Leaving and Returning to Campus

Students may leave and/or return to campus for a variety of reasons. The College of Media Student Services Center will work with students in either circumstance to ensure a successful transition.

Students away for One Semester (active)

A student may cancel or withdraw from a semester through the means listed in Cancellations and Withdrawals in Registration, Course Changes, and Withdrawals. A student who leaves for one semester only does not need to petition for re-admission providing they left in Good Academic Standing (assuming no special provisions). A student who returns after a one semester absence will be issued a Time Ticket informing them of their date of registration. That student should reach out to their academic advisor about registering in the next term as a hold will be on their account preventing them from doing so.

Students away for Two Semesters or More

A student who wishes to return to the College of Media after two consecutive semesters or more not enrolled must petition for re-admission to the College of Media regardless of the circumstances in which they left. A student who has been away for two semesters or more may be asked to provide proof of coursework at a transfer institution. See the “Academic Warning” section below for more information. Petition materials may be returned via email to media-ssc@illinois.edu. Official transcripts should be sent by the transfer institution directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

The petition may be downloaded here.

Academic Drop or Academic Warning Students

To show proof of their readiness to return to Illinois, a student who leaves Illinois on Academic Drop or Academic Warning Status is strongly encouraged to take coursework at another academic institution (two- or four-year) and submit transcripts upon completion for consideration prior to starting the petition process. At least 12 hours (or 1 semester of full-time coursework) of 3.0 (“B” grade or higher) coursework is encouraged when making a determination on the student’s viability to return to Illinois, although 24 hours (or 2 semesters of full-time coursework) of coursework may be warranted depending on the student’s academic history at Illinois. In the absence of transfer coursework, a letter of support for return to full-time study at Illinois from a medical professional may be considered.

Re-entry is not guaranteed and will depend on careful review of the re-entry petition, previous performance patterns, as well as submission of supporting documentation, which may include transcripts, medical attestation, etc. These standards are the same whether a student was dropped from and is returning to Media or if dropped from another College at Illinois

The student should reach out to their former academic advisor in Media or the Student Services Center (media-ssc@illinois.edu) for assistance with the re-entry process. 

Re-Entry into Advertising

Students interested in advertising should take a STAT 100 equivalent course prior to returning to campus. If available, consider taking an ADV 150 equivalent as well.

Re-Entry into Computer Science + Advertising

In addition to following guidelines listed above, students who are interested in re-entering Illinois as a computer science + advertising major should be making progress toward required computer science coursework. Students petitioning to return into this major, whether previously in the program or brand new to it, will be reviewed with the same standards as students at Illinois who apply during the ICT process. If not already taken at Illinois, transfer coursework should include campus equivalencies of CS 124 (or CS 125), 173, and 225 all with “B+” or higher grades.  If not already completed, students should register for the equivalency of MATH 220/221 and earn at least a “B”. A transfer GPA of 3.5 or higher will be expected. Students who have already completed this CS sequence should speak with an advisor in the College of Media about additional CS coursework to consider.

Re-Entry Application Deadlines

Consider the following deadlines for receipt of all required petition materials for a return to the college. While these are the last dates by which materials will be accepted, students are encouraged to petition and make plans to return to campus much earlier to allow for sufficient time to work with an advisor on future coursework and degree progress.

International Students

International students should submit materials at least one month ahead of the deadlines listed, in order to provide enough time for I-20 application and processing.