There are many questions that come our way from students and their families. One of the most important things you can do as student or family member is ask questions. If you can't find the answer here, we encourage you to contact us.
Admitted Students
What Advanced Placement (AP)/Early College Credit (ECE) coursework does UConn accept and what is the process for score submission?
UConn accepts AP coursework with the scores found on the admissions website. If you have earned the appropriate score, the course may fulfill your major requirements and may not have to be taken at UConn. This may allow you to move to the subsequent course in a sequence and/or will allow a lighter course load to be taken during a particular semester. You must submit your AP scores to UConn via collegeboard.com.
ECE coursework will transfer in as graded college credit. You will have the opportunity to accept or reject each ECE course during your first semester at UConn.
Do I need to take the Math Placement Exam (MPE)?
Yes
All Engineering students are REQUIRED to complete the MPE (Math Placement Exam) prior to their participation in orientation regardless of prior experience, academic plans and incoming AP, ECE, or transfer credits. A score of 22 or higher is required to enroll in MATH 1131Q (Calculus 1) or MATH 1132Q (Calculus 2).
Am I required to take the Chemistry Placement Exam?
No
The Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE) is recommended, but not required for students seeking to register for General Chemistry (CHEM 1124, CHEM 1127 or CHEM 1147) in order to determine student readiness for appropriate placement.
For more information, please visit this website: https://placement.uconn.edu/chemistry-placement/
Do I need to take the Guided Placement Survey (GPS)?
It depends
All Engineering students are encouraged to review the guidelines for English placement. Note that the GPS is required for incoming international students and non-native speakers of English, but open to any student, to help determine student readiness and appropriate placement for required first year English courses.
I have transfer credit, AP scores, and/or ECE credits coming in. What should I do?
Take action as soon as possible, before you attend your new student orientation.
Advisors will review important credit information at orientation, however students are expected to take specific actions if planning on coming with any AP and/or transfer credit prior to attending orientation, or at the latest, immediately following attending orientation. Required actions for students with Early College Experience (ECE) happen during the student's first term and must be acted upon before the start of the student's second term.
You will be able to accept (or reject) any ECE (non-degree) credit after your first semester at UConn. More information about this policy can be found at UConn’s Non-Degree Decisions website.
I have transfer coursework from another institution. What is the process for submission of this coursework to UConn?
If you have completed coursework at a different institution, please have your official transcript sent to UConn transfer admissions. You may need to obtain syllabi from specific courses for departmental equivalency review. You can find more information about transfer coursework/admissions on the admissions website.
When will I know that my AP credits or transfer credits made it to UConn?
When they are reflected on your UConn transcript.
Advisors will not get this information any sooner than you do, and can see the same information in the system as you can. You can confirm if UConn has received and processed your scores/credits by running your Unofficial Transcript in Student Admin. Credits will be listed at the top in the "Undergraduate Record" portion of the transcript.
You will be able to accept (or reject) any ECE (non-degree) credit during your first semester at UConn. More information about this policy can be found at UConn’s Non-Degree Decisions website.
For additional questions regarding processing of incoming credit, please contact onestop@uconn.edu.
Orientation
What should I do before orientation?
Visit UConn's Orientation website for the latest task list about first-year, transfer and international student orientation.
I need to change my schedule after orientation. What should I do?
Contact your assigned academic advisor and use StudentAdmin
In the College of Engineering, we ensure that all students leave orientation with a full-time schedule, so our hope is that there are few adjustments needed afterwards. In the event a student does want to make changes, they will need to wait until access to the StudentAdmin system is open, and any holds are resolved, to then use StudentAdmin to make adjustments.
Advisor approval is not needed to make any changes to common curriculum and elective courses, however, due to the very prescriptive nature of the Engineering curriculum, DO NOT drop any core Engineering courses (Lab science and Math courses) without speaking with your assigned academic advisor first.
