Preparing for college requires asking yourself a lot of big questions. You have to examine what makes you tick and what you really want from your future, not to mention what you want your college experience to feel like. We try to answer those questions as smoothly as possible. We’re here to help.
Eastern Illinois University offers a variety of majors and degrees that will equip and enable you to go down the career and life path you have in mind. If your career and life path involves advanced study, we have graduate degrees for you to continue on that path right here at EIU.
If it seems overwhelming to commit yourself to just one major, Eastern has a long list of minors available to balance your pursuits. Whether your minor complements your major or fulfills your own personal interests, it can be an enjoyable — and worthwhile — addition to your education.
Do you savor a challenge? If “good enough” is not good enough for you, our University Honors program could be the perfect fit. We offer enriched and rigorous versions of our required general education courses — the courses all students must take to complete a major.
Honors courses are smaller and taught in a less formal structure by professors especially distinguished in their particular fields. Completing honors coursework prepares students to compete at the highest levels for career opportunities and graduate school placements.
Interested in becoming part of the honors program? We’re looking for the best of the best — students who can meet two of the following three requirements:
ACT composite score of 26 or higher, or SAT score of 1760/2400 or higher.
Upper 10 percent of high school graduating class, or a 3.5/4.0 final high school GPA.
Permission to enroll in the program from the dean of the Honors College.
Once you pick a major, you probably want to know who is going to help guide you through your academic experience. Enter EIU’s accomplished team of faculty, who are ready, willing and eager to help you get the most out of your course of study. Our faculty are simply some of the most dedicated people you will find, and their passion is to teach Eastern students. In addition, our advising staff makes it their goal to keep you on track. Eastern faculty members are involved in cutting-edge research, winning awards for their academic efforts. And while faculty research is impressive, most came here to fulfill their desire to teach and pass on their passions and insights to you.
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Who needs limits? Your EIU experience doesn’t have to be confined to Charleston or even the United States. While many students find the traditional on-campus experience to be a satisfying one, Eastern offers plenty of ways for you to broaden your horizons through our Office of Study Abroad.
The Office of Study Abroad, in consultation with the International Education Council, is dedicated to providing EIU students affordable, high-quality international academic opportunities. Our students have travelled the world, taking their academic insights to places like Italy, the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, China, Argentina, Spain, Belgium and more.
EIU believes an international experience can help you develop personally and professionally. The skills you'll gain are becoming more and more valuable in an increasingly global economy. The Office of Study Abroad doesn’t exist merely to send students on getaways — their goal is to transform students into exceptional participants in an intercultural world.
Exploring and applying your classroom knowledge can be an extremely fulfilling way to grow academically and personally. Fortunately, Eastern’s faculty members are continually involved in a multitude of research and creative activities, and in many cases, this work is done in conjunction with the efforts of their students. When you do research at Eastern, you will be part of a prestigious team, not just an extra set of hands in a crowded field. Your insights can break new ground for discovery for yourself, your classmates and future Eastern students. These endeavors have proven to not only boost the reputation of the faculty and university, but ensure the highest quality of education for their students.
When you attend EIU, you won’t be in it alone. Our Student Success Center is here to provide you tutoring, consultation and a number of other resources designed to help you achieve your academic goals. Whether you need help with time management, test-taking or study methods, the SSC can help.
Writing skills can place you at the front of the line in an increasingly challenging job market, but we also understand writing doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Workshops and individual sessions can assist students from all disciplines, majors and academic backgrounds at any stage of the writing process.
For first-generation or low-income students, academic assistance, financial guidance and counseling is available via TRiO Student Support Services. TRiO's help ranges from offering access to computer labs to helping students plot their academic courses and prepare for life after their undergraduate studies.
EIU’s mission to educate and prepare you for post-college life isn’t limited to students without physical disabilities. Regardless of your needs, EIU is committed to making sure you can attend classes, earn a degree and excel.
College students come from an amazing variety of backgrounds. In some cases, you may have experienced difficulties outside your control that make qualifying for admission to EIU more challenging. The Gateway Program is designed to provide access for students like this. You might qualify for Gateway if:
Download the Gateway Reference Form or check out the Gateway Program's FAQ.
