Changing Your Major to Engineering
Applicants to engineering programs will discover that not every university to which they apply has the same policy for how to officially become an engineering major. For example, all freshmen at Auburn University need to successfully complete seven prerequisite courses prior to being accepted into the engineering track. On the other hand, students can earn direct admission in the College of Engineering at the likes of Boston University, Duke University, and the University of Texas at Austin. Applicants who want to enter this highly-competitive field of study should have an understanding of the various pathways into the engineering major at their prospective schools. Those eying a backdoor route into a given program can benefit from assessing the level of ease with which one can later internally transfer into an engineering major.
The table below provides this important information for a number of premier engineering programs in the United States. Column headers are defined below:
Direct Admit – Indicates whether prospective undergraduates can be admitted directly into an engineering major.
Prerequisites – Links to the institutional webpage that details requirements for transferring into an engineering major.
Minimum Progress – Indicates the minimum number of credits, semesters, or quarters needed to transfer into an engineering major.
Minimum GPA – Indicates the minimum GPA one must possess to be considered for admission into an engineering major. At most institutions, earning the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission.
Difficulty – An ordinal rating (from “Less” to “Very”) indicating how difficult it is to transfer into an engineering major.
More Info – Links to an institutional webpage providing more detail about how current students can transfer into an engineering major. If there is no additional info beyond what is provided in the institutions “Prerequisites” page, links for “Prerequisites” and “More Info” are identical.
*At institutions where there is no direct admission, requirements for declaring/moving into an engineering major are indicated.Â
| Institution | Direct Admit | Prerequisites | Minimum Progress | Minimum GPA | Difficulty | More Info | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104151 | Arizona State University-Tempe | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Admissions-req-2021-2022-Updated-8.23.21.pdf | 12+ Credits | 3 | Moderate | https://engineering.asu.edu/admission-requirements/ | |
| 100858 | Auburn University | No | Click Here | https://eng.auburn.edu/current-students/academic-policies.html | 7 courses | 2 | Less | https://www.eng.auburn.edu/current-students/faq.html | |
| 164988 | Boston University | Yes | Click Here | https://www.bu.edu/eng/current-students/ugrad/iut/ | 12 | 2 | Less-to-Moderate | https://www.bu.edu/eng/current-students/ugrad/iut/ | |
| 217156 | Brown University | No | None | None | None | Less | https://engineering.brown.edu/undergraduate/concentrations/declaring-concentration | ||
| 110404 | California Institute of Technology | No | None | None | None | Less | https://www.admissions.caltech.edu/explore/student-life#:~:text=As%20you%20complete%20your%20first,offered%20across%20six%20academic%20divisions. | ||
| 110422 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | Yes | Click Here | https://eadvise.calpoly.edu/Changing-Majors | One quarter | 2.75 | Very | https://eadvise.calpoly.edu/Changing-Majors/From-Outside-the-College-of-Engineering | |
| 211440 | Carnegie Mellon University | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.cmu.edu/education/academic-policies/undergraduate-policies/transferring.html | One semester | None | Very | https://engineering.cmu.edu/education/academic-policies/undergraduate-policies/transferring.html | |
| 201645 | Case Western Reserve University | No | None | None | None | Less | https://case.edu/ugstudies/academic-policies/declaring-major-or-minor | ||
| 217882 | Clemson University | No | Click Here | http://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/ge/advising/ | 19 | 2 | Less | http://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/ge/advising/ | |
| 190150 | Columbia University in the City of New York | Yes | Varies | Varies | Varies | Moderate | https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/faq | ||
| 190415 | Cornell University | Yes | Introduction to Engineering | One semester | None | Moderate-to-Very | https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/students/undergraduate-students/advising/internal-transfer-engineering | ||
| 182670 | Dartmouth College | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/undergraduate/ab/majors | None | None | Less | https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/undergraduate/ab/majors | |
| 212054 | Drexel University | Yes | Click Here | https://drexel.edu/engineering/resources/for-students/student-advising-support/current-students/academic-policies-and-forms/internal-transfer-policy/ | 2 courses | 2.5 | Less-to-Moderate | https://drexel.edu/engineering/resources/for-students/student-advising-support/current-students/academic-policies-and-forms/internal-transfer-policy/ | |
