How to Apply to Engineering at UC Irvine: Eleven Samueli School Majors, Applying to a Specific Major or Engineering Undeclared, and Once-a-Year Change-of-Major Review, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of California, Irvine (UCI), undergraduate engineering is offered by The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, with six departments: biomedical engineering; chemical and biomolecular engineering; civil and environmental engineering; electrical engineering and computer science; materials science and engineering; and mechanical and aerospace engineering. UCI uses the UC Application. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UCI and University of California websites, for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants (including applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Majors

• Eleven majors (2026-27 Catalogue): Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering: Premedical, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering (jointly with the School of Information and Computer Sciences), Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
• ABET: all of these except Biomedical Engineering: Premedical are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; Computer Science and Engineering is also accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission. Biomedical Engineering: Premedical replaces senior engineering labs and design courses with biology and organic chemistry for medical school, and the catalogue says it is not designed to be accredited.
• Units: Mechanical Engineering, for example, nominally requires 186 quarter units, though this varies; some students need more than four years, and the catalogue suggests summer sessions to stay on track.
• Computer Science: the Computer Science B.S. belongs to the School of Information and Computer Sciences and has a separate guide on this site.
• Partnerships: a dual bachelor program with Chapman University (Mathematics at Chapman and Civil Engineering at UCI) in as little as five years, and engineering academies with Irvine Valley College and Orange Coast College (section 8).

2. Admission: apply to a major or to Engineering Undeclared

• Choose on the application: the school says applicants must apply to a specific engineering major or to Engineering Undeclared. If enrollment is limited, applicants not accommodated in engineering may be offered alternative majors at UCI.
• Start in fall: courses are sequential and many are offered once a year, so the catalogue recommends starting in fall and applying in the priority filing period.
• Engineering Undeclared: for students sure about engineering but not the field. The sample first year includes MATH 2A, 2B and 2D, ENGR 7A and 7B, chemistry and physics. Students meet an advisor every quarter and should choose a major by the end of spring quarter of the first year or earlier.
• Changing into or between engineering majors (change-of-major website):
  • except Computer Science and Engineering (reviewed quarterly), applications are reviewed once a year in summer, with decisions before fall classes; you can apply to one engineering major per cycle.
  • students admitted as freshmen get two chances, at the end of the first and second years; no applications once the seventh quarter starts.
  • most majors require a 2.70 cumulative UC GPA, 2.70 in the previous quarter and a 3.0 GPA in major-required courses; Biomedical Engineering: Premedical requires 3.50.
  • specified courses must be complete; Aerospace, for example, requires ENGRMAE 10, MATH 2A-B-D, Physics 7C-D with labs and Chem 1A, with no major course below C and at most 8 units of repeats.
  • completing the prerequisites does not guarantee admission; if the eligible pool exceeds capacity, selection is by GPA in major courses, and cumulative GPA and repeats may also count.
  • the catalogue says students with fewer than 90 units should contact Engineering Student Affairs and attend a workshop; requests at 90 units or more are case by case.
• Double majors: within the school, a 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.0 in engineering major courses; dual majors are not allowed with Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical Engineering: Premedical. The catalogue also says a second major can be declared only after two years with at least a 3.0 GPA in engineering-related courses.

3. High school preparation and placement

• High school: the school says students should complete four years of math through pre-calculus or math analysis and are advised to complete a year each of physics and chemistry. That preparation, with honors and AP courses, is vital for first consideration when engineering enrollment is restricted.
• AP Calculus: some engineering courses list “MATH 2A or AP Calculus AB with a minimum score of 3” as a prerequisite, for example EECS 10.
• ENGR 1A General Chemistry for Engineers prerequisite (any one): AP Chemistry 3+, SAT Subject Chemistry 600, SAT Math 600, ACT Math 27, or 85+ on the Engineering Chemistry Placement Exam (fee required).
• After entry, all engineering courses expect proficiency in a higher-level language such as Python, C, C++, Java or MATLAB.

4. Dates, materials and testing

• Submit the UC Application for fall 2027 from 1 October to 30 November 2026; it also counts for scholarships. No ED or EA.
• Materials: answer four of eight Personal Insight Questions, 350 words each. UCI’s comprehensive review covers grades, rigor, honors/AP/IB HL courses, the senior-year program, talents and personal circumstances.
• SAT/ACT: not considered for admission or scholarships; may be used for placement after enrollment.
• Fees: charged per UC campus; check the amount in the application. The UC Application uses family information to decide fee waiver eligibility, covering up to four campuses.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• GPA: at least 3.0 (3.4 for non-California residents) in the 15 A-G courses, with no grade below C.
• California residents: one review factor is being identified by UC as in the top 9 percent of your high school class at the end of junior year (ELC).
• Out-of-state students: there is no pre-approved course list outside California; admissions advises challenging coursework throughout high school, using the 15 A-G categories as a guide.
• Tuition: 2026-27 fees for the fall 2026 cohort are $20,105.05 for California residents; non-residents add $39,270 in supplemental tuition, $59,375.05 in total (excluding housing and food).
• Aid: grants are need-based and require the FAFSA or CADAA; 2027-28 applications are open, the aid office will request documents from March 2027, and the document priority deadline is in May 2027. Listed grants include the Federal Pell Grant, Cal Grant, UC Irvine Grant, the UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan and the Middle Class Scholarship; details and amounts were not on the page we read, so check the aid office website.

