College Profiles - Illinois Institute of Technology

Overview
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private, Ph.D.-granting research university with undergraduate programs in architecture, business, engineering, humanities, psychology, and science. One of the select institutions in the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), IIT offers exceptional preparation for professions that require technological sophistication. Through a committed faculty and close personal attention, IIT provides a challenging academic program focused on the rigor of the real world. The internationally famous main campus is based on a master plan developed by the late Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the most influential architects of the century, who served for twenty years as director of IIT’s College of Architecture. An independent university, the Institute includes the College of Architecture, the Armour College of Engineering, the College of Science and Letters, the Institute of Business and Interprofessional Studies, the Institute of Psychology, the Stuart Graduate School of Business, the Institute of Design, and the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Location and Community
IIT stands in the midst of a developing urban area. It is 1 mile west of Lake Michigan and one block from the recent world-champion White Sox ballpark. The campus is located approximately 3 miles south of the Chicago Loop, offering students unlimited opportunities to enjoy art, music, theater, movies, museums, shopping, and other entertainment. Also convenient to the campus are a number of recreational areas, including McCormick Place exhibition hall, Soldier Field, Grant Park, Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo, various bicycle paths, and lakefront beaches. IIT is easily accessible to the rest of Chicago via two major expressways. Bus and elevated train lines have stops on the campus, and the IIT shuttle bus provides free transportation between the campus and the university’s Downtown Campus in Chicago’s West Loop area.

Academic Life
While requirements vary according to the major, all IIT students complete a general education core, which includes a minimum of 7 semester hours in mathematics and computer science, 11 semester hours in natural science or engineering, 12 semester hours in the humanities, and 12 semester hours in the social sciences. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in an engineering field or in the physical sciences take, in addition, a program that includes further study in mathematics and computer science, chemistry, and physics.

IIT’s mission is to educate students for complex professional roles in a changing world and to advance knowledge through research and scholarship. The Institute is committed to the educational ideal of small undergraduate classes and individual mentoring. IIT’s signature Introduction to the Professions (IPRO) program brings students and senior faculty members together each week in small groups, where students interact with their advisers as both teachers and mentors. Throughout the curricula, the IIT interprofessional projects provide a learning environment in which interdisciplinary teams of students apply theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom and laboratory to real-world projects sponsored by industry and government. Many IIT students further enhance their education through a wide variety of research and entrepreneurial projects.

Cooperative education is encouraged. This career development program begins with a freshman year of full-time study and then alternates semesters of study and employment in industry for approximately four additional years. Placement services are provided by the university. More than 90 percent of recent graduates were placed in jobs in the fields of their majors or went on to graduate or professional schools.

Study abroad is available in several academic disciplines through the International Center at IIT.

There are 303 full-time faculty members and 277 industry professionals as part-time faculty members. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 13:1. All members of the senior teaching faculty instruct in both upper- and lower-division courses. Eighty-six percent hold doctoral degrees or the highest professional degree in their area.

Majors Offered:
The Armour College of Engineering offers the Bachelor of Science in aerospace, architectural, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, and materials science engineering. The College of Science and Letters offers the Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics, biology, chemistry, computer information systems, computer science, humanities, Internet communication, journalism, molecular biochemistry and biophysics, physics, political science, and professional and technical communication.

The College of Architecture awards the Bachelor of Architecture degree through its five-year professional degree program.

There are various options and minors available within each curriculum, such as artificial intelligence, bioengineering, business, computer-aided drafting, law, management, manufacturing technology, military science, psychology, public administration, and technical communications. Other individualized specializations may be arranged with approval of the dean. Combined undergraduate/graduate degrees include those offered in conjunction with business administration (B.S./M.B.A.), law (B.S./J.D.), and public administration (B.S./M.P.A.).

IIT has also established combined-degree programs in medicine (B.S./M.D. or D.O.), law (B.S./J.D.), pharmacy (B.S./Pharm.D.), and optometry (B.S./O.D.). Students interested in a combined-degree program must submit an undergraduate application and a supplemental application for the graduate portion of the program.

