How to Apply to Engineering at UC Riverside: Eleven BCOE Engineering and Computing Majors, Choosing a Major Without a Guarantee of Your First Choice, and Change-of-Major GPAs of 2.5 or 2.7 by Units Completed, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of California, Riverside (UCR), undergraduate engineering is offered by the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE). UCR uses the UC Application. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UCR and University of California websites, for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants (including applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Majors

• Eleven majors: BCOE’s undergraduate page lists 11 engineering and computing programs: bioengineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, computer science applications, data science, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and robotics engineering. Computer science has its own guide on this site.
• ABET: BCOE’s accreditation page lists bioengineering, chemical, computer, electrical, environmental, materials science and mechanical engineering under the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), and computer science and computer science with business applications under the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC). Robotics engineering, data science and computer science applications are not on that list.
• Data science is shared by BCOE and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences; students choose which college awards the degree, and BCOE students follow BCOE breadth requirements.
• B.S.+M.S.: majors marked with an asterisk (bioengineering, chemical, computer engineering, computer science, environmental, electrical and mechanical engineering) offer an accelerated B.S.+M.S. option.
• Co-op: BCOE runs a co-op program in which students work full time on paid engineering projects with partner companies while earning academic credit.

2. Admission: you choose a major, without a guarantee of your first choice

• Choose a major on the UC Application; BCOE has no separate application.
• No guarantee of your preferred major: UCR’s admissions FAQ says high demand meant it could not admit all students to their preferred major. Students admitted to an alternate major may request a change after enrolling and should talk to an advisor at orientation. Major changes are approved on a limited basis, and changes are not allowed while on the waitlist.
• General conditions for changing into a BCOE major (BCOE student affairs): good academic standing; no grade below C- in math, science or engineering courses; at least a 2.0 GPA in required math, science and engineering courses; ability to finish within the maximum units; and completion of set courses for your unit band before applying.
• Set courses by unit band (examples):
  • Mechanical engineering, 0–45 units: WRIT 010 with a C or better, plus MATH 9A, 9B and PHYS 40A with at least a 2.5 GPA; more courses are required at higher unit bands (for example ME 002, ME 018A and MATH 9C at 46–89 units).
  • Electrical engineering, 0–45 units: WRIT 010 with a C or better, and at least a 2.7 GPA in MATH 9A, 9B and PHYS 40A.
  • Robotics engineering, 0–45 units: at least a 2.7 GPA in MATH 9A, 9B, CS 009A and PHYS 40A.
  • Bioengineering and chemical engineering: at least a 2.5 GPA in the set chemistry, math (and physics) courses.
• Unit limits: students with 120 or more units cannot change into a BCOE major; those applying at 90–119 units must be able to finish within five years of entry as a first-year (three years as a transfer). AP/IB units are excluded from the maximum unit calculation.

3. High school preparation and math placement

• UC A-G courses: three years of math (four recommended, including geometry) and two years of laboratory science (three recommended), each with a C or better.
• Engineering-specific prerequisites: the BCOE pages we read do not list separate high school physics, chemistry or calculus requirements; check with BCOE admissions.
• Math Placement Assessment: the admissions FAQ says all students in majors with required math courses must complete it.
• Exam credit: AP scores of 3 or higher earn credit; IB HL scores of 5 or higher earn credit, and an IB diploma of 30 or more earns 30 quarter units; A-Level grades of A*, A, B or C may earn credit after admission. The pages we read do not say which engineering requirements these credits satisfy.

4. Dates, materials and testing

• UC Application: opens 1 August. The first-year page gives a filing period of 1 October to 30 November; the international page gives a fall filing period of “November 1–30”. Both appear on UCR’s website, so follow the dates shown in the UC Application. Decisions start in March.
• Fee: the international page lists $80 per UC campus, with fee waivers available.
• Essays: four of eight personal insight questions, up to 350 words each.
• Testing: UCR does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships; submitted scores may be used only for minimum eligibility or course placement.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• GPA: at least 3.0 in A-G courses taken in grades 10 and 11 for California residents, 3.4 for non-residents.
• 2026-27 estimate for new California-resident first-years (university housing): tuition and fees $15,588, campus and tech fees $1,202, health insurance $2,824, total about $46,539. Under the UC Tuition Stability Plan, tuition stays flat for each entering class for up to six years.
• Financial aid: the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application priority date is 2 March (the aid page gives 2 March 2027 for 2027-28).
• Out-of-state students pay nonresident supplemental tuition of $39,270, for a total of about $85,809 on campus. The Achievement Scholarship for Nonresidents is considered automatically on admission: up to $89,100 over four years for first-years and up to $44,550 over two years for transfers, with a 3.0 GPA required each quarter.

