How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Arizona: 18 Undergraduate Majors, Entry as “No Major Selected” Then Declaring a Major, with Admission Methods and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At the University of Arizona in Tucson, undergraduate engineering is offered by the College of Engineering, which says it has 18 undergraduate majors. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on the university’s official information, split into domestic students, international students, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science and Engineering is also part of the college; the site has a separate guide to computer science, so it is not covered here.

1. The undergraduate majors

• 18 majors: Aerospace Engineering; Architectural Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Biosystems Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Industrial Engineering; Integrated Business and Engineering; Intelligence & Information Operations (bachelor of applied science); Materials Science and Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Mining Engineering; Optical Sciences & Engineering; Software Engineering; Systems Engineering.
• Degree names: the ABET page lists most programs as BS degrees and the programs overview marks Intelligence & Information Operations as bachelor of applied science. The pages reviewed do not name the degree for every major (for example Integrated Business and Engineering); not published there, see each major’s page.
• ABET: the college says its Main Campus undergraduate degree programs, except Computer Science and Engineering, are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Computer Science and Engineering, the newest program, becomes eligible to request ABET evaluation after graduating its first cohort.

2. Admission method: enter as “No Major Selected,” then declare

• On the application: complete the University of Arizona application, indicate Engineering (All Majors) as your intended degree, and select a second-choice major. There is no supplemental application for the college.
• After you arrive: first-year students are enrolled as “Engineering, No Major Selected” until they are ready to declare and have met the requirements. ENGR 102 is an exploratory course to help choose. The college says the major declaration process is non-competitive, with no caps or quotas, and that most engineering students spend the first year with no major selected.
• Honors College students: those also admitted to the Honors College may be able to pre-select one of the 18 majors before orientation.
• Conditions to declare (the college’s change-of-major page, for No Major Selected students and UA students outside the college): MATH 120R (calculus ready) with a C or better; at least 12 UA units of engineering-curriculum coursework with a GPA that meets the major’s advanced standing requirement (if Calculus I was passed with a C, grades in required supporting coursework must be higher); and a UA cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. The page warns that you can be denied even with the GPA if math, science and engineering grades are not strong enough.
• Minimum GPA by major (the same list appears for declaring and for Advanced Standing): 2.50 for Aerospace, Biomedical, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical & Computer, Mechanical, Optical Sciences & Engineering and Software Engineering; 2.30 for Chemical and Environmental; 2.25 for Architectural and Civil; 2.00 for Biosystems, Industrial, Materials Science & Engineering, Mining and Systems Engineering. The college says requirements change from time to time, so confirm with the major adviser. The admissions page says declaration has no caps while the change-of-major page sets GPA and course conditions; both are stated here.
• Moving into the college from another UA college: not guaranteed; apply for a change of major under the conditions above, and results are sent to your UA email. Application deadlines for 2026-27 were 6 September 2026 (students outside the college) and 1 October 2026 (No Major Selected students and changes within the college), reopening 11 December 2026. Dates for 2027-28 are not published on the pages reviewed; check the change-of-major page.
• Advanced Standing: the college says it means students are ready for 300- and 400-level engineering courses. It requires the freshman and sophomore courses of the chosen degree, with at least 12 units completed at UA. The GPA counts only required math, science, English and engineering courses; each department sets it and none is below 2.00.

3. Prerequisites and math placement

• High school courses (Arizona Board of Regents requirements, university-wide): 4 years of English; 4 years of math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and an advanced math course for which Algebra II is a prerequisite); 3 years of laboratory science (biology, chemistry, physics, earth science or integrated lab science); 2 years of social science (1 of American history); 2 years of the same second language; 1 year of fine arts or career and technical education. The site lists physics and chemistry as options within lab science and does not require specific ones for engineering applicants.
• What the college reviews: core GPA as defined by ABOR (minimum 3.0 required for the College of Engineering), math and science completion and grades, senior-year coursework, rigor (AP, IB, honors), an optional ACT or SAT score, and an optional personal statement.
• Math placement: after admission, take the ALEKS PPL in the Next Steps Center (the college recommends taking it as soon as it appears, with time to review and retest). The four-year plans begin with Calculus I, but the college stresses starting in the correct math class, which may be a different course. An SAT or ACT score can also help placement.
• AP and dual enrollment: scores and classes can earn credit and help placement, and the full AP score-to-course list is on the university’s site; submit scores before orientation. How IB credit applies to engineering courses is not on the pages reviewed; not published there, use the transfer credit tool or ask engineering admissions (520-621-6030, engr-admissions@arizona.edu).

