Enroll as a non-degree student

Taking University of Illinois courses as a Non-Degree student is a great way to demonstrate your readiness for the degree program, and to determine if the degree program is the right fit for you. Graduate-level, for-credit courses start at various times throughout the year. They deliver content that can have immediate impact in your work, and credits can be applied to a Gies online master's degree (or transferred to other universities).

Why enroll?

There are three reasons you may want to enroll in a for-credit course as a non-degree student:

• You are planning to apply or are in the process of applying to a Gies online master's degree. You want to get a head start on your course work or take a first course as a way to ease back in to being a student.
• You want to enhance your academic credentials before you applying. The admissions team does take performance in these courses into account in making its decisions.
• You want to earn academic credit for transfer to another program or university. Credits earned are full University of Illinois credits but be sure to check with your home institution.

How it works

You will go through a short application process to become a non-degree student. You will be onboarded into our program and will then register for courses. Courses are comprised of two parts– foundational content through Coursera and high-engagement content through the Illinois platform (Canvas). These two parts are designed to be completed together.