How to Apply to Engineering at Oakland University (Michigan): Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, Industrial and Systems, Mechatronics and Robotics, and Bioengineering Majors in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, With No Separate Engineering Threshold Published, and Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Oakland University is in Rochester, Michigan. The School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS) has five departments: Bioengineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Mechanical Engineering. This guide summarizes the university’s published information on engineering undergraduate programs for domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students. Computer science (and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science and information technology) has its own guide on this site and is not covered here.

1. Majors and accreditation

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.): the program pages list Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering. Bioengineering is a Bachelor of Science; the bioengineering page says students must complete 129 credit hours, with sciences and engineering foundations in the first two years and specialized courses in years three and four. There are also Engineering Chemistry (offered in cooperation with SECS) and Engineering Physics (offered jointly with the College of Arts and Sciences).
• Concentrations: Electrical Engineering offers Automotive Electrification, Mechatronics, Microelectronics, Power and Energy Systems, and Robotics; Mechanical Engineering offers Automotive Engineering, Electrified Propulsion, Energy and Manufacturing; Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering offers six (Automotive Mechatronic Systems, Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Drives and Powertrains, Human-Robot Interaction, Industrial Robotics and Automation, Intelligent Robotics and Controls); Bioengineering has four professional tracks (Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing, Bioinformatics and Genome Engineering, Molecular Engineering, Tissue Engineering).
• Combined BS/MS: the electrical, computer, mechanical and mechatronics and robotics pages list their own combined bachelor’s/master’s options.
• ABET accreditation: the program pages say the B.S.E. programs in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Industrial and Systems Engineering, and the B.S. in Bioengineering, are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, Engineering Chemistry and Engineering Physics pages we read show no accreditation statement, so ask the school.
• Catalog and plans of study: each program’s “Major Requirements” link leads to the course catalog site, and plans of study are Google Sheets; we did not access either, so required courses, total credits (except bioengineering) and prerequisites for each engineering major are not in the pages we read. Check the catalog on the university’s website, or book an appointment with SECS academic advising (secsadvising@oakland.edu, 248-370-2201).

2. Admission: direct entry or a pre-major

• The school and admissions pages we read do not describe a separate engineering admission threshold, limits on places, a first-year engineering or pre-major stage with later placement, or conditions for changing into the school; these are not published, so ask Admissions and SECS advising. The first-year application page sets the university-wide standard.
• First-year standard (admissions page): generally a cumulative high school GPA of 3.2 or above; applicants between 2.5 and 3.2 may be admitted after consideration of the quality of their academic preparation. The review also looks at the number and types of college-preparatory courses and grade trends. The university has permanently removed the SAT/ACT requirement, and scores are not required for a GPA of 2.5 or higher; submitting them can support scholarship eligibility and course placement. An essay is optional and letters of recommendation are not required.
• Michigan high school graduates: the university takes part in the Michigan Assured Admission Pact (MAAP), offering admission to Michigan high school graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above who apply for the first fall after graduation.
• Appeals: applicants with new information can appeal to the Director of Undergraduate Admissions.
• International applicants likewise have no separate engineering threshold listed; see section 6.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses: the admissions page recommends a college-preparatory curriculum: four years of English; at least three years of mathematics including intermediate algebra; three years of social sciences; three years of biological/physical sciences; and two years of a foreign language. This is a university-wide recommendation; the pages do not list how many years of calculus, physics or chemistry the engineering school expects, so that is not published.
• Math placement: the admissions page only says SAT/ACT scores can help with course placement; the school’s math placement process is not published.
• AP / IB credit: the Registrar evaluates and awards credit or exemption for certain AP, IB, CLEP and DSST scores and recognizes the IB diploma; scores must be sent directly to the Registrar. Which scores match which engineering courses is not listed in the pages we read, and nothing is said about A-Level credit.

