How to apply to Engineering at Cleveland State University: the Washkewicz College of Engineering majors in chemical, biomedical, civil, mechanical, electrical and computer engineering, and admission and prerequisite requirements for domestic, international (including China) and transfer applicants

Cleveland State University (CSU) is in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Its engineering degrees are offered by the Washkewicz College of Engineering, which describes state-of-the-art labs, paid co-op and capstone design projects. Computer science also sits in the college, offered by the Department of Computer Science, and is not covered here. This guide summarizes the official requirements for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants (including from China) and transfer students.

1. Undergraduate engineering majors

• Chemical and Biomedical Engineering: chemical engineering (the site uses both Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering; accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission); and the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (launched fall 2024, with the first class expected to graduate in spring 2026; the page says it is being developed to align with ABET EAC criteria, and it is not on the college’s accredited-programs list). Biomedical engineering has a general track and a pre-medicine track, each with its own curriculum sheet.
• Civil and Environmental Engineering: civil engineering (the site uses both Bachelor of Civil Engineering and B.S. in Civil Engineering; ABET EAC accredited), plus a Bachelor of Construction Management.
• Electrical and Computer Engineering: electrical engineering and computer engineering, both ABET EAC accredited.
• Mechanical Engineering: the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (ABET EAC accredited), and two integrated degrees: Mechanical Engineering + Electrical Engineering, and Engineering Physics (Mechanical Engineering + Physics).
• Engineering Technology: BS in Electronics Engineering Technology and BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology, accredited by the ABET Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission.
• Computer Science: the BS in Computer Science is accredited by the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission; there is also a BS in Data Science. Not covered here.
• The detailed course requirements are in the university catalog, a third-party platform we did not use, so full required courses and major-entry conditions for each program are not published on the pages we read; check the official catalog and department pages.

2. How admission works: direct entry or a first-year engineering year?

• The college and international admissions pages we read do not describe a first-year or undeclared engineering year with GPA-based placement, and do not state program-specific GPA cutoffs or enrollment caps; this is not published on those pages. The international first-year requirement is a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.3 (4.0 scale) plus English proficiency, with no separate college-level GPA requirement stated. Whether you pick a specific engineering major on the application, ask Undergraduate Admissions (admissions@csuohio.edu).
• Internal transfer into the college: conditions are not published on the pages we read; the college’s Academic Coaching team may be able to advise.
• Testing: the international requirements page does not require SAT/ACT (they are only listed as ways to show English proficiency); the domestic page says ACT/SAT is waived for fall 2026, and the policy for fall 2027 is not published.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum sheets

• Math placement: the international requirements page says all first-year students must meet a minimum math placement score; otherwise they may need a remedial math course or a self-study plan, which can extend the study plan. The minimum score is not published.
• High school courses: the college and admissions pages do not state required high school calculus, physics or chemistry; not published.
• What the fall 2025 curriculum sheets look like: the Chemical Engineering sheet totals 129 credits; first-year fall has INQ 170 Engineering Launch, Writing I, Calculus I (MTH 181) and General Chemistry I with lab; spring has Calculus II, University Physics I, General Chemistry and lab, and Technical Writing. The Biomedical Engineering general track sheet totals 128 credits and also starts with Calculus I, with biology, general chemistry and two computer-aided design courses.
• Both sheets note that INQ 170 is required for all engineering, technology and computer science majors; ESC 120 replaces it for transfer students and some others (students with engineering or computer science co-op experience or 12 transferred engineering/computer science credits can petition to waive it, and neither is required with an Associate of Applied Science degree).
• Curriculum sheets for civil, mechanical, electrical and computer engineering are in the catalog, which we did not use.
• AP / IB credit: how it counts toward engineering required courses is not published on the college pages; ask admissions or the Registrar.

4. Dates and materials

• International deadlines: the international page currently lists only 2026 dates: April 13, 2026 for summer 2026 and July 1, 2026 for fall 2026 (application and I-20 transfer). Dates for fall 2027 are not published; watch the page.
• Domestic applications: accepted year-round; students are encouraged to apply in the fall of senior year or as early as possible, through CSU’s application or the