How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Oklahoma: Gallogly College of Engineering, Choosing an Engineering Major or Engineering: Exploratory on the Application, a C in Every Course to Progress, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Undergraduate engineering at the University of Oklahoma (OU) is offered by the Gallogly College of Engineering on the Norman campus. This guide follows OU’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer science is offered by the School of Computer Science within the College and has its own guide on this site, so it is not covered here.

1. Engineering degrees at OU

• Number of degrees: the degree programs page says the College offers “37 different undergraduate degree options”, in the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, the School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science (CEES), the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the School of Computer Science, the Engineering Physics program and the OU Polytechnic Institute (OUPI). Petroleum Engineering is in the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, not in the Gallogly College.
• Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees on the 2026-27 checksheets: Aerospace Engineering; Mechanical Engineering (standard and pre-med); Biomedical Engineering; Chemical Engineering (standard, bioengineering, pre-med and sustainability versions); Civil Engineering; Architectural Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Science; Computer Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Industrial Engineering (standard and pre-med); Engineering Analytics; Engineering Physics; and, in OUPI, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Software Development and Integration (the transfer page also lists Digital Manufacturing and Healthcare Information Systems).
• ABET accreditation: the 11 checksheets we read (Aerospace, Mechanical standard, Biomedical, Chemical standard, Civil, Architectural, Environmental Engineering, Electrical, Computer Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Engineering Physics) each state that the degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. We did not read the checksheets for the other degrees; check OU.
• Credit hours: those 11 checksheets list minimum totals of 120–129 credit hours (for example Mechanical Engineering standard 121, Civil 125, Aerospace 126, Computer Engineering 128 and Architectural 129), and encourage students to complete a minimum number of applicable hours a year to graduate in four years: 30–33 depending on the degree (for example Mechanical Engineering 31, Industrial and Systems Engineering 30 and Architectural Engineering 33; the figure on the Aerospace checksheet could not be read).
• Internships and co-op: advising pages mention help with internships, scholarships and undergraduate research; a required co-op program is not described. This is not published on the pages we read; ask the Williams Student Services Center.

2. Admission and progression

• University-wide review: the future students page says freshman applications are reviewed holistically by the university, considering high school GPA, academic rigor, ACT/SAT scores, activities, writing, leadership, letters of recommendation and more. You select an engineering major on the application, or “Engineering: Exploratory” (mentioned in the scholarship text). A separate engineering admission cutoff or quota is not published; ask OU Admissions or the College’s recruitment team (goengineering@ou.edu).
• Math starting point: after admission you may need to take the ALEKS math placement test to decide your first math course; OU may issue a Math Offer, which ALEKS can verify or improve. The College provides math prep sessions (Engineering Math Prep/EMPOWER).
• Engineering Catalyst: for students whose first fall math class comes before Calculus I (MATH 1005, 1503 or 1523). It is a two-year program with specially designed courses, individual advising and a peer community, a separate selective application (which can be made before admission to OU) with limited places, and a $1,500-per-semester scholarship for two years; scholars must keep a 2.50 OU retention GPA. The published timeline is for the 2026–2027 cohort (initial review from March 1, 2026, notification April 1, then rolling); the 2027–2028 timeline is not published.
• Summer Bridge: a four-week on-campus program for admitted freshmen planning to study engineering, including an OU math course and about 50 other first-year engineering students.
• Progression rule: the 11 checksheets we read say that to progress in the College, and as a graduation requirement, a grade of C or better is required in every course in the curriculum, including all prerequisite courses. The Mechanical Engineering checksheet sets minimum graduation GPAs of 2.00 for overall, major and curriculum. The checksheets list the first-year course ENGR 1413 Pathways to Engineering Thinking; transfer students take the engineering transfer course instead.
• Changing majors: whether there are extra requirements to move into an engineering major from another college or another engineering major is not described on the pages we read; ask the Williams Student Services Center.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• OU’s high school course requirements (freshman requirements page): 4 units of English (grammar, composition, literature), 3 units of college-prep math (4 recommended; algebra I and II, geometry, trigonometry, math analysis, calculus or AP Statistics), 3 units of laboratory science (4 recommended, not general science), 3 units of history and citizenship, and 2 more units from those subjects, computer science or foreign language. These are the courses listed on the freshman requirements page; the pages do not say the College sets higher high school course requirements.
• Math: the checksheets require MATH 1914 Calculus I, and the Mechanical Engineering footnote says MATH 1914, 2924 and 2934 can be replaced by MATH 1823, 2423, 2433 and 2443. Your starting course depends on the Math Offer or ALEKS.
• AP credit (Registrar table): under Oklahoma law, institutions in the state system cannot require an AP score above 3 to award credit. For example, Calculus AB 4–5 earns MATH 1914 and 3 earns MATH 1823 plus one elective credit; Chemistry 4–5 earns CHEM 1315 and 1415. Calculus BC and Physics have more entries; see the table.
• IB credit: credit may be awarded for Higher Level exams scoring 4 or higher, course by course as recommended by the OU department. For example HL Chemistry 4–7 earns CHEM 1315 and 1415; HL Mathematics: analysis and approaches 4 earns MATH 1523, 5 earns MATH 1823 and 6–7 earns MATH 1823 and 2423; HL Physics 4–7 earns PHYS 2414 and 2424.
• Whether credit meets the checksheet: the pages do not say whether, for example, PHYS 2414/2424 from IB Physics replaces the checksheet’s PHYS 2514; ask an engineering adviser.