| 198419 | Duke University | Yes | Varies | Varies | Varies | Less-to-Moderate | https://pratt.duke.edu/undergrad/students/policies/3537 | ||
| 139755 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://advising.gatech.edu/change-major-glance | ||
| 166027 | Harvard University | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://college.harvard.edu/resources/faq/how-easy-it-change-my-concentration | ||
| 153603 | Iowa State University | Yes | Click Here | https://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofengineering/#basicprogramcurriculatext | 24-25 credits | 2 | Less-to-Moderate | https://www.ece.iastate.edu/academics/undergraduate-forms-and-guidelines/major-and-minor/ | |
| 162928 | Johns Hopkins University | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://e-catalogue.jhu.edu/arts-sciences/full-time-residential-programs/undergraduate-policies/academic-policies/requirements-for-a-bachelors-degree/#majorsminorstext | ||
| 213543 | Lehigh University | Yes | None | 24 | 2 | Less-to-Moderate | https://cas.lehigh.edu/content/college-change-information | ||
| 166683 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | No | None | None | None | Less | https://registrar.mit.edu/registration-academics/academic-requirements/majors-minors/declaring-major | ||
| 171100 | Michigan State University | No | Michigan State | https://www.egr.msu.edu/future-engineer/transfer-students | 28 credits | 3.0-3.6 | Moderate | https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/restricted-majors | |
| 193900 | New York University | No | None | One semester | Varies | Moderate | https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/internal-transfers.html | ||
| 199193 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | No | Click Here | https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/academics/undergrad/coda/#coda-requisites | 9 courses | 2 | Very | https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/academics/undergrad/coda/#non-engineering-students-or-intra-campus-transfers | |
| 167358 | Northeastern University | Yes | Click Here | https://coe.northeastern.edu/academics-experiential-learning/undergraduate-studies/undergraduate-academic-advising/change-major/ | 2 courses | 3 | Less-to-Moderate | https://coe.northeastern.edu/academics-experiential-learning/undergraduate-studies/undergraduate-academic-advising/change-major/ | |
| 147767 | Northwestern University | Yes | None | None | None | Less-to-Moderate | https://www.registrar.northwestern.edu/registration-graduation/transfer-and-test-credit/interschool-transfer.html | ||
| 204796 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | No | Click Here | https://advising.engineering.osu.edu/current-students/applying-your-major | Varies (at least 12 credits) | 2.5 | Less-to-Moderate | https://advising.engineering.osu.edu/change-pre-major | |
| 209542 | Oregon State University | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/current-students/advising/engineering-course-requirements-major | None | 2.50 (to progress) | Less-to-Moderate | https://registrar.oregonstate.edu/change-academic-program | |
| 214777 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | No | Click Here | https://advising.engr.psu.edu/advising/entrance-to-major/new-reenrolling-summer-2020-or-later.aspx | 29 Credits | 2.6-to-3.1 | Moderate | https://advising.engr.psu.edu/student-resources/change-of-major.aspx | |
| 186131 | Princeton University | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq | None | None | Less | https://engineering.princeton.edu/undergraduate-studies/first-year-advising/first-year-faq | |
| 243780 | Purdue University-Main Campus | Yes | Click Here | https://www.purdue.edu/advisors/codo/requirements-202021/engineering.php | 12-30 credits | 2.5-to-3.4 | Moderate-to-Very | https://www.purdue.edu/advisors/codo/requirements-202021/engineering.php | |
| 194824 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://info.rpi.edu/registrar/academic-planning#:~:text=third%20party%20agency.-,Change%20of%20Major%20or%20Status,Major%20%2F%20Change%20of%20Status%20Form.&text=You%20may%20change%20from%20one,which%20you%20want%20to%20switch. | ||
| 227757 | Rice University | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://ga.rice.edu/undergraduate-students/academic-opportunities/majors-minors-certificates/ | ||
| 152318 | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://www.rose-hulman.edu/campus-life/student-services/registrar/registration-services/change-of-major.html | ||
| 186380 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Yes | Click Here | https://soe.rutgers.edu/oas/transfer_schooltoschool | 12 | 2.5 | Moderate | https://soe.rutgers.edu/oas/transfer_schooltoschool | |
| 122931 | Santa Clara University | Yes | Click Here | https://www.scu.edu/engineering/undergraduate/internal-transfer/ | Two quarters | Varies | Moderate-to-Very | https://www.scu.edu/engineering/undergraduate/internal-transfer/ | |
| 243744 | Stanford University | No | None | None | None | Less | https://advising.stanford.edu/current-students/advising-student-handbook/declaring-major | ||
| 196097 | Stony Brook University | No | Click Here | https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/ceas-undergrad/current_students/major_entry_requirements/ | Varies | 3.2 | Moderate | https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/registrar/transcripts/majorminor.php | |
