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Undergraduate Admission Criteria
The admission to any undergraduate program at the College of Engineering at UTSA is based on UTSA's undergraduate admission requirements plus the following additional admission criteria for the College of Engineering.
Admission Requirements For ...
First-time Freshmen
Students entering directly from high school will be admitted to a lower-division engineering major on the basis of the following admission criteria:
- Students must meet the UTSA admissions requirements.
- Students must have completed the prerequisites necessary to enroll in MAT 1214 Calculus I or have completed the prerequisites necessary to enroll in MAT 1215 Calculus I (through a mathematics placement test or credit for MAT 1093 Precalculus or an equivalent).
Students who satisfy the above-mentioned criteria are admitted directly into a lower-division appropriate engineering major; those who do not meet all of these criteria are reviewed and considered on individual merits for admission as a Pre-Engineering student.
If a student cannot be placed in MAT 1073: Algebra for Scientists and Engineers or a higher level mathematics course, he or she will not be accepted as a Pre-Engineering student until he or she has the proper mathematics background. Such students may take their deficiency mathematics courses at UTSA as an undeclared major.
To learn more about The University of Texas at San Antonio's undergraduate admissions requirements for first-time freshmen, select one of the following:
Transfer Students
Any student applying from either a program within UTSA or from other educational institutions is considered a transfer student. Transfer students from a college or university outside UTSA must provide an official transcript to the Admissions Office for an evaluation of all college-level work completed. Transfer students who have less than 30 hours of transferable credit will be evaluated the same as those students entering directly from high school.
Transfer students with 30 hours or more of transferable credit must meet the following requirements in order to be accepted directly into an engineering major:
- Students must fulfill the requirements for UTSA admission
- Students must have completed the prerequisites to enroll in MAT 1214 Calculus I
This can be achieved through a mathematics placement test or credit for MAT 1093 Precalculus or a transfer equivalent. - Students must have credit for at least 15 hours of math, science and engineering courses applicable to the degree they are seeking
- Students must have at least a 2.00 grade point average in each of the three components of the Three-Calculation GPA
- Students must comply with the "C" Grade Rule
Students who meet the above-mentioned criteria are admitted directly into a major and those who do not meet all of these criteria are reviewed and considered on an individual basis for admission as Pre-Engineering students.
A transfer student who does not meet the criteria for admission directly into an engineering major and who is not admitted as a pre-engineering student may pursue other degree programs at UTSA for which they qualify.
To learn more about The University of Texas at San Antonio's undergraduate admissions requirements for transfer students, visit the Transfer Requirements webpage.
Pre-Engineering or Engineering Major?
Freshmen applicants and transfer applicants to the College of Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio may be admitted in one of two ways:
- Directly as an Engineering Major
- As a Pre-Engineering Student
A student is admitted directly into a major only if all admission criteria are met.
Back to top Placement as an Engineering Major
Incoming students who meet all admission criteria either directly from high school or with transfer credits will be admitted into one of the following majors: Civil Engineering (CE), Electrical Engineering (EE), or Mechanical Engineering (ME). All students admitted to engineering majors should follow their major curriculum.
A student who meets the requirements for entering into a major within the College of Engineering, but is unsure of which major to pursue, may be admitted as an undeclared engineering student. If a student cannot meet all the admission criteria for an engineering major, he or she may be admitted as a pre-engineering student.
Back to top Placement as a Pre-Engineering Student
Students admitted as pre-engineering students should take the deficient mathematics courses along with required University Core Curriculum courses. Their academic performance will be monitored regularly by the College of Engineering. The three-attempt limit will be enforced. Students can apply to their department for advancement into an engineering major when conditions specified by the department are met.
One of the required conditions for placement into an engineering major is a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in each of the three components of the Three-Calculation Grade Point Average. A student placed as a pre-engineering student may not enroll in any College of Engineering courses except for 1000-level CE, EE, ME, and EGR courses until they have been certified by a department in the College of Engineering as meeting the qualifications for placement as an engineering major.
Back to top Becoming an Upper-Level Engineering Major
An engineering major may not take upper-division courses within the College of Engineering until he or she has been placed by the College of Engineering as an Upper-Level Engineering Major. A student who has successfully completed all of the lower-division mathematics, science, and engineering courses required for his or her engineering major may apply to the department of the major for approval to be certified as an Upper-Level Engineering Major.