6. International applicants

• Academic: 15 year-long A-G courses with a minimum average GPA of 3.4. Official transcripts are requested only after admission and the Statement of Intent to Register.
• English: required if all or part of high school was not taught in English, or English instruction was under three years; bilingual schools do not count. Minimums: TOEFL iBT 4.5 from January 2026 (80 before), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115; ACT English 24, SAT Writing and Language 31, AP English 3+ or IB English A HL 5+ also work. Test by December; IELTS One Skill Retake and TOEFL MyBest are not accepted.
• Other curricula: at least 5 IGCSE/GCSE/O-levels and 3 A-levels at C or better; IB students are encouraged to earn 5 or higher.
• Aid: UCI does not offer financial aid to international students.

7. Applicants from China

• Basics: complete 12 years of education with a graduation certificate and report all grade 9 to 12 courses.
• Chinese national plus international curricula: report all courses and internal grades from grades 9 to 12 in Academic History, and international exams (including planned ones) on the Test Scores page.
• Gaokao: not mentioned on UCI’s international page; ask UCI admissions whether it is considered.
• Math and science: the school’s high school expectations for all applicants are in section 3; how Chinese courses map to them is not published.

8. Transfer

• Basics: 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-transferable units by the end of the spring before entry; minimum transferable GPA 2.8 for non-residents; priority for junior-level California community college students.
• Engineering transfer requirements: transferable GPA 3.0 (3.4 for TAG); a C or better in each listed course with a 3.0 GPA across them. Mechanical Engineering, for example: a year of single-variable calculus, multivariable calculus, ordinary differential equations, linear algebra, three calculus-based physics courses with labs (mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves/optics/modern physics), general chemistry with lab, and programming (MATLAB preferred). Statics, engineering graphics and circuit analysis with lab are not required for admission, but the degree cannot be finished in two years without them.
• Major courses first: the school advises prioritizing math, science and engineering courses over Cal-GETC, which is not considered in transfer selection.
• No changing later: on the change-of-major website, every engineering major except Computer Science and Engineering says transfer students are ineligible to apply.
• Academies: first-time college students waitlisted by UCI can join the Orange Coast College engineering academy, taking nine UC-transferable engineering courses and transferring with TAG; high school seniors invited by Irvine Valley College can join the UCI-IVC Engineering Academy.
• Dates: 1 October to 30 November; 31 January is the priority deadline for the Transfer Academic Update.

9. Costs and scholarships (USD)

• Tuition is in section 5. Under UC’s tuition stability plan, tuition and the student services fee stay the same for up to six years. The registrar has not yet posted 2027-28 fees (fall 2027 cohort). The fee table does not list an extra charge for engineering majors.
• School scholarship: the Henry Samueli Endowed Scholarship goes to outstanding freshmen and transfer students chosen by the school on academic excellence, renewable up to four years for freshmen and two for transfers; whether international students are eligible is not published.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Submit the UC Application between 1 October and 30 November 2026, choosing an engineering major or Engineering Undeclared
• Four years of math through pre-calculus, a year each of physics and chemistry; A-G GPA of 3.0 (3.4 out of state) or higher
• For aid, file the 2027-28 FAFSA or CADAA

International applicants (including China):

• A-G GPA of 3.4 or higher; TOEFL 4.5 (new scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115 by December
• Changing major later is reviewed once a year with limited space, so pick your engineering major carefully
• Ask admissions whether the Gaokao is considered

Transfer students:

• Transferable GPA of 3.0 or higher; calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, three calculus-based physics courses, chemistry and programming, each at C or better
• You cannot change into another engineering major later, so choose carefully

Sources: UC Irvine and the University of California, Samueli School: prospective undergraduates; 2026-27 Catalogue: Samueli School of Engineering; 2026-27 Catalogue: Mechanical Engineering, B.S.; Change of major: Engineering; First-year students; International students; Dates and deadlines; Transfer major requirements; 2026-27 undergraduate fees (fall 2026 cohort); Grants; UC Application: filling out the application. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check UCI and UC for the latest details.