Note: Students have until the 10th day of classes to adjust their schedule. Students can rely on what they learned at orientation to navigate enrollment actions in StudentAdmin, or brush up with the help links below:
- General StudentAdmin help for students
- Use the Swap function (saves your seat in the course you are looking to drop until you are successfully enrolled in the course you are looking to add) **strongly recommended over dropping a course!
- Reference the Dynamic Class Search to see unreserved available seats
- View your Weekly Schedule (online asynchronous classes will not be listed under the schedule since there are no weekly meeting times)
- General guidance on how to choose a course
How do I contact my academic advisor after orientation?
EMAIL is the official form of communication at UConn.
If you have questions about your schedule after your orientation session, please email your assigned academic advisor from your UConn email address. Be sure to include your full name, major and student id number when communicating with UConn staff and faculty.
Please note: All Engineering professional academic advisors work with incoming Engineering students starting the end of May through the end of July and email response times may be delayed. Students are unable to make adjustments to their schedule until the StudentAdmin system reopens in late July.
Do I need to complete any more tasks for UConn Orientation Services?
In addition to any follow-up tasks for Engineering, make sure to review the UConn orientation task list from UConn Orientation Services. If you have any questions, contact UConn Orientation Services
Majors, Minors & Concentrations
When and how often can I switch majors at UConn?
Some majors have specific admissions requirements and deadlines, while others accept students on a rolling basis and do not have GPA requirements. The semester in which you make a switch, and to which specific major, will determine how the length of your academic career would be affected. Your academic advisor can help you with this process.
For incoming UConn students, if you would like to inquire about switching your major prior to attending UConn in the fall, you must submit a major change appeal in your Admissions portal for review by the Admissions Office directly.
What is the process for changing my major within the College of Engineering?
On the College of Engineering Undergraduate Programs website there is more information about our internal admission process and criteria. Current College of Engineering students may apply for a major change at any point in the year, except for MEM requests. MEM requests are only reviewed twice a year, in January and June. Students from other schools/colleges can apply for a major change once a semester, deadlines are December 25th (for spring admission consideration) and May 25th (for fall admission consideration). Students get notified through their UConn email of their admission status in mid-January and mid-June. To apply, students need to submit a request in the Request Portal.
How do I declare a concentration within my major?
Students can declare a concentration through the Request Portal. Concentration requests are reviewed on a biweekly basis.
How do I add a minor?
Students can add minors in supplement to their engineering degree. Typically, minors are an additional 5-6 courses and will count as free elective credit towards your engineering degree. More information about minors can be found in the UG Catalog linked here.
What is the process for adding a dual degree or double major and what is the difference between the two?
Dual degrees are typically the addition of a major outside of the College of Engineering or the addition. The exceptions would be combining a BS degree in CS, DSE or MEM to a BSE degree in the College of Engineering. Double majors are the addition of a second engineering major. Engineering students have the option to explore either a dual degree or double major, though this may add an additional time for degree completion. You can discuss your interest in either of these options with your academic advisor.
Special Programs & Opportunities
I am an honors student. What policies and procedures apply to me?
Honors students will be assigned both an engineering advisor and an honors advisor and will meet with both departments during orientation. More information regarding the honors program can be found on the Honors Program website.
I am a BRIDGE student within the College of Engineering. What policies and procedures apply to me?
If you are a “BRIDGE required” student, your acceptance into the College of Engineering is contingent upon your participation in the BRIDGE Program. You can find more information on the Inclusion website.
As an Engineering student, will I have the opportunity to participate in an internship and/or co-op experience?
The CoE does not require internships as part of the curriculum, however, there are many opportunities to and avenues to obtain one. The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills assists students in finding and securing internships and co-ops through career fairs, workshops, and one-on-one meetings. The CoE also holds two engineering only career fairs in which many students obtain internship opportunities from.
What is a living and learning community and how can I participate in one?
UConn Living & Learning Communities (LLCs) are a unique experience to reside with a group of students with similar interests. While Engineering house is the most popular amongst our students, there are many other LLCs that suit our students as well, such as Innovation House, Eco House, and WiMSE House to name a few. More information on the LLCs can be found on the Living & Learning Communities website.