4. Timeline, materials and fees

• International deadlines (international application page; it prints no year, so check that these apply to fall 2027 entry): July 1 for fall, November 1 for winter (January entry), March 1 for summer; completed applications may be deferred for up to one year.
• Domestic deadlines: the first-year page gives no application deadline, only scholarship priority dates (see section 5); this is not published.
• Materials: the online application; high school transcripts (with a literal English translation if the school is outside the US and instruction was not in English); a final transcript with the graduation date, and the university may rescind an offer if the final transcript shows a significant downward trend. International applicants can email unofficial copies of transcripts and English test reports to international@oakland.edu; financial documents are uploaded in the application portal.
• Application fee: the application pages we read do not state an amount; it is not published.
• Essays and recommendations: the essay is optional and recommendation letters are not required; no engineering supplement is described.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are not required with a GPA of 2.5 or higher; whether the engineering school has its own requirement is not published.

5. Domestic students

• Tuition (2026-2027, per credit hour; the university says it charges no additional fees): the School of Engineering and Computer Science has differential tuition of USD 614.00 for courses numbered 0001–2999 and USD 722.75 for courses 3000 and above. The page does not label these two rates as in-state or out-of-state; the non-resident rates it lists are for Arts and Sciences and Education and Human Services courses (USD 795.75 lower division, USD 853.25 upper division), and a non-resident rate for engineering courses is not listed separately, so confirm with the university.
• Fall 2027 first-year merit scholarships (awarded automatically from GPA and test score; international students are not eligible except where noted; March 1 is the priority date for application, transcript and test scores): Platinum Presidential Scholar USD 12,000 a year (GPA 3.90 and SAT 1450 / ACT 33 or higher); Gold USD 9,000 a year (3.90, SAT 1390–1440 / ACT 31–32); Distinguished USD 6,000 a year; Talented USD 4,000 a year; Academic Achievement USD 2,000 a year, with some tiers that need no test score. See the scholarship page for the GPA and score combinations.
• Non-Resident Award: for non-Michigan-resident U.S. citizens with a high school GPA of 2.5 or higher, awarded automatically at admission, charging in-state tuition; first-year students must live in university housing for their first two years.
• Michigan residents with financial need: the Golden Guarantee covers full tuition for up to four years (recipients of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship with family income up to USD 70,000 and assets under USD 50,000); the Housing Grant is up to USD 3,500 a year and the Grizzly Grant up to USD 3,000 a year. Complete the FAFSA, with March 1 the priority date for fall.
• The SECS pages we read list no separate engineering scholarship.

6. International students

• English tests (international application page, undergraduate minimums): TOEFL iBT 79 (exams before January 20, 2026) or 4.5 on the new scale (from January 21, 2026); IELTS 6.5; PTE Academic 53; Duolingo 100.
• Other ways to show English proficiency: one year of study and a diploma from a U.S. high school; completing all high school coursework outside the U.S. at an institution where English was the language of instruction; 24 transferable credits (excluding ESL) from a U.S. community college or baccalaureate institution; a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college; or completing ELS Level 112. The page lists no exempt countries. It also says some programs may require a higher level of English, but the engineering program pages we read do not state one.
• Grades: the international page lists no separate grade threshold and links to the first-year and transfer admission standards (sections 2 and 9).
• Credential evaluation: high school transcripts need only a literal English translation; college transcripts need a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member (such as WES, ECE or SpanTran).
• Proof of funds: uploaded in the application portal; the required amount is not published, though the page gives a one-year cost estimate (section 8).
• Scholarships: the scholarship page says international students are not eligible for OU scholarships, except where noted. The noted exception is the Non-Resident Award, which citizens and permanent residents of Canada and Mexico may qualify for; the international application page also says Canadian and Mexican freshmen and transfers may qualify. For other nationalities, no university scholarship is described.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international application page does not mention it; this is not published, so ask International Admissions (international@oakland.edu, 248-370-3360).
• Transcripts and exam records: transcripts not in English need a literal English translation; whether school-leaving exam records are required is not published.
• English: use the tests above or one of the other routes.
• SECS international programs: the school’s International Programs page says it has formal agreements with universities in China, Brazil, Iraq and Jordan, including a “2+2 program” in which students study two years at their home university and two at Oakland and receive a master’s degree in engineering or computer science from both; there is also a one-year exchange. The page does not list which Chinese universities take part. This is a graduate-level arrangement, not an undergraduate admission route.
• Interviews and evaluation agencies: the international application page mentions no interview and names no agency for Chinese high school transcripts; this is not published.

