<p>Could someone please explain why exactly the Chemical engineering department is listed in the LIBERAL ARTS department??? ugh. i was looking at UIUC but couldn't find chem engineering so i decided not to apply... then some guy from the university called and i told him i wasn't interested and then i went back to look at the website and found it. </p>
<p>also does the placement of the chemeng department in the liberal arts college cut out all chances for scholarships from the engineering department?</p>
<p>one more question - is the major you apply for binding? i find it doubly odd that they ask for a specific department for the engineering college... but i guess you have ot say if you're going to be in the liberal arts department as opposed to the eng...</p>
<p>Yes, chem eng is under control of A&S and not engineering although they cooperate and the road to a degree is essentially the same; moreover, getting admitted to Chem Eng in A&S is just as difficult as getting admitted to the eng college. Why does it exist? Chem eng started that way over a century ago and the politics of the university have since prevented its change -- think "turf wars." The major you apply for is not binding except that they request that you not attempt to change before the end of the first year (and everybody in engineering essentially takes the same chem/math/physics courses first year)</p>
<p>"also does the placement of the chemeng department in the liberal arts college cut out all chances for scholarships from the engineering department?" Most scholarships are given out by the department anyway, not the College of Engineering.</p>
<p>"is the major you apply for binding?" Yes, you will start out as the major that you put down, and admissions is harder for some majors like ECE and CS within Engineering. It's not hard to switch between majors after the first year, as long as your GPA is high enough. ChemE admissions is just as tough as the rest of Engineering, even though it is in LAS.</p>