those programs are highly desired by big tech companies. Some professors are extraordinary in many ways: Warm personalities, genuine care for students, passionate and productive researchers. Cons: Poor departmental leadership which hurts good professors and leaves no accountability for bad ones. Poor leadership also leads to poor research labs and less resources for research groups. I don't personally see a lot of collaboration unless its with the same group of professors although the environment doesn't appear antagonistic--maybe some professors aren't encouraged, are difficult to work with, or lack commitment? Our department doesn't express appreciation for its students--we don't even get name tags on our offices!"

"From my perspective the small class size is key for the very close relationships we have with each other. Everybody knows everybody - it is a competitive environment, but still we all work together, no one is left behind. The faculty is for the most part outstanding and very accessible. It may sounds rosy, but it is a place where everything is possible - your individual drive is the only limit. Students can launch their own clubs, corporations or case competition teams and if they make their case they will definitely get the support they need from the administration."

"Great variety of students and faculty with understandings of different issues. At U of I you get a great, well rounded education."

"I liked the multidisciplinary approach that we have here in Geography and GIS. The department has recently hired new faculty which is a very good initiative to further strengthen the program"

"This is an outstanding program, however, the city cutural offer is quite limited."