4. Rounds, fees and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• First-year timeline: the application opens 1 August 2026; 1 November 2026 is the Early Action deadline (priority for admission, merit aid and Honors College admission); Early Action decisions begin 15 January 2027; later applications go to Regular Decision on a space-available basis; the enrollment fee is due by 1 May (National College Decision Day).
• How to apply: first-year students apply through the Common App (about an hour, the university says). You self-report grades, and coursework is verified from the official transcript after admission.
• Application fee: $50 for Arizona residents and $80 for non-residents, non-transferable and non-refundable.
• Essay: the university “strongly encourages” the 500-word essay, while the college lists a personal statement as optional. The college says no supplemental application is required. The Honors College adds its own prompt.
• Recommendation letters: the pages reviewed do not list them as required; they appear only as an optional supplement for Honors applicants. Check the Common App requirements.
• Testing: the college is “test-optional”; applicants without a score are not penalized. Scores can be used to meet core competency requirements or support placement, and must come directly from the testing agency.

5. Domestic students

• Tuition: the university’s annual estimate for Arizona residents is tuition and fees $13,900, housing and food $17,770, books $600 and travel and miscellaneous $5,000, for about $37,270. The table is labelled “2026-2026 figures”, which appears to be a typo. Tuition and mandatory fees will not rise in 2027-28 for undergraduates, including non-residents.
• College fee: the university’s college fee page puts the College of Engineering in its highest tier (CF4): undergraduate $1,800 a year for residents and $2,600 for non-residents. The page does not give the academic year or say whether the fee is included in the estimates above; check the tuition calculator.
• Resident preference or guarantee: the pages reviewed do not describe a preferred or guaranteed admission route for state residents; the high school requirements page says no applicant is guaranteed admission into a specific major.
• Aid: applicants are reviewed automatically for merit scholarships; the competitive tuition award for Arizona residents is the Wildcat Tuition Award. Need-based aid needs a FAFSA (school code 001083). College awards: beginning fall 2027, National Merit Semifinalists and Finalists, Flinn Scholar Semifinalists and Finalists and College Board National Recognition Scholars are eligible for a $1,000 Engineering Scholar Award for the first year. The same groups can apply for the Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Scholarship, about $5,000 a year, renewable for four years with a 3.5 cumulative GPA; the fall 2027 application opens in spring 2027. Undergraduates from Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes pay no tuition or mandatory fees on the Tucson campus through the Arizona Native Scholars Grant.
• Proposition 308: qualifying non-citizen Arizona high school graduates (at least two years in Arizona high school or equivalent, and graduated or earned an equivalency diploma in Arizona) can receive in-state tuition.

6. International students

• Review: UA International Admissions reviews all international first-year and transfer applications to the college. The college lists: cumulative GPA, English proficiency, TOEFL/IELTS scores, math and science coursework (notably calculus and physics), and academic rigor and performance.
• English (fall 2027 entry): IELTS Academic 6.5; TOEFL iBT 79 (4 on the post-January 2026 scale); Duolingo 110; PTE Academic 60; Cambridge English 180 or C1; SAT EBRW 580; ACT English 21; and others, dated within 2 years of applying. Coursework also counts: IB English A HL 5; a C in English at Cambridge IGCSE, O Level or higher; 3 years at a school where English is the medium of instruction with a C or better; or 4 years of regular English (not ESL) at an accredited American or IB high school. Applicants who qualify are marked complete during review, with no action at application, though more documents may be requested later. The university also says applicants with 3 years of regular English at an accredited American high school (domestic or abroad) with a C or better need not demonstrate proficiency.
• Transcripts: all documents with the application must be in English; the university recommends a certified translation service (a local company or a credential evaluation company), and final official transcripts must be translated too. Credential evaluation requirements are not published on the pages reviewed.
• Proof of funds: not on the pages reviewed; contact International Admissions (intladmissions@arizona.edu).
• Scholarships: applicants are reviewed automatically for merit aid. The Arizona Tuition Award is described for “non-Arizona high school graduates”; whether it is open to international students, and whether college awards are, is not stated on the pages reviewed. Ask engineering admissions. The university says about 140 countries are represented among its students.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages reviewed do not mention the gaokao or any conversion of Chinese scores; not published there, ask International Admissions (intladmissions@arizona.edu).
• Transcripts and huikao: the university says international students follow the same process as U.S. students, choosing the application type that fits their background. Specific requirements for Chinese high school transcripts and huikao materials are not published on the pages reviewed.
• Country page, interviews, credential agencies: the international undergraduate page reviewed has no China-specific page, interview or designated evaluation agency.
• A-level, IB and AP students: English can be met through coursework (IB English A HL 5, or a C in IGCSE/O Level English); AP credit mapping is on the university’s site. For engineering, the college stresses calculus and physics coursework and grades.
• English tests: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79 (new scale 4), Duolingo 110, PTE 60 and others, as above.

