How to apply to UAB for engineering: six engineering majors in the School of Engineering, direct admission to a major with an ACT math score of 22 (or SAT equivalent) and a 3.00 high school GPA, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), undergraduate engineering is offered by the School of Engineering. Here is what you need to know, based on UAB’s website and catalog, for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is covered in a separate guide and is not discussed here.

1. Degrees and majors

• Six engineering majors: biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering design, materials engineering and mechanical engineering. The undergraduate page says five departments and six majors, while the catalog introduction lists four departments (biomedical; civil, construction and environmental; electrical and computer; mechanical and materials); the two do not match, so check with the School. There are also 13 minors and fast-track bachelor’s-plus-master’s programs (one each for biomedical, civil, electrical, materials and mechanical).
• ABET: the catalog says the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical, Civil, Electrical, Materials and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; the Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a major in Engineering Design “will seek accreditation as soon as it is eligible”, and the page does not say it is accredited yet.
• Graduation: at least 128 semester hours and a 2.00 engineering GPA; biomedical engineering students also need a 2.50 institutional GPA and a C or better in all BME courses.
• Reasonable progress: complete at least two courses applicable to your engineering program every academic year.

2. Admission: direct to a major, or Undeclared Engineering

The catalog is specific for first-term freshmen:

• Direct admission to a major: meet UAB’s general admission requirements, plus an ACT math sub score of 22 (or SAT equivalent) and a 3.00 high school GPA, to be admitted to biomedical, civil, electrical and computer, engineering design, materials or mechanical engineering. Students undecided on a major are admitted as Undeclared Engineering.
• A second route below 22: students with an ACT math score below 22 (or SAT equivalent) and a high school GPA of 3.00 or higher who then place into MA 105 Pre-Calculus Algebra or higher in the pre-calculus sequence can be admitted to their chosen major.
• Everyone else: admitted as Undeclared – Interest in Engineering in the Vulcan Materials Academic Success Center, which is not a School of Engineering major.
• Time limit: an Undeclared Engineering student who has not chosen an engineering major within 64 hours may be dismissed from the School.
• Capacity: the catalog does not mention enrollment limits or whether placement is guaranteed. How a test-optional applicant meets the “ACT math 22” condition is not stated in the catalog or the test-optional policy; UAB has not published it; ask admissions (chooseuab@uab.edu) or the School. The policy only says students without a test score must take math and English placement assessments.
• Advising: School advisors advise you until you finish MA 125 Calculus I and MA 126 Calculus II with a C or better, earn 24 hours at UAB, and reach UAB and cumulative GPAs of 2.20 (2.50 for biomedical engineering); then faculty advisors in your program take over.
• Moving in or between majors: the requirements for switching into the School or between its majors are the same as for transfers (section 8).

3. Prerequisites and credit by exam

• Recommended high school preparation (catalog): four units of English; four of mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus); four of science (biology, chemistry and physics strongly recommended); four of social science. UAB’s minimum for all freshmen is listed separately: English 4, social sciences 3, mathematics 3, natural sciences 3 (two with labs), other academic courses 4.
• Required early courses: engineering students complete MA 125 Calculus I, EGR 103 Computer Aided Graphics and Design, CH 115 / 115R / 116 General Chemistry I with lab, and PH 221 and PH 222 General Physics (or other approved Scientific Inquiry courses); EGR 200 Introduction to Engineering is encouraged.
• AP credit (catalog AP chart, passing score and hours): Calculus AB 4 gives MA 125 (4 hours); Calculus BC 3 gives MA 125 (4 hours) and BC 4 gives MA 125 and 126 (8 hours); Chemistry 4 gives CH 115 and 117 (6 hours) and 5 gives CH 115–118 (8 hours); Physics C: Mechanics 4 gives PH 221 (4 hours) and Physics C: E&M 4 gives PH 222 (4 hours); Physics 1 and Physics 2 at 3 give PH 201 and PH 202.
• IB credit: the credit page says IB standard- and higher-level scores of 5 or higher can earn credit; see the chart. Examples: Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL 6 gives MA 125 (4 hours), Physics HL 5 gives PH 201 and 202 (8 hours), Chemistry HL 5 gives CH 115–118 (8 hours).
• Limit: at most 45 semester hours of exam-based credit can count toward a degree. The pages do not say course by course whether AP or IB physics credit satisfies the PH 221/222 listed for engineering; UAB has not published it, so ask the School.