| 228723 | Texas A & M University-College Station | Yes | Click Here | https://us.tamu.edu/Change-of-Major/Information/College-of-Engineering | 18-to-24 credits | 3.0-to-3.5 | Moderate-to-Very | https://us.tamu.edu/Change-of-Major/Information | |
| 221759 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Yes | Click Here | https://tickle.utk.edu/advising/transfer-students/ | 2 semesters | 2.8 | Moderate-to-Very | https://tickle.utk.edu/advising/transfer-students/ | |
| 228778 | The University of Texas at Austin | Yes | Varies | Varies | 3 | Very | https://cockrell.utexas.edu/admissions/undergraduate/internal-transfer#:~:text=Internal%20transfer%20describes%20the%20process,majors%20through%20an%20online%20application. | ||
| 168148 | Tufts University | Yes | Click Here | https://students.tufts.edu/academic-advice-and-support/first-year-and-transfer-students/transferring-within-tufts-liberal-arts-tofrom-engineering | Varies | 2.5 | Moderate | https://students.tufts.edu/academic-advice-and-support/first-year-and-transfer-students/transferring-within-tufts-liberal-arts-tofrom-engineering | |
| 160755 | Tulane University of Louisiana | No | None | None | None | Less | https://sse.tulane.edu/academics/undergraduate/current-students | ||
| 196088 | University at Buffalo | Yes | Click Here | http://engineering.buffalo.edu/home/academics/undergrad/admissions/current.html | 4 courses | 2.5-to-2.8 | Moderate | http://engineering.buffalo.edu/home/academics/undergrad/admissions/current.html | |
| 104179 | University of Arizona | No | Click Here | https://advising.engr.arizona.edu/ | 12 credits | 2.0-to-2.75 | Moderate | https://advising.engr.arizona.edu/ | |
| 110635 | University of California-Berkeley | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.berkeley.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/change-of-college/ | 2 semesters | 3.0-to-3.4 | Very | https://engineering.berkeley.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/change-of-college/ | |
| 110644 | University of California-Davis | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.ucdavis.edu/undergraduates/academic-advising/advising-faqs#a1 | 5 courses | 2.0-to-3.0 | Moderate | https://engineering.ucdavis.edu/undergraduates/academic-advising/advising-faqs#a1 | |
| 110653 | University of California-Irvine | Yes | Click Here | https://changeofmajor.uci.edu/engineering/#aerospace | 4 course | 2.7-to-3.5 | Moderate-to-Very | https://changeofmajor.uci.edu/engineering/#aerospace | |
| 110662 | University of California-Los Angeles | Yes | Click Here | https://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/change-of-major/ | 2 quarters | 3.5 | Very | https://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/com-faq/ | |
| 445188 | University of California-Merced | No | Click Here | https://engr-advising.ucmerced.edu/policies/declaration-major | 3-to-6 credits | 2 | Less-to-Moderate | https://bobcat-advising-center.ucmerced.edu/first-year-students/changing-major-or-declaring-minor | |
| 110671 | University of California-Riverside | Yes | Click Here | https://student.engr.ucr.edu/policies/major-changes | Varies | 2.5-to-3.0 | Moderate | https://student.engr.ucr.edu/policies/major-changes | |
| 110680 | University of California-San Diego | Yes | Click Here | https://admissions.ucsd.edu/transfer/transfer-major-preparation.html?_ga=2.161630012.1441053178.1610382994-969092741.1603815657 | Varies | 3.0-to-4.0 | Very | https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/sites/default/files/groups/jsoe/docs/students/Capped_Majors_FAQ.pdf | More info here. |
| 110705 | University of California-Santa Barbara | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.ucsb.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising/change-major-college-engineering | 30 | 3 | Very | https://engineering.ucsb.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising/change-major-college-engineering | |
| 110714 | University of California-Santa Cruz | No | Click Here | https://undergrad.soe.ucsc.edu/major-qualification-requirements | Varies | 2.8 | Moderate-to-Very | https://advising.ucsc.edu/planning/your-major/changing.html | |
| 126614 | University of Colorado Boulder | Yes | Click Here | https://www.colorado.edu/engineering-advising/intra-university-transfer-iut-engineering-bachelor-science-degree-programs | 4 courses | 3 | Moderate | https://www.colorado.edu/engineering-advising/intra-university-transfer-iut-engineering-bachelor-science-degree-programs | |
| 129020 | University of Connecticut | Yes | Click Here | https://admissions.uconn.edu/apply/transfer/requirements/restricted-programs | Varies | 2.7-to-2.8 | Moderate-to-Very | https://undergrad.engr.uconn.edu/prospective-students/current-uconn-students | |
| 130943 | University of Delaware | Yes | Click Here | https://www1.udel.edu/registrar/students/restmajorsinfo.html | Varies | 2.5-to-3.5 | Moderate-to-Very | https://www1.udel.edu/registrar/students/restmajorsinfo.html | |
| 134130 | University of Florida | Yes | Click Here | https://www.eng.ufl.edu/students/resources/undergraduate-student-handbook/changing-major/ | Varies | 2.5 | Very | https://www.eng.ufl.edu/students/faq/critical-tracking-requirements-for-engineering-majors/ | |
