Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
International Information Request
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6831
USA
Telephone: 618.453.2056
Fax: 618.453.3085
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Location

Carbondale is 530 km. south of Chicago, 160 km. southeast of St. Louis, 345 km. north of Memphis, and 320 km. northwest of Nashville. Within minutes of campus are four large recreational lakes, the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and the spectacular 270,000-acre Shawnee National Forest. The Mid-South climate is ideal for year-round outdoor activities.

Academic Programs

SIUC offers over 175 undergraduate majors, specializations, and minors, 62 master's programs, and 27 doctoral programs among the fields of agriculture, applied sciences and arts, business and administration, education, engineering, the liberal arts, the fine arts, mass communication and media arts, science; and professional-degrees in law and medicine. SIUC is a multi-campus university with the SIUC School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois.

Costs

The cost of attendance at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is very competitive for a major U.S. research university. Cost details for this year are available at the following URL: http://www.siuc.edu/~ips/quickfactsintl.html

Calendar

SIUC's academic year consists of two 16-week semesters: fall (beginning in mid-August) and spring (beginning in mid-January), and an eight-week summer session.

Transportation

International students enrolled at SIUC may contact the Office of International Students and Scholars, 618-453-5774, to arrange transportation from the Marion airport and the Carbondale train and bus stations. Students may purchase transportation to and from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri, by contacting Bootheel Area Rapid Transportation, Inc. (BART), 800 776-1665. SIUC has a mass transit system to transport students to areas in and around Carbondale.

Students and Faculty

The SIUC faculty is dedicated to excellence in teaching and to the advancement of knowledge in a wide variety of disciplines and professions. Many faculty members are well known both nationally and internationally for their varied research contributions.

The student population at SIUC hovers around 20,000, including about 20% graduate students and 80% undergraduate. SIUC enrolled its first international student 1n 1947, and has maintained a reputation for welcoming and supporting international students since then. The international student population is usually between 5 and 6% of the total student enrollment. SIUC also enrolls students from all 50 states in the United States. Specific statistics related to Faculty and Students are available at the following URL: http://www.siuc.edu/~ips/quickfactsintl.html

Host Families and Conversation Programs

The International Friends Club, a community volunteer organization affiliated with SIUC's Office of International Students and Scholars, offers several programs to help students adjust to life in Carbondale and to promote intercultural understanding through friendship on campus and throughout Southern Illinois.

Housing

Students will be assisted on arrival in making arrangements for living accommodations. SIUC has on-campus residential areas for single students and married students.

All Freshman students age 20 years or younger must live in on-campus housing.

Off-campus housing includes residence halls, apartments, and houses--many within easy walking distance of the campus.

Recreation

The campus holds various play fields, tennis courts, and a lake with a beach and boat dock. SIUC's Student Recreation Center houses an Olympic-size pool, indoor tracks, handball/racquetball courts, weight rooms, basketball and volleyball courts, exercise and camping equipment.

The Student Center contains a bookstore, several restaurants, and bowling and billiards. It is headquarters for SIUC's 450 student organizations. On-campus events throughout the year include concerts, plays, festivals, guest speakers, and musicals.

Admission Requirements

Students can apply on-line for admission by accessing SIUC's electronic application.

Undergraduate Admissions

Academically qualified students must demonstrate English proficiency before they can enroll in University courses. Students who scored 520 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will be granted unconditional admission to the University and can begin their academic work. Students whose TOEFL score is less than 520 or who have not taken the TOEFL will be granted conditional admission and required to take an institutional TOEFL, administered by SIUC's Center for English as a Second Language (CESL). Students who do not meet the TOEFL requirement must enroll at their own expense in the intensive English program conducted by SIUC's CESL and remain in CESL until their English proficiency improves to the level required for enrollment. The SIUC code number for submitting TOEFL scores to SIUC is 1726.

Graduate Admissions

Students may apply online at www.siu.edu/gradschl. The minimum required TOEFL is 550 / 213 / 80. Some programs may require a higher score. Minimum GPA required for admission consideration is the equivalent of a 2.7 on a 4.0 grading scale on the last two year's of your bachelor's degree work for master's admission (plus 3.0 on any previous graduate work); 3.25 on graduate work for Ph.D. consideration. Other requirements are decided at the departmental level (www.gradapp.siu.edu/online/complete_listing.htm). Admission decisions are made by the departments.

Center for English as a Second Language Admission

CESL offers a successful intensive English program with a well-established international reputation providing small class sizes in a 7-level program which includes a Graduate Student English course. Students are placed according to their skill level as determined by an institutional TOEFL exam. Levels range from basic skills to advanced research, writing and speaking skills. Admission to CESL does not guarantee admission to an academic program, therefore, undergraduate applicants are encouraged to be admitted to their academic program first. Graduate applicants are encouraged to correspond with their proposed program to determine program preference for application to program or CESL first. Language programs can also be designed and offered on request to special groups (e.g. businessmen, airline pilots, nurses, hotel managers).

If you are interested in any of our programs and would like to request information, please contact us!

Visit the web site of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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