4. Deadlines, materials and fees

• Freshman dates (admissions freshman page, no year shown; the footer is dated December 2025): the application opens August 1; Early Action closes November 1; the final scholarship admission deadline is December 15; the final admission deadline is February 1; April 30 is the last day to update ACT/SAT scores; the enrollment deposit is due May 1. Check whether the page has been updated for fall 2027.
• Application route and fee: the OU Application, the Common Application or the Coalition application (Scoir), choose one; the non-refundable fee is $50 for domestic applicants and $90 for international applicants.
• Materials: an official high school transcript (at least six semesters, with an unweighted 4.0 GPA and class rank); an essay; optional letters of recommendation (up to three, from a high school official such as a counselor or teacher); optional ACT/SAT/CLT scores.
• Testing: OU is test-optional; you choose whether scores are used in your review; ACT and SAT scores are superscored and may be self-reported, to be verified before enrollment. International students are not required to submit scores but may submit them for higher scholarships. The average ACT for fall 2026 students was 25.1.
• Decision factors: GPA in core courses, course rigor and ACT/SAT (encouraged) matter most, then activities, essay and recommendations. The page says a high test score will not compensate for a noncompetitive GPA, and D or F grades in the junior or senior year should be addressed.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Cost (2026-27): undergraduates pay flat-rate tuition for 12 or more hours per semester (up to 21 hours). The cost page’s on-campus estimate for Oklahoma residents is tuition $5,532, fees $9,971, books $800 and housing and food $16,381, with a total of $40,145 including personal, transportation and loan fees; non-residents pay $24,210 tuition and an on-campus total of $58,823.
• College fee: the Bursar page lists an engineering undergraduate college program and technology fee of $209.25 per credit hour (Arts & Sciences is $135.75), including an additional $41.20 per credit hour; college fees are charged per credit hour and are not included in flat-rate tuition. The cost page also estimates a one-time $2,000 laptop cost for undergraduates in architecture, art, engineering, computer science and petroleum engineering.
• Scholarships (fall 2027 entry): freshmen who apply by December 15 are considered automatically, with no extra application, and may receive only one merit award. Oklahoma residents are tiered by scores and GPA, for example the Award of Excellence ($16,000, or $4,000 a year for four years) at 31 ACT or 1390 SAT with a 3.5 GPA; test-optional residents may receive $4,000–$8,000. Non-residents receive $70,000 ($17,500 a year) at the same level, and $24,000–$48,000 if test-optional. Residents with family income up to $60,000 can use Oklahoma’s Promise and Crimson Commitment; OU Onward covers $60,000–$75,000.
• Engineering first-year scholarship: apply to OU by December 15, select any engineering major (including Engineering: Exploratory) and have a completed FAFSA on file; awards are holistic and vary.
• In-state preference: guaranteed admission for residents is not described; residents get lower tuition and different scholarships, as above.