| 145637 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Yes | Click Here | https://dgs.illinois.edu/ict-to-pre-engineering | 1 semester | 3 | Very | https://dgs.illinois.edu/ict-to-pre-engineering | |
| 153658 | University of Iowa | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.uiowa.edu/academics/transfer-students | 2 courses | 2.5 | Moderate | https://engineering.uiowa.edu/academics/transfer-students | |
| 163286 | University of Maryland-College Park | Yes | Click Here | https://eng.umd.edu/transfer/internal | 3 courses | 3 | Moderate-to-Very | https://eng.umd.edu/transfer/internal | |
| 166629 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.umass.edu/current-students/academics-advising/how-to-declare-major-engineering | 3 courses | 2 | Less-to-Moderate | https://engineering.umass.edu/current-students/academics-advising/how-to-declare-major-engineering | |
| 170976 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Yes | Click Here | https://www.engin.umich.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate/apply/ | 7 courses | 2.5 | Very | https://www.engin.umich.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate/apply/ | |
| 174066 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Yes | Click Here | https://cse.umn.edu/college/transfer-within-university | Varies | 3.2 | Moderate-to-Very | https://cse.umn.edu/college/transfer-within-university | |
| 152080 | University of Notre Dame | Yes | Click Here | https://firstyear.nd.edu/academics/requirements/college-and-major-requirements/ | None | None | Less | https://firstyear.nd.edu/academics/exploring-majors/ | |
| 215062 | University of Pennsylvania | Yes | Click Here | https://ugrad.seas.upenn.edu/student-handbook/undergraduate-policies/transfer-in-to-penn-engineering/ | 8 courses | 3 | Moderate-to-Very | https://ugrad.seas.upenn.edu/student-handbook/undergraduate-policies/transfer-in-to-penn-engineering/ | |
| 215293 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Yes | Click Here | https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/first-year/transfer-students/internal-transfer-students/ | 8 courses | 3.0-to-3.5 | Moderate-to-Very | https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/first-year/transfer-students/internal-transfer-students/ | |
| 195030 | University of Rochester | No | Click Here | https://www.rochester.edu/college/academics/search.html?school=hajim | Varies | 2 | Less-to-Moderate | https://www.rochester.edu/college/ccas/handbook/majors.html | |
| 123961 | University of Southern California | Yes | Click Here | https://viterbiundergrad.usc.edu/pre-engineering/sample-course-plans/ | 1 semester | 3 | Moderate-to-Very | https://viterbiundergrad.usc.edu/pre-engineering/ | |
| 230764 | University of Utah | Yes | Click Here | https://www.coe.utah.edu/students/future/admissions/#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20be%20admitted,to%20prepare%20them%20for%20admission. | 2-to-3 semesters | Varies | Moderate | https://www.coe.utah.edu/students/future/faq/#9f66e707-5fc1-10 | |
| 234076 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.virginia.edu/current-students/current-undergraduate-students/transferring-uva-engineering | 5 courses | 2 | Moderate | https://engineering.virginia.edu/current-students/current-undergraduate-students/transferring-uva-engineering | |
| 236948 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Yes | Click Here | https://www.engr.washington.edu/admission/directtocollege/faq | 4 semesters | Varies | Very | https://www.engr.washington.edu/admission/directtocollege/faq | |
| 240444 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Yes | Click Here | https://www.engr.wisc.edu/app/uploads/2021/04/Xcampus-Minimum-Admission-Reqirements-AMENDED-FOR-ACADEMIC-YEAR-2020-2021-1.pdf | 24 credits | Varies | Moderate-to-Very | https://www.engr.wisc.edu/academics/student-services/academic-advising/cross-campus-students/ | |
| 221999 | Vanderbilt University | Yes | Click Here | https://registrar.vanderbilt.edu/intra-university-transfers/engineering-letter.php | 2 semesters | 2 | Moderate | https://registrar.vanderbilt.edu/intra-university-transfers/index.php | |
| 233921 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Yes | Click Here | https://eng.vt.edu/academics/undergraduate-students/resources-support/transitional-advising..html#:~:text=Students%20can%20apply%20to%20an,summer%2C%20and%20end%20of%20fall. | 12 credits | 2 | Moderate | https://www.registrar.vt.edu/dates-deadlines/Change_of_Major_Dates.html | |
| 179867 | Washington University in St Louis | Yes | Click Here | https://engineering.wustl.edu/academics/undergraduate-admissions/index.html | 1 semester | None | Less | https://admissions.wustl.edu/common-questions/ | |
| 168421 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Yes | Click Here | https://fye.wpi.edu/course-registration/a-and-b-term-course-registration/ | None | None | Less | https://fye.wpi.edu/fye-programs/academic-advising/ | |
| 130794 | Yale University | Yes | None | None | None | Less | https://advising.yalecollege.yale.edu/declaring-major#Undeclare |
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