In order to be approved for placement as an Upper-Level Engineering Major, a student is required to demonstrate satisfactory academic performance in the following ways:
- Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 in all lower-division (1000- and 2000-level) courses that count toward the degree
- Maintain a grade point average of 2.25 in all lower-division mathematics, science, and engineering courses.
An official degree plan is filed upon receiving approval to become an Upper-Level Engineering Major.
Back to top Cooperative Education in Engineering Program
The Cooperative Education in Engineering Program formally integrates University studies with institutionally supervised work experiences at cooperating organizations. Students participating in this program alternate periods of study at the University with periods of employment in industry. This combination of experiences enhances the student’s knowledge, personal development, and preparation for a professional career.
Participants register at the University each semester. During the work periods, students register for the 1-semester-credit-hour Engineering Co-op course. At the end of each work period, students submit reports covering the period. These reports are the basis of the student’s grades in the course. The cooperative education work periods also provide students with a source of income to help pay for their college expenses.
Students may petition to apply 3 semester credit hours of Engineering Co-op as a technical elective toward their degree in engineering. They must petition prior to co-op activities.
To qualify for the Cooperative Education in Engineering Program, a student must:
- Declare a major in the College of Engineering
- Complete at least 36 semester credit hours of major and support work, including 7 hours of college-level calculus and 8 hours of college-level physics
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 and a minimum grade point average of 2.50 in their College of Engineering courses.
Students are advised that many co-op employers require cumulative grade point averages higher than 2.50, and some require a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Transfer students may participate in the program after completing at least one semester at the university.
For more information and to apply to the Cooperative Education in Engineering Program, students should contact the College of Engineering Advising Center.
Back to top Degree Requirements
Entering students should enroll in COR 1203, Freshman Seminar (Society and Technology), as early as possible, preferably during their first semester at UTSA. The purpose of this course is to help students understand the influence of engineering and technology on society, be introduced to different engineering disciplines, and learn about skills necessary to become successful in their college education.
During their first semester, students should specify their interest in a specific engineering program by selecting civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering as a major. Undecided engineering students should select a major closest to their area of interest. Learn more about the individual engineering programs offered on the Undergraduate Degree Programs page.
Prerequisites for Civil Engineering (CE), Electrical Engineering (EE), Mechanical Engineering (ME), and Engineering (EGR) courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. A minimum grade of “C” is required for all science and mathematics courses required in the Engineering programs. Students must satisfy the University’s Core Curriculum and ABET accreditation requirements.
Recommended degree plans and current ABET requirements may be obtained from the College of Engineering Undergraduate Advising Center's Degree Plans webpage.
Requirements Common to All Engineering Degree Programs
I. Core Curriculum Requirements:
- Students seeking the Bachelor of Science degree in any engineering field must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students at UTSA.
- CHE 1103, MAT 1214, and PHY 1903 (also listed under section II, General Engineering requirements) may be used to satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements for Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
II. General Engineering Requirements:
All degree-seeking candidates in engineering must complete the following 21 semester credit hours:
- CHE 1103 General Chemistry I
- EGR 2323 Applied Engineering Analysis I
- MAT 1214 Calculus I
- MAT 1223 Calculus II
- PHY 1903, 1911 Engineering Physics I and Laboratory
- PHY 1923, 1931 Engineering Physics II and Laboratory
Back to top Terminology
Three-Calculation GPA
The three grade point average calculations employ only the grades received in courses that are applicable to the engineering degree being sought. The grade point averages used in the three-calculation grade point average (GPA) are:
- Overall grade point average of all courses (Overall GPA)
- Grade point average of all mathematics, science and engineering courses (MSE GPA), and
- Grade point average of all courses taken in the discipline of the major subject (Major GPA)
"C" Grade Rule
A grade of “D” or lower in any science or mathematics course required for an engineering degree or any other course that is a prerequisite to a required Civil Engineering (CE), Electrical Engineering (EE), Mechanical Engineering (ME), or Engineering (EGR) course indicates unsatisfactory preparation for further engineering education. Any such course in which a grade of “D,” “F,” or “W” is received must be repeated before enrolling in any course for which it is a prerequisite. This requirement is subject to the three-attempt limit.
Three-Attempt Limit
A student unable to achieve the minimum required grade in a required engineering course or in a prerequisite to a required engineering course within three enrollments (attempts) shall be required to change his or her major to a field outside of the College of Engineering. Enrollment in a course for a period of time sufficient for assignment of a grade, including a grade of “W,” is considered an attempt.