6. International applicants

• Grades: a minimum 3.4 GPA (85 percent), based on grades 10 and 11; other curricula are assessed on their own grading scale.
• English: applicants whose secondary schooling was not in English must show proficiency by December of the final year, for example TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the new scale from January 2026), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, AP English 3 or higher, or IB English. A campus may require more than the minimum, and some may interview.
• Costs and scholarships: international students pay non-resident rates, about $85,809 on campus in 2026-27 (the cost table on the international page still shows 2021-22, so use the financial aid page). The Achievement Scholarship for Nonresidents also covers international first-years and transfers automatically.

7. Applicants from China

• Chinese national curriculum: UC’s country page says to list all courses and marks from grade 9 through grade 12 exactly as they appear on your records, and to submit your upper middle school graduation certificate and official grade 9–12 records if admitted.
• IGCSE/GCSE/GCE curriculum: at least five IGCSE/GCSE/O-Levels and three academic A-Levels, reported on the International Exams page of the application.
• Gaokao: whether and how the Gaokao is used is not published; ask UCR admissions (admissions.ucr.edu/ask).

8. Transfer

• Basic requirements: 60 semester (90 quarter) transferable units with at least a 2.4 GPA for California residents or 2.8 for non-residents.
• BCOE requirements: a minimum 2.8 transferable GPA for all majors, at least 2.5 in the calculus sequence (MATH 9A, 9B and 9C) and 2.5 in one more major preparation sequence, with a C or better in other required courses. BCOE expects transfers to complete the equivalent of UCR’s first two years and enter as juniors.
• Preparation courses (examples): mechanical engineering requires MATH 9A–9C, Chemistry 1A/1LA and 1B/1LB and Physics 40A, plus three from a list including ME 002, ME 010, ME 018A/B and PHYS 40B/C; electrical engineering requires MATH 9A–9C, CS 10A, CS 61 and PHYS 40A, plus three more. California community college students can check equivalents on ASSIST.org.
• Dates: UC Application 1 October to 30 November; TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee for California community college students) 1–30 September, so check the TAG page for engineering eligibility; Transfer Academic Update by 31 January.
• Changing major: BCOE says transfer students are rarely allowed to change majors; exceptions require having been admissible to the new major at entry and meeting change-of-major requirements before 120 units.

9. Costs and scholarships (USD)

• 2026-27 on-campus estimates for new first-years: about $46,539 for California residents and $85,809 for non-residents and international students (plus a $300 orientation fee and $315 records fee). The cost page does not list an engineering surcharge.
• Scholarships: the Achievement Scholarship for Nonresidents is automatic (above); the UCR Foundation database lists awards by college and major. BCOE’s admissions page mentions engineering-specific scholarships, but we did not find specific awards or amounts.

Checklist

• Pick your first-choice engineering major and know the change-of-major rules if you are admitted to an alternate
• Non-residents and international applicants: aim for a 3.4+ GPA in grades 10 and 11
• International applicants: take TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo by December of your final year
• Submit the UC Application in the window shown in the system, with four personal insight answers
• Complete the Math Placement Assessment after admission
• Transfers: complete the BCOE calculus, physics and chemistry preparation listed in the guide

Sources: UC Riverside and the University of California, BCOE undergraduate programs; ABET accreditation; Co-op program; BCOE admissions; BCOE curriculum requirements and change of major; First-year admission; Out-of-state students; International applicants; Admissions FAQs; Transfer admission; Transfer majors preparation guide; 2026-27 cost of attendance; UC requirements by country. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check UC Riverside for the latest details.