How to apply to the University of Central Florida for engineering: engineering applicants start as "engineering pending" and need a C in Calculus I and II, physics and chemistry to enter their major; admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At the University of Central Florida (UCF), engineering is taught in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS). This guide covers 2027 entry, based on UCF’s official information, for U.S. students, international students, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Engineering majors

• The college’s academic affairs office lists 12 bachelor’s degrees. The engineering ones are aerospace, civil, computer, construction, electrical, environmental and industrial engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, and photonics science and engineering (offered jointly with the College of Optics and Photonics). The other two are computer science and information technology; computer science has its own guide on this site.
• The pages read do not say which programs are ABET-accredited; check each department’s website.
• Mechanical engineering as an example: 122 credit hours; every course in the basic core, advanced core, restricted electives and capstone needs a C or better, with a GPA of at least 2.250 across those courses; students must also meet the foreign language requirement (two years of one language in high school or one year in college).

2. How admission works, and prerequisites

• “Engineering pending” first: the college says freshmen and transfers who select engineering are classified as engineering pending in their chosen discipline (for example, aerospace engineering pending), not admitted straight into the major.
• Leaving pending status: students must earn a C (2.0) or better in each pending course and be in good academic standing before the college approves a change into a specific engineering major:
  • MAC 2311C Calculus with Analytical Geometry 1;
  • MAC 2312 Calculus with Analytical Geometry 2;
  • PHY 2048C Physics for Engineers and Scientists 1;
  • CHS 1440, CHM 2045C or an equivalent chemistry course.
  The page also mentions meeting “the required GPA” but gives no figure, and the pages read mention no cap. While pending, most upper-level engineering and pre-major courses are restricted.
• Progress policy: seven grades below C, U grades or withdrawals at UCF put a student on lack-of-progress probation; a tenth such attempt, or a third unsuccessful attempt of the same course, excludes the student from all CECS majors, minors and certificates. Two unsuccessful attempts of one course also mean probation, and the third attempt must be at UCF with a C or better.
• High school courses: UCF requires at least 18 high school units: 4 English, 4 mathematics (Algebra 1 and above), 3 science, 3 social science, 2 of one foreign language and 2 academic electives. The pages read give no separate high-school maths or science requirement for engineering.
• AP and IB credit: the pages read do not say which pending courses AP or IB can replace; ask the CECS academic affairs office (eacaf@ucf.edu).

3. Dates and application materials

• How to apply: the UCF undergraduate application or the Common App, with a $30 fee; complete the SPARK self-reported academic record (graduates send an official transcript); the essay is strongly encouraged but not required.
• Testing: official SAT, ACT or CLT scores are required; SAT and ACT scores must be within five years. Fall 2026 admitted freshmen had middle ranges of SAT 1310–1420, ACT 28–32, CLT 91–101 and high school GPA 4.11–4.57, and mechanical engineering was the most common major among them.

4. U.S. students

• Early Action is for U.S. freshmen: the freshman page says non-binding Early Action is for domestic freshmen entering in summer or fall. For summer and fall 2027, apply by 15 October, submit the SPARK form, official test scores and all materials by 15 November, and expect a decision on 4 December.
• Regular Decision: 1 May for fall, 1 November for spring and 1 March for summer, with rolling decisions from January.
• Scholarships: freshmen who meet every Early Action deadline get priority for merit scholarships; funding is limited and is usually used up by mid-January.
• Tuition: the mechanical engineering page lists $212.28 per credit hour in state and $891.07 out of state. The cost page, based on 28 credit hours a year, gives Florida residents $5,954 in tuition and fees plus $8,750 for housing and $6,170 for food, for direct costs of $20,874 (2026-27); non-residents pay $24,960 in tuition and fees, about $45,278 in total on campus.
• College scholarships: current students complete one general application in A2O and are matched to college scholarships they qualify for. The college FAQ says the cycle runs 1 November to 1 February, while the scholarships page lists 1–31 March; follow what A2O shows.
• Florida college transfers: students in DirectConnect to UCF have a dedicated team from their associate degree through their transfer to UCF.

5. International students

• Deadlines: the international page lists, for freshmen coming directly from outside the U.S., 1 April for fall, 1 October for spring and 1 February for summer; for international freshmen already at a U.S. institution, 1 May, 1 November and 1 March; decisions are rolling. The mechanical engineering page’s table lists international deadlines of 1 March for fall, 1 September for spring and 1 January for summer. Both are given here; confirm with Admissions.
• Testing: international freshmen also submit the SAT, ACT or CLT.
• English: non-native speakers show proficiency by one of: IELTS 6.5; TOEFL iBT 4 from January 2026 (80 before); Duolingo 120; CLT Verbal Reasoning plus Grammar/Writing 42; or the relevant SAT or ACT section scores. Applicants from a country where English is the only official language can use that as proof.
• Credential evaluation: international high school credentials are evaluated by UCF and need no outside agency; international college credentials go to WES, TEC or Josef Silny.
• Aid: students on F-1, J-1 and similar visas are not eligible for federal student aid.

6. Applicants from China

• Documents: UCF’s international secondary credentials country guide (version 1.0, approved in 2017) lists, for China, the senior high school graduation certificate, academic transcript and general education (huikao) examination results; a certified photocopy of the graduation certificate is accepted if the school sends it in a sealed envelope. After admission, verification reports for the examination results must be sent directly to UCF by CDGDC or CHESICC. Documents not in English need a certified translation.
• Gaokao: neither the guide nor the pages read say how Gaokao results are used; ask international admissions (uainternational@ucf.edu).
• Testing, English and deadlines are as in section 5.

7. Transfer students

• Three tiers by transferable credit: with fewer than 30 hours, meet the freshman high-school unit, GPA and test requirements; with 30–59, a C or better in English composition and college maths plus foreign language at the second high-school level; with 60 or more, two English composition and two college maths courses at C or better plus the same language requirement. A college GPA of at least 2.0 is required, and meeting minimums does not guarantee admission.
• Engineering pending applies: transfers who choose engineering also start as pending; if every pending course is complete and posted before orientation, they can request the change of major then.
• Deadlines: 1 June for fall, 1 November for spring and 1 March for summer; international transfers coming directly from abroad have 1 May, 1 October and 1 February.

8. Checklist

U.S. students:

• For Early Action, apply by 15 October and complete materials by 15 November for scholarship priority; otherwise fall closes 1 May
• Take the SAT, ACT or CLT; complete four years of high school maths

International students (including applicants from China):

• Apply from abroad by 1 April for fall (the major page says 1 March; confirm the earlier date)
• SAT, ACT or CLT plus IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4 (new scale) or Duolingo 120; students from China send the graduation certificate, transcript and huikao results, verified through CHESICC or CDGDC after admission

All engineering freshmen:

• Start as engineering pending; Calculus I and II, Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and chemistry each need a C or better before entering the major

Transfer students:

• Prepare English composition and college maths for your credit tier; ideally finish the pending courses before transferring
• Fall deadline 1 June (1 May for international transfers from abroad); have non-U.S. college transcripts evaluated by WES or similar

Sources: University of Central Florida, Engineering major status and declaration; CECS degree programs; CECS progress policy; CECS FAQ; CECS scholarships; BS in Mechanical Engineering (with catalog requirements); Freshman admission; International admission; International secondary credentials country guide (PDF); Transfer admission; Cost of attendance. Costs for 2027-28 have not been published; figures quoted are the cost page estimates. Check UCF’s website for the latest.