Undergraduate FAQs

If my SAT score is less than 1200, can I still be admitted as an engineering student?
Yes. If you meet the other university admission requirements, you can be admitted as a Pre-major, such as Pre-EE, Pre-CE, or Pre-IE. For more information about admission to UT Arlington, see www.uta.edu/catalog/.

Can I register without being advised?
No. You must be advised and cleared prior to registration. Otherwise the automated system will reject your attempts to register.

Whom do I see to be advised?
Engineering students who are either undecided about their major, just considering engineering, or on probation are advised in the Counseling and Advising Center (242 Nedderman Hall). All other engineering students are advised in their respective departments: list of advisors.

How long does it take to complete a Bachelor’s degree in engineering?
Many factors can affect the length of time it will take you to finish an engineering degree. It can be done in four years, but most engineering students take longer. If a student takes 12 credit hours, which is considered full time in the fall and spring semesters and 6 credit hours in the summer, he/she would have completed 30 credit hours for that year. Engineering degrees range from 121 to 131 credit hours.

What courses should I take if I’m undecided about which engineering program I want to go into? Are there foundation courses that all engineering students must complete?
Many lower-division courses, such as Calculus I or II and Technical Physics are the same for all undergraduate engineering degrees. In addition, college students in Texas must all take the same courses in English, History, and Political Science. Beginning engineering students can easily spend their first year taking courses that will apply toward a variety of undergraduate degree programs.

What is General Engineering (GE)? GE was a designation previously used as a temporary major designation for some students. GE is not a major.

How can I be sure which credits will transfer from another school and count towards an engineering degree at UTA?
In most cases, the safest way to determine equivalent courses is by cross referencing course numbers using the Texas Common Course Numbering System.
However, the department of your intended major will determine which transfer courses are accepted toward the degree. It is your responsibility to consult engineering advisors before taking courses at another school to be sure that they will count toward your degree.

May I take courses at another school after I’ve been accepted at UTA and still have them transfer for credit towards an engineering degree?
Once enrolled in an engineering program, you must have written permission from your department prior to enrolling in any courses at another school for those courses to count towards your engineering degree at UTA. This is for your protection in being sure that courses taken elsewhere will count toward your degree.

Will my grades from other schools affect my GPA (Grade Point Average) at UTA?
No. Courses from other schools may be accepted for credit, but the grades from these are not calculated into your UTA GPA. Grades of “D” or “F” will not be accepted for credit, as well.

I plan to complete my Associates degree at a community college before transferring to UTA. Is this a good idea?
An Associates degree can be beneficial in that you will have completed a specific training program, which could be an employment asset in the short term. It demonstrates that you can set and achieve a goal. A disadvantage for someone who intends to transfer into a four-year degree program is that some of the courses for the Associates degree may not apply toward the four-year degree. Another fact to remember is that none of your grades (GPA) earned at another school are used in calculating your GPA at UTA.

What are the three GPAs?
The College of Engineering uses three GPA calculations in measuring a student’s progress. They are:
• all courses relevant to an engineering degree
• all math, science and engineering courses
• all engineering courses in your intended major subject.

What are Lower-Division and Upper-Division courses? Pre-Professional and Professional courses?
Lower-Division or Pre-Professional courses are the preparatory courses that must be successfully completed before a student is allowed to begin taking courses designated as Professional or Upper-Division. Upper-Division courses are generally related specifically to a student's area of interest and are specific to the major.

What are the requirements for being admitted into Upper-Division courses?
Each engineering department sets its own standards for admission into the Upper-Division coursework, but all require at least 2.00 in all of the three GPA calculations; some require 2.25. You must also pass all Lower-Division courses before being admitted to the Upper-Division program. This is the last major event in a student's academic career before being awarded his/her degree. All students should plan carefully to reach this milestone on schedule. The engineering advisors can help with this process.

What is the foreign language requirement for an undergraduate engineering degree?
Students who did not complete two years of a modern language in high school and who are not proficient in a modern language must take two consecutive language courses to remove that deficiency.

What is the C-grade rule?
If a grade of “D” or lower is received in any College of Engineering required course that is a prerequisite for another required course, then that course must be repeated.

Can I complete an undergraduate engineering degree without taking day classes?
Not at this time. Some day classes will be necessary to complete an undergraduate degree.

What is the three-attempt rule? If I drop a class, does that count as an attempt?
A student may not attempt any course in the College of Engineering more than three times and apply that course toward an engineering degree. A course for which you receive a grade of “W” (withdrawn or dropped) is considered one of the three allowed attempts. The C-grade rule also applies.

What are replacement grades?
Upon receiving a grade of “D” or “F” in a course, a student may replace the grade by repeating the course. The second grade earned, whether higher or lower, will be used in calculating the GPA unless the second grade is a “W”. This policy applies only the second time a course is attempted. Both grades received will be shown on the student's transcript. This policy will apply to a maximum of 10 credit hours UTA. Other restrictions and/or conditions that may apply; see Academic Regulations.

Is there any way to see how many people passed or failed a course?
Yes. It's called the Grade Distribution Report, which shows the grades made in every section of every course in previous semesters. It is available for students to examine in the Counseling and Advising Center (242 Nedderman Hall), the main library, and the University Advising Center (241 Davis Hall).

Will my classes from a technical school count towards an engineering degree?
No. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) prohibits accepting technology coursework as credit towards an engineering degree. An engineering degree from an ABET accredited school will be accepted by employers and professional societies as proof of a comprehensive engineering education.

What will it cost to attend UTA?
Important information about tuition and expenses may be found at www.uta.edu/uta/admissions.

Does UTA have a residence hall for especially engineering students?
Kalpana Chawla Hall (KC Hall) is the newest residence hall on campus, and its student residents may participate in “residential learning communities” and/or “Freshman Interest Groups (FIG)”. See www.uta.edu/lc for more information about these living/learning communities and the “Designing Your Future in Engineering” FIG.

Can a student be penalized for taking courses that do not apply toward his/her intended degree or for taking too many courses?
Yes. Senate Bill 345, passed by the Texas Legislature in March 1999, says that students who first enrolled in a college or university in either fall 1999 or a later semester will be charged a higher tuition rate if the number of credit hours he/she has attempted exceed by 45 or more the number of credit hours required for their declared baccalaureate degree and the student has not yet earned a baccalaureate degree. This ruling applies to any grade, including a “W” (withdrawn) or “WF” (withdrawn failing), that is received from a Texas public institution of higher education. Semester hours earned at a private or out-of-state institution are not counted toward the limit. See Degree Requirements.

What do people with engineering degrees in Aerospace, Electrical, Civil, Computer Science, Industrial, or Mechanical do? How much money do they make? What is the anticipated future demand for them?
The most comprehensive source of information for such questions can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is published every two years by the U.S. Department of Labor. It is available in libraries, bookstores or online at http://stats.bls.gov/oco/. Other helpful career-defining resources are at www.discoverengineering.org/eweek/default.asp and www.careerkey.org/english/ and www.engineeringk12.org/students/default.htm.