How to Apply to Engineering at the University of San Diego: Everyone Is Admitted as Undeclared, There Are No Impacted Majors, and Every Engineering Student Earns a BS/BA Dual Degree, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

The undergraduate engineering programs at the University of San Diego (USD, a private university in San Diego, California) are offered by the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. This guide follows USD’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science is also a major in the school and is not covered in detail here.

1. Engineering majors in the school

• Majors: the undergraduate degrees page lists Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Integrated Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
• BS/BA dual degree: the website says every engineering student earns a dual BS/BA degree; the Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial and Systems and Integrated Engineering pages each show 147 units. How the two degrees are combined and what the BA part requires are not stated on the pages read; see each program’s curriculum page.
• Integrated Engineering: a broad technical foundation plus a concentration chosen from Biomedical Engineering, Embedded Software, Sustainability, Engineering and the Law, or an Individual Plan of Study (five in all). A combined option with the Master of Science in Engineering Sustainability and Health (MESH) lets students apply up to 6 units of MESH coursework to the undergraduate degree, and 6 more after admission to the master’s program. The Industrial and Systems Engineering page lists one concentration.
• ABET accreditation: the accreditation page says the school’s engineering programs are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission: Electrical Engineering since October 1, 1990, Industrial and Systems Engineering since October 1, 1999, Mechanical Engineering since October 1, 2006 and Engineering (Integrated) since October 1, 2019. The university is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
• Hands-on work: the school’s home page describes a one- or two-semester capstone design experience, an engineering entrepreneurship program and study abroad. The pages read do not describe a paid co-op program; not published. The advising page says the CONNECT career-readiness program is required for engineering and computer science students under the 2019-20 catalog or later.

2. Admission: admitted as undeclared, then choosing a major

• Admitted as undeclared: the high school students page says all students at USD are admitted as undeclared and are free to explore whichever major they choose once admitted.
• No impacted majors: the website says there are no impacted majors at USD, so engineering and computer science do not require a separate application or acceptance into the major.
• Common core: the undergraduate degrees page says every accredited path starts with a common core curriculum for the first two years, which lets students explore options and find the right discipline.
• Declaring: current students declare an engineering major with a Declaration of Major form. Students who entered an engineering program as first-years are assigned faculty advisors based on their ENGR 101 or COMP 110 instructor; others are assigned when they declare. The timing of declaration and any GPA threshold are not stated on the pages read; ask the school’s academic advisor (SMSEadvising@sandiego.edu).
• Limited seats and guarantees: the pages read do not say that engineering majors have capped enrollment or a GPA required to declare; not published.
• Moving in from another major: current USD students declare through the same form, which also lets them add or remove a minor or change the catalog year.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• Recommended by the school: take as much math as possible through advanced algebra and trigonometry; calculus is not required but is helpful, and credit is given for AP Calculus. Complete science including at least one year of biology and one year of chemistry; physics is not required but is helpful.
• The university’s recommended high school plan: English 4 years; mathematics 3 or 4 years; science 3 or 4 years (2 with lab); world language 3 or 4 years; social studies 2 or more years.
• AP/IB credit: the international applicants page says USD gives college credit for AP and IB scores, which must be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admission by the College Board or the International Baccalaureate Organization; passing grades in GCE Advanced Levels, the French Baccalaureate or the German Abitur may earn credit, evaluated by departments after enrollment. Which exams replace required engineering courses is not stated on the pages read; see USD’s AP/IB credit page.
• Math placement: not described on the pages read.

4. Deadlines, materials and testing (first-year, fall 2027)

• Rounds: Early Action and Early Decision I on November 1, 2026; Early Decision II on January 5, 2027; Regular Decision on January 15, 2027. For spring entry, Regular Decision is October 1, 2026. Early Decision is binding and Early Action is not. The website says applying Early Decision does not improve your chances, because all applications are reviewed with the same criteria.
• How to apply: the Common Application plus the USD Member Questions.
• Application fee: $75, with fee waivers for financial hardship.
• Materials: an official high school transcript; an essay (Common App prompts); one academic letter of recommendation from a high school counselor or a teacher of an academic subject (required; others are optional); an activities résumé is optional. An additional engineering essay is not mentioned on the pages read; not published.
• Testing: test-free: USD does not review SAT or ACT scores, and the policy has been extended through fall 2027. Applicants who have taken a test are asked not to submit it. No separate requirement for engineering is stated.
• Admitted profile: for the fall 2026 class the middle 50% weighted GPA is shown as 3.8–4.2 in the statistics block and 3.9–4.3 in the FAQ on the same page; the two differ.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27): USD is a private university and the fee page lists a single set of prices, with no in-state or out-of-state distinction. For full-time students (12–18 units) tuition is $32,050 and fees are $549.50 per semester; the annual figures are tuition $64,100, fees $1,099, health insurance $4,158, a standard double room $13,450 and a meal plan $5,750, for a total of $88,397. The engineering scholarships page says the educational cost for engineering and computer science is on the university’s tuition page, and no engineering differential is listed.
• Priority or guaranteed admission for state residents: not published.
• Aid and scholarships: the engineering scholarships page says USD offers merit, athletic, school and endowed scholarships, and that most undergraduate and graduate students receive some form of aid. Scholarships managed by the school are typically reserved for juniors and seniors; the page lists, among others, support for attending national student-organization conferences, endowed scholarships in memory of a professor and a lab technician, and an alumni-driven scholarship awarding $1,000 to each of the five majors based on financial need. How merit awards are decided for entering students, and amounts, are not stated on the pages read; contact the Torero Hub (619-260-2700).
• Paid co-op: not described on the pages read; not published.