I am interested in studying abroad. Is this a feasible option for an engineering student?
Engineering students have two options to study abroad. One is through a university education abroad program and the other is through our international engineering programs.
University education abroad programs are typically one semester. Engineering major specific coursework may or may not be completed while abroad. The international engineering abroad programs are dual degree, each a five-year curriculum plan, with the fourth year spent abroad. You can inquire with your academic advisor about either option.
Course Enrollment
What is the Student Administration System and when should I use it?
The Student Administration System houses all academic-related information and gives you the ability to: view your enrollment time/course schedule, view holds, add/swap courses, enroll in courses, view transcripts/transfer credits and so much more.
Pro-tip: Bookmark this knowledge base link. This link contains step by step instructions for how to use the various features within the Student Administration System.
How do I add, drop or swap a course after the 10th day of the semester?
Students who are looking to add, drop, or swap courses after the 10th day of the semester, need to fill out an E-Form in Student Administration. This form goes through various levels of approval (advisor, department, etc.) and you have the ability to view where your request falls in the approval chain by logging back into your E-Forms in Student Administration.
Please note: Any course dropped after the first ten days of classes will receive a ‘W’ on the transcript.
How do I add independent study or research credits to my course schedule?
Students need to fill out the E-Form in Student Administration. Please note, some departments have additional paperwork/requirements for adding an independent study. Please consult with the UG Program Director for your department to confirm the process.
How do I withdraw from a course? How do I put a course on Pass/Fail?
Withdraw: Students can withdraw from a course(s) during add/drop through Student Admin. After the tenth day of classes and through the eleventh week of the semester, a student may Withdraw from one course (for any reason) with permission from the student’s advisor by submitting the request in Student Administration using E-Forms.
Pass/Fail: A student in good academic standing for the University (not on academic notice) may elect a maximum of 12 credits (not including credits on P/F recorded in spring 2020) to be distributed over not more than three courses, to be recorded as ‘P’ for Pass or ‘F’ for Fail on his or her permanent record. Courses taken Pass/Fail cannot be applied towards an Engineering degree, including as free elective.
What is a First Year Experience (FYE) course and should I enroll in one?
UConn offers a wide-range of 1-credit First Year Experience courses designed to help students adjust to the academic, social, and cultural life at UConn. The fall semester FYE course listing can be found First Year Experience website and the FYE course descriptions can be found on the First Year Experience Course Suite.
How can I view the status of course requirements that are satisfied and unsatisfied?
Students can view all their course requirements (satisfied and unsatisfied) by viewing their academic requirements report in the Student Administration System. Take the time to familiarize yourself with this report and refer back to it often.
How do I find the prerequisites and/or corequisites for a course?
All course prerequisite and co-requisite information can be found on the Catalog website.
Parents & Families
As a family member, can I participate in my student’s advising?
If a student’s community of support includes their parents/family and they would like to bring them into an advising conversation (or any conversation with University staff), a student will need to give them permission at ferpa.uconn.edu under “Share my Information.”
Pro Tips:
- It is respectful to give the advisor a heads up if you’re joining a virtual meeting with your child.
- Support your Engineering student and encourage them to advocate for themselves, talk to their advisor if they have questions or are struggling. This is THEIR journey.
As part of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), information about student educational records cannot be shared with any 3rd parties, including parents, underscoring the fact that students have complete ownership of and responsibility for their college experience.
It is standard policy for Engineering advisors to verify FERPA permissions prior to speaking to any third party, and to also request that the student be involved in the conversation, if permission is given. Students will be asked to be a part of any parent conversation with advising because fundamentally, advisors believe that this experience at UConn is about the student and that their voice is critically important in the advising relationship.
The university takes very seriously the state, federal laws, regulations passed to ensure that Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is followed. We encourage our UConn Engineering students to review the policies, and procedures that the university has set forth in order to abide the FERPA law.