Facilities and Resources
As the central library, the Paul V. Galvin Library provides a broad range of services, including information on engineering, business, science, mathematics, the humanities, architecture, and design via the Internet; numerous electronic and paper-based databases; a document delivery service; interlibrary loan; and special collections. The main campus operates DEC minicomputers, a Silicon Graphics Challenge UNIX multiprocessor, and local UNIX servers. Terminals and microcomputers are located in most academic buildings across the campus, in residence halls, and in Galvin Library. Seminars, tutorials, and computer lab work are conducted in microcomputer classrooms. Among IIT’s thirty-two research centers are the Center for Synchrotron Radiation Research, the Fluid Dynamics Research Center, and the Research Laboratory in Human Biomechanics. Most research centers offer undergraduates opportunities to participate on their projects.

Campus Life
The more than 6,000 students at IIT (more than 2,000 of whom are undergraduates) are encouraged to participate in the many social, cultural, and athletic opportunities available. Student activities include the campus newspaper (TechNews), the radio station (WIIT), special interest clubs, theater groups, intramural and varsity athletics, fraternities and sororities, honor societies, professional societies, student government, residence hall organizations, and the student-run Union Board. The VanderCook College of Music is also located on the IIT campus for students interested in studying music or participating in musical performances. Campus facilities include the McCormick Tribune Campus Center, a convenience store and campus book store, a coffee shop, a gymnasium, outdoor tennis and volleyball courts, thirteen residence halls, two resident sorority houses, and six resident fraternity houses. Counseling, job placement, and student health services are included in the various campus services.

Sports / Varsity Athletics
The jump from high school to university is not just academic or athletic. It is also independent living, independent decision-making, and development of skills that ensure success upon graduation. Add competing in NAIA Division I athletics and studying and researching at a top tier academic institution to that balancing act and you will find a unique person with a high level of dedication. Challenge your intelligence, challenge your athleticism, and challenge yourself to be the next IIT alumnus to develop a life changing concept.

Expenses
Annual tuition is $24,329. Other expenses were $9,050 for room and board and $764 for fees. The estimated annual total for freshmen is $33,300. Annual tuition covers the fall and spring semesters.

Financial Aid / Scholarships
Most full-time undergraduates at IIT receive financial aid from a variety of sources. IIT participates in the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, federally insured student loan, Illinois State Scholarship Commission Monetary Award, Illinois Guaranteed Loan, and Federal PLUS Loan programs and similar programs. In addition, IIT provides generous merit-based and need-based scholarships and loans from its own funds and from those supported by a number of companies and other organizations. The Camras Scholarships award up to full tuition for the study of any major. All admitted students are automatically reviewed for tuition scholarships. More than 500 are awarded each year. Athletic scholarships are also available for qualified students. Two other programs may be utilized by students working to supplement their financial aid: on-campus employment and the cooperative education program. IIT requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). No additional applications or forms are required.

Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC programs are offered. ROTC scholarship winners receive supplemental scholarships from IIT.

Admission Requirements / Application
Admission evaluation is a thorough, personal process. Of paramount consideration is the student’s academic performance in high school, specifically in areas that are vital to the student’s major at IIT. Minimum high school preparation includes 16 units of credit, including at least 4 units in English, 4 units in mathematics through precalculus, and 3 units of science with 2 lab sciences. Calculus is encouraged but not required. Chemistry and physics are strongly recommended.

A completed application, recommendations, test scores (either SAT or ACT), and an official high school transcript are required for admission. Although not required, interviews and a campus visit are encouraged.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Students should apply as early as possible, starting in the senior year of high school; an online application is available at http://www.iit.edu/~apply. In general, applicants can expect notification within two weeks after their completed applications are received.

For further information, students should contact:

Office of Undergraduate Admission
Perlstein Hall 101
Illinois Institute of Technology
10 West 33rd Street
Chicago, Illinois 60616-3793
312-567-3025 (in Chicago)
800-448-2329
admission@iit.edu
http://www.iit.edu