8. Transfer students

• University requirements: 12 or more transferable post-high-school credits; under 22 at the start of the term, you also need the core competency requirements; a minimum 2.0 cumulative college GPA. Deadlines: spring 2027, 1 December 2026; fall 2027 opens 1 January and closes 1 June 2027.
• The college’s approach: transfer students apply through the UA system directly to a specific engineering major, reviewed by UA Admissions and the college. About 20 percent of the incoming class are transfers. Criteria: transferable GPA as determined by UA Admissions, Calculus I with a C or better, performance in math and science, recentness of coursework, plus program fit and major-specific GPA.
• Major GPA guidelines: 2.50 for Aerospace, Biomedical, Mechanical, Optical Sciences & Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical & Computer and Software Engineering; 2.30 for Chemical and Environmental; 2.25 for Architectural and Civil; 2.00 for Industrial, Materials Science & Engineering, Biosystems, Mining and Systems Engineering. The college calls these a general rule, the same as the minimums for current students seeking advanced standing.
• Course sequences: only Calculus I (C or better) is named on the transfer page. Physics and chemistry sequences are not listed there; check the target major’s four-year plan or book a pre-transfer adviser (virtual drop-in Wednesdays 2 to 4 p.m., or email engr-advising@arizona.edu).
• Credit transfer: use Arizona Transfer Admissions Pathways, the Arizona Course Equivalency Guide and the Transfer Credit Guide; the college warns that agreements can change and transfer credit does not guarantee admission.
• Transfer awards: domestic transfers admitted to Main Campus engineering who qualify automatically receive a $750 Get Started Award for the first semester; those with a transferable GPA of 3.0 or higher also get a $750 merit award for semester two, $1,500 in total. Second-year renewal needs a Scholarship Universe application and a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The page speaks of domestic transfer students; eligibility for international transfers is not stated.

9. Paid internships and co-op

The college mentions internships and the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program. The pages reviewed do not describe a paid co-op program; not published there, ask engineering admissions or career services.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Apply through the Common App by 1 November 2026; choose Engineering (All Majors) and a second-choice major
• A core GPA of 3.0 or higher and 4 years of math; take the ALEKS placement exam after admission
• Residents apply for the Wildcat Tuition Award and file the FAFSA

International students (including applicants from China):

• Apply by the same 1 November date; IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 79 (new scale 4), or meet English through coursework
• Prepare strong calculus and physics results; translate documents into English
• Gaokao, proof of funds and credential evaluation are not published; contact International Admissions

Transfer students:

• 12+ credits and a 2.0 GPA; apply directly to a specific major; deadlines 1 June (fall) and 1 December (spring)
• Calculus I with a C or better; compare your GPA with the major guideline; book an adviser early

Sources: The University of Arizona, College of Engineering undergraduate programs; Engineering undergraduate admissions; Engineering first-year students; Math placement; Engineering international students; Engineering transfer students; Current UA students; Engineering change of major; Advanced standing; ABET accreditation; Engineering scholarships; Incoming first-year engineering scholarships; First-year application; High school requirements; International admissions and English requirements; Deadlines; Transfer application; Cost and aid; First-year merit scholarships; College fees. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check the University of Arizona for the latest details.