6. International applicants

• Who counts: applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. U.S. citizens and permanent residents studying abroad apply under the domestic first-year requirements. The university says it reviews applications in the context of the applicant’s curriculum.
• Checklist: the same as for domestic applicants (Common App, transcript, essay, one academic recommendation, $75 fee) plus a transcript translated into English with annual grades, and national exam results such as GCSE, A-Levels or Abitur. Applicants who attended an English language program must submit a letter of recommendation from the program instructor with their grades, and applicants with a gap in education must explain it.
• English: for applicants whose first language is not English: an official TOEFL iBT score of 80, IELTS of 6.5, Duolingo of 120 or LanguageCert Academic of 70; from January 2026 the TOEFL minimum is 4.5 on the new scale. Scores must be no more than two years old and the TOEFL institution code is 4849. The test-free policy applies to international applicants too, but English proof is still required.
• English waiver: any one of the following: attending or having graduated from an institution abroad where English is the primary language of instruction; enrollment in AP English or IB English; four years of mainstream English at a U.S. high school; a C or better in college-level English composition at an accredited U.S. institution; a C or better in A-Level English; or a Cambridge English certificate at B2, C1 or C2. The page does not list countries.
• Proof of funds: for the F-1 visa, financial documents must show funds meeting or exceeding the total annual cost: in English, dated within 6 months of the intended start, readily available (stocks and other non-liquid assets are not accepted), and with the account holder’s name matching the sponsor. They are uploaded after admission and enrollment confirmation, and the I-20 is issued once valid proof of funding is provided. The 2026-27 annual estimate for international students is tuition $64,100, fees $1,099, mandatory health insurance $4,158, housing $13,450, meals $5,750 and books, travel and personal expenses $6,675, for a total of $95,232.
• Scholarships: the Office of Undergraduate Admission offers merit scholarships to international first-year and transfer applicants based on grades, curriculum rigor and “Changemaker” qualities; amounts vary and are renewable with a minimum GPA. International students are also eligible for athletic scholarships. USD says it cannot provide need-based financial aid or institutional financial aid to international students. The engineering scholarships page also lists a scholarship supporting international students, with a focus on under-resourced countries, without giving an amount or conditions.
• Pathway: USD has a Pathway Program for international students (English language and college readiness curriculum); details were not read.

7. Applicants from China

• High school credential: the credentials list for China is the Senior High School Graduation Certificate.
• Gaokao: the website does not mention the gaokao; the page asks for national exam results (examples: GCSE, A-Levels, Abitur). Whether and how gaokao results should be sent is not published; ask International Admissions (intladmissions@sandiego.edu).
• Transcripts: an English translation with annual grades is needed; the pages read do not require third-party evaluation for first-year applicants (course-by-course evaluation is required for transfer applicants with foreign college work).
• English: no China-specific rule; follow the scores and waiver conditions above.
• Interview, country page: no interview and no China page are described.
• International curricula: IB scores earn credit and passing A-Level results may earn credit, evaluated by departments after enrollment; see section 3.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines (2027): fall: priority decision February 1, 2027 and regular decision June 30, 2027; spring: regular decision October 1, 2026, extended to November 1, 2026.
• Materials: the USD transfer application; unofficial transcripts from every college attended (official if admitted); two short-answer essays; an optional letter of recommendation (college instructor, advisor or professional reference); and a $75 fee. Some applicants may be asked for a transfer midterm report.
• International transfer: at least one full-time semester (12 or more credits) as a degree-seeking student; foreign institutions must be recognized by the country’s Ministry of Higher Education; a course-by-course evaluation (ECE, IERF, TEC, WES or any NACES member) is required or the application is incomplete; an English-translated final high school transcript is also needed; English proof as for first-year applicants. Competitive applicants are recommended to have at least 24 semester units (36 quarter units) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and grades in English composition and literature and college algebra are favored.
• Domestic transfer GPA: not stated on the pages read; not published.
• Courses to take before transferring: the engineering transfer page lists equivalents at San Diego community colleges and at Grossmont/Cuyamaca: Calculus I, II and III (USD MATH 150, 151, 250), Differential Equations (MATH 310), Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism with labs (PHYS 270/270L, 271/271L), General Chemistry I with lab (CHEM 151/151L), and engineering courses that may earn credit (introduction to engineering, CAD, Statics for MENG 210, circuits for 3 of 4 units of ELEC 201), which should be verified with the school. California courses can be checked on assist.org.
• Credit: courses USD has not evaluated default to elective credit; after enrollment, students can appeal with the course syllabus to the department chair to apply them to the core or the major.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply through the Common App by November 1 (EA/ED I), January 5 (ED II) or January 15 (Regular); no SAT or ACT is needed
• Take math through advanced algebra and trigonometry, and at least one year each of biology and chemistry; one academic recommendation letter
• Complete the common core in the first two years, then declare a major; confirm the declaration conditions with the school’s advisor

International applicants (including China):

• English: TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120, or meet a waiver condition; transcripts translated into English with national exam results
• Proof of funds for about US$95,232 a year; merit scholarships exist but no need-based aid; ask International Admissions how to send the gaokao

Transfer students:

• Fall: February 1, 2027 (priority) or June 30, 2027 (regular); finish calculus, physics and chemistry; a 3.0 GPA is the suggestion for international transfer applicants

Sources: University of San Diego, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering; Future students; High school students; Engineering transfer students; Undergraduate degrees; Integrated Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Accreditation; Academic advising; Scholarships, tuition and aid; Application deadlines; Application requirements; International applicants; Test-free admission; Admission: transfer; Undergraduate tuition and fees. The timeline is for fall 2027 entry and costs are for 2026-27. Check USD’s website for the latest.