8. Costs and co-op

• International one-year estimate (international application page; no academic year is printed; fall and winter semesters at 12–14 credits each): out-of-state tuition USD 19,788, living expenses USD 11,454, medical insurance USD 2,292, total USD 33,534; the page suggests another USD 4,000 a year for books, supplies and personal costs. Canadian and Mexican students with the Non-Resident Award: tuition USD 15,426, total USD 29,172.
• 2026-2027 tuition: see section 5; the university says it charges no additional fees. Double-occupancy housing and meals are estimated at USD 11,970 a year (scholarship page).
• Co-op and internships: SECS Career and Life Design offers career coaching, résumé and interview help and on-campus recruiting, and students use Handshake to find on-campus jobs, internships, co-ops and full-time roles; the school’s home page reports that 87% of its 2024–25 students took part in experiential learning (internships, co-ops, research, clinicals and similar). The Engineering Physics page says students may combine relevant work experience with their studies through the university’s cooperative education program. The pages do not describe a uniform paid co-op program for engineering majors or any guarantee; this is not published.
• School scholarships: the SECS pages we read list no separate school scholarship; the Industrial and Systems Engineering page links to “University Scholarships” and the Pawley Lean Institute, whose conditions we did not read.

9. Transfer students

• Requirements: applicants with 24 or more college credits and a GPA of at least 2.5 are considered, along with recent grade trends; those with fewer than 24 credits are reviewed on both college and high school records under first-year standards. Official transcripts from every institution attended are required.
• Coursework abroad: international transfer students’ college transcripts need a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member (WES, ECE, SpanTran and others).
• Entering an engineering major: the transfer page does not state calculus, physics or chemistry sequence requirements for engineering; this is not published. The university provides a transfer equivalency tool and community-college transfer guides; admitted students receive a transfer credit evaluation within one week, and departments review which credits count toward the major by the end of the first semester.
• Credit rules, which differ by page: the transfer page says there is no limit on transferable credits and that you must earn at least 30 credits at Oakland to graduate; the first-year page says up to half of the minimum credits for the degree can transfer from a community college and that you must earn at least 45 credits at Oakland. Confirm with Admissions.
• Deadlines: international transfers follow section 4; scholarship priority dates are August 1 for fall, December 1 for winter and July 1 for summer.
• Transfer awards (fall 2027; U.S. citizens and permanent residents, international students are not eligible except where noted): Presidential Transfer Award USD 5,000 a year (college GPA 3.80, 56 or more credits, from a Michigan community college); Phi Theta Kappa Award USD 2,500 a year; Talented Transfer Award USD 1,000 a year (GPA 3.0–3.49); the Non-Resident Award charges in-state tuition for two years (GPA 2.5 and at least 24 transferable credits; Canadian and Mexican citizens and permanent residents may qualify).

Checklist

Domestic students:

• A 3.2 or higher high school GPA is the stated general benchmark, and SAT/ACT are optional at 2.5 or higher; submit all materials by March 1 for scholarship priority
• Ask Admissions and SECS advising about math and physics expectations and conditions for entering the engineering major

International students:

• Apply by July 1 for fall (confirm the 2027 date); TOEFL 79 (4.5 new scale), IELTS 6.5, PTE 53 or Duolingo 100, or another accepted route
• Prepare transcripts with literal English translations and upload financial documents in the portal

Applicants from China:

• Ask International Admissions whether the Gaokao is considered and whether any school-leaving exam records are needed

Transfer students:

• 24 or more credits and a 2.5 GPA; a course-by-course evaluation for coursework abroad; confirm the credit-transfer rules with Admissions

Sources: Oakland University, School of Engineering and Computer Science; Undergraduate programs; Electrical Engineering; Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering; Engineering Sciences; Bioengineering; ABET; Academic advising; SECS international programs; Careers and internships; First-year students; International applicants; Transfers; Scholarships; Non-Resident Awards; 2026-2027 tuition rates. Scholarships are for fall 2027 entry and tuition is for 2026-2027; the international application deadlines print no year. Check Oakland University’s website for the latest.