4. How and when to apply, and testing

• Application: the UAB application or the Common App; $40 fee, with fee waivers available. Send an official high school transcript directly from your school, electronically or by mail.
• Dates (fall 2027): UAB priority deadlines are 15 May for summer and 1 June for fall; later applications are considered as space and funds allow. Scholarship deadlines are in section 5.
• Testing: students with a weighted high school GPA of 3.5 or higher may apply test-optional; a weighted GPA of 3.49 or below requires a test score. Test-optional admission ends after the summer/fall 2027 cycle; applicants for fall 2028 and later must submit scores. For applicants who submit scores, UAB recommends a composite of at least 20 on the ACT or 1030 on the SAT and does not superscore. Review is holistic: GPA, grades in required coursework, and rigor (AP, IB, honors).
• Essay and recommendations: the freshman how-to-apply and requirements pages list neither an essay nor recommendations, and the School does not mention a supplemental essay; UAB has not published more, so follow the checklist in your application.

5. U.S. students: costs, scholarships and internships

• Tuition: the detailed tuition page (2026-2027) shows an undergraduate School of Engineering summary of $12,450 for in-state and $31,140 for out-of-state students without stating how many terms that covers; charges are per credit hour, $471 in-state and $1,175 out-of-state for engineering (versus $399 and $994 for arts and sciences and education). The cost-of-attendance table for on-campus freshmen (2026-2027, 15 hours in each of two semesters) shows tuition and fees of $11,970 in-state and $29,820 out-of-state and direct costs of $30,526 and $48,376; that table does not vary by school, so it differs from the engineering figures above.
• In-state freshman scholarships (2027-2028, awarded automatically from the application): Presidential (ACT 30–36 or SAT 1360–1600 with GPA 3.5+) $12,000 a year; Provost $8,000; Green & Gold $5,000; Blazer $4,000; test-optional students with a 3.5+ GPA $4,000–$12,000. The deadline is 15 January 2027; the page also says the in-state deadline was extended to 23 February. We give both.
• Out-of-state freshman scholarships: Presidential Elite $28,500 (ACT 32–36, GPA 4.0+), Presidential $22,500, Provost $17,500, Green & Gold $9,500, Blazer $7,500; test-optional $7,500–$28,500. The deadline is 1 May 2027.
• National scholarships (stackable): National Merit Finalist $4,000; National Recognition Program Scholar and IB or Cambridge AICE Diploma holders $2,500 (the last two need the BSMART General Scholarship Application, which opens 1 August and is due 1 April). The pages say applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees/asylees or able to demonstrate lawful presence.
• Engineering-specific scholarships: we found no School of Engineering scholarship page; departmental awards go through BSMART, and amounts are not published on the pages we read.
• Guaranteed internships: the School guarantees internships for incoming students who are engineering or pre-engineering majors, keep a 2.5 UAB GPA, have no conduct sanctions, and are U.S. citizens, permanent residents or have permission to work legally in the U.S.; they take the 0-credit career readiness course and attend recruiting events each semester during their first four semesters and submit an applicant packet in sophomore year.