6. International applicants

• Admission requirements: a recognized certificate of completion that qualifies for university entrance in your country, with grades equivalent to a B average or 3.0 on the unweighted 4.0 scale; applicants must be 17 before classes start and their class of peers must have graduated. Official transcripts come from every school attended; where secondary school includes standardized graduation exams and certificates, submit official copies; documents not in English need the original plus an official or certified translation.
• Dates (outside the U.S.): freshman fall application February 1 with credentials by April 15; spring entry November 1 with credentials by November 15. International students already studying in the U.S. follow the U.S. freshman or transfer deadlines. For international scholarships, apply by December 15.
• Materials: official transcripts, proof of English proficiency and the passport name page; a $90 fee, without which the application is not reviewed. Recommendation letters are optional.
• English tests: TOEFL iBT 79 (generally at least 20 in each section), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo English Test 100 or PTE Academic 53; TOEFL and IELTS scores over two years old at the start of the term are not accepted (unless you have been attending school in the U.S. since the test date). Other ways include U.S. high school work, secondary education in a country where English is the native language and language of instruction, or 24 semester hours of college work in the U.S. or such a country. OU keeps a separate list of approved native-English-speaking countries that we did not read.
• Scholarships: international freshman awards are tiered by SAT/ACT: for example $70,000 ($17,500 a year for four years) at 31 ACT or 1390 SAT and above, and $48,000 ($12,000 a year) at 24–25 ACT or 1160–1220 SAT; test-optional applicants are also considered (amounts not listed). OU notes that awards above tuition and required fees may be taxable for nonresident aliens under U.S. tax law.
• Proof of funds: after admission International Student Services requires financial documents showing funds for a year of study and living costs, dated within 90 days, showing bank name, account number (partial is acceptable), holder’s name and balance; documents in someone else’s name need a support letter. The I-20 or DS-2019 is then issued, which OU says typically takes 3–10 business days.
• 2026-27 estimate for international undergraduates: tuition $24,210; fees $10,125 ($9,971 mandatory plus the $154 international student maintenance fee); housing and food $16,381; books $800; medical insurance $2,795; personal $2,000; total $56,311. The Bursar page also lists an international student fee of $77.25 per fall or spring semester.
• Engineering requirement for non-residents: the international page states that non-residents of Oklahoma applying for an engineering or computer science program must have a B average (3.0) on all college work attempted. It is listed among the international undergraduate admission requirements alongside the freshman, transfer and non-degree entries; the page does not say whether it applies to students entering directly from high school, so ask Admissions.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international undergraduate page does not mention the Gaokao and has no China-specific page, so this is not published. Ask International Admissions (intladmissions@ou.edu) whether and how Gaokao results should be sent.
• Transcripts and exam certificates: official transcripts from every school are required, and “if secondary school in your country includes standardized graduation exams and certificates, official copies should be submitted”; the page does not name China’s huikao or academic proficiency exams. Chinese-language documents need the original plus an official or certified English translation.
• International curricula: AP scores of 3 or higher and IB Higher Level scores of 4 or higher may earn credit; see Section 3.
• Testing and English: the SAT or ACT is not required for international admission; English needs TOEFL 79, IELTS 6.5, DET 100 or PTE 53, among other routes. SAT/ACT scores can be used for scholarships.
• Interviews and credential evaluators: interviews are not mentioned and no specific credential evaluation agency is named. For international transfer credit, the institution must be recognized by that country’s Ministry of Education (see transfers).

8. Transfer students

• Admission: there are two paths to assured admission: a minimum 2.5 GPA with at least 24 non-remedial credit hours, or an Associate of Arts or Science from an accredited Oklahoma community college. The page says some colleges require a higher GPA; the Gallogly College’s specific transfer GPA is not on the pages we read. Students with fewer than 24 non-remedial hours must also meet the direct-from-high-school requirements.
• Non-residents and engineering: the international page says non-residents applying for engineering or computer science need a B (3.0) on all college work attempted.
• Deadlines (international transfer): fall entry April 1 with credentials by May 31; summer February 1; spring September 1. The scholarships page says transfer scholarships require applying to OU by March 1 for fall and summer entry or by October 1 for spring, and international transfers need at least 24 college hours. The College’s page requires applying to OU by March 1, at least 24 college hours, a 3.0 retention GPA, full-time enrollment in an engineering major and the transfer engineering orientation course (ENGR 3511/3410).
• Credit: OU has a Transfer Equivalencies Database to check courses in advance, and articulation agreements for specific majors with Cameron University, Oklahoma City Community College, Rose State College, Seminole State College and Tulsa Community College. Credit from international institutions is awarded only if the institution is recognized by that country’s Ministry of Education (technical or vocational institutions are not recognized); syllabi are needed to equate courses, otherwise you may receive only general elective credit; evaluation happens after admission and international grades convert to S/U.
• Transfer scholarships: tiers at 3.75+, 3.5+, 3.25+ and 3.0+ transfer GPA; for international transfers $10,000, $8,000, $6,000 and $2,000 a year for two years (fall 2027 entry).

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by November 1 (Early Action) and by December 15 to be considered for scholarships; choose an engineering major or Engineering: Exploratory and file the FAFSA
• Complete 4 English, 3 math (4 recommended) and 3 lab science (4 recommended); the ACT/SAT is optional, and scores can be updated through April 30
• ALEKS sets your math start; if it is below Calculus I, consider Engineering Catalyst; every course needs a C or better to progress

International applicants (including China):

• Apply by December 15 for scholarships; the fall deadline is February 1 with credentials by April 15; the fee is $90
• Include graduation exam certificates if your school system has them, with translations; TOEFL 79 / IELTS 6.5 / DET 100 / PTE 53
• Ask International Admissions how to submit the Gaokao; prepare proof of funds for the I-20 after admission

Transfer students:

• 2.5 GPA with 24 non-remedial hours, or an Oklahoma community college AA/AS; non-residents need 3.0 for engineering; check the equivalencies database first

Sources: University of Oklahoma, Engineering degree programs; Degree plans and flowcharts; 2026-27 Mechanical Engineering checksheet (PDF); 2026-27 Civil Engineering checksheet (PDF); Engineering future students; Engineering transfer students; Engineering Catalyst; Engineering advising; Freshman admission; Freshman requirements and factors; Test score policy; International undergraduate admission; Transfer admission requirements; Cost; Tuition and fees; Scholarships; AP credit; IB credit. The freshman and international date pages show no year (the freshman page footer is dated December 2025 and the international page July 2026); costs are for 2026-27 and scholarships for fall 2027 entry. Check OU for the latest rules for fall 2027.