6. International students

• How to apply: UAB says students who live and attend high school in the U.S. use the UAB application or the Common App; students who live and attend high school outside the U.S. apply through INTO UAB. INTO UAB is a third-party application site that we did not visit; check it and UAB’s international page for its requirements.
• Materials: application, $40 fee, official English proficiency proof if English is not your first language, and official transcripts (all documents in English); students in the U.S. also send proof of immigration status. Review is holistic: curriculum strength, grades, GPA and test scores.
• Deadlines (no year stated): fall priority 1 June, spring 1 November, summer 15 May.
• English scores (valid for two years): TOEFL 77, TOEFL Essentials 8.5, IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each section, IELA 176, Duolingo 120, GaoKao 120. Not required after two years at a U.S. high school or 24 transferable semester hours at a U.S. college.
• Engineering conditions: the same as for U.S. students (section 2: ACT math 22 and a 3.00 GPA); how this is applied to international applicants has not been published. The international pages we read do not mention financial documents or credential evaluation.
• Costs: the 2026-2027 estimate for on-campus international freshmen is $32,490 in tuition and fees, $51,046 in direct costs and $57,211 in total (not specific to engineering, whose per-hour tuition is higher).
• Scholarships: the UAB International Scholarship is $7,500 a year for students living outside the U.S. who enroll as first-year, full-time students after graduating from a non-U.S. secondary school within the last three years with at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA, with no postsecondary work, expecting an F-1 visa. It is considered automatically on admission, first come first served, renewable for four years in total, and not available with governmental or other external support. You must be admitted by 1 May (August intake) or 1 November (January intake). Other awards, such as IB and AICE scholarships, go through BSMART (due 1 April).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the English proficiency table lists “GaoKao 120” as accepted proof, without stating the scale. Whether and how the overall Gaokao score is used has not been published; ask admissions.
• Transcripts: all documents must be in English and transcripts must be sent directly from your school. Huikao records, credential evaluation and interviews are not described on the pages we read.
• China-specific page: we found none; applications from high schools outside the U.S. go through INTO UAB.
• Entering engineering: as in section 2; AP Calculus and IB math can earn credit for MA 125 (section 3).

8. Transfer students

• Entering the School (catalog): transfer, readmitted, post-baccalaureate and change-of-major students need a minimum overall GPA of 2.20 and math placement in MA 105 or higher to be admitted to civil, electrical and computer, engineering design, materials or mechanical engineering; those undecided are admitted as Undeclared Engineering. Biomedical engineering requires a 3.00 overall GPA; students who meet the math requirement with a 2.20–2.99 GPA are admitted as Undeclared Engineering. Students moving into biomedical engineering from other UAB schools need a 3.00 UAB GPA.
• Transfer credit: the School may accept engineering courses from a two-year college if the UAB program has reviewed the syllabus and finds the content, rigor and prerequisites equivalent; the course is at freshman or sophomore level (no junior or senior courses); and the college offers engineering courses in partnership with or under the supervision of an ABET-accredited four-year engineering program. Engineering technology courses are generally not accepted.
• Applying: the international transfer page asks for the application, the $40 fee, English proof if needed and official transcripts from every U.S. college attended; the domestic transfer page we read was incomplete, and UAB has not published more there. International transfer priority deadlines match the freshman ones: fall 1 June, spring 1 November, summer 15 May.
• Transfer scholarships (2027-2028, awarded from the application): Transfer Excellence $4,000 (GPA 3.5–4.0) and Transfer Pathway $2,000 (3.0–3.49); Phi Theta Kappa members get another $3,000. Priority deadlines: summer and fall 1 March, spring 1 December. Students at Alabama community colleges can compete for the Transfer Presidential Scholarship of $12,500 a year for up to four semesters.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Fall 2027: apply by 15 January (in-state scholarships; page also says extended to 23 February) or 1 May (out-of-state scholarships); priority admission deadline 1 June; $40 fee
• ACT math 22 (or SAT equivalent) plus a 3.0 GPA for direct admission to a major; weighted GPA 3.5+ may go test-optional but takes placement tests
• Plan MA 125, CH 115, PH 221/222 and EGR 103; AP Calculus AB 4 gives credit for MA 125

International students (including applicants from China):

• High schools outside the U.S. apply through INTO UAB; fall priority deadline 1 June; TOEFL 77, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 120 or GaoKao 120
• UAB International Scholarship $7,500 a year with a 3.0/4.0 GPA, admitted by 1 May
• Use of the overall Gaokao score is not published; ask admissions

Transfer students:

• Overall GPA 2.20 (3.00 for biomedical engineering) and math placement in MA 105 or higher; community college engineering courses need program review

Sources: University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Engineering undergraduate programs; Catalog: School of Engineering (2025-2026); Guaranteed Internship Program; AP credit chart; IB credit chart; IB/AP/CLEP college credit; Freshman: how to apply; Freshman admission requirements; Test-optional admission policy; International freshman applicants; International transfer applicants; Estimated costs; Detailed tuition and fees; In-state freshman scholarships; Out-of-state freshman scholarships; Transfer scholarships; International scholarships. The catalog is labelled 2025-2026, costs are 2026-2027, scholarships are 2027-2028, and the international deadline pages do not state a year; check the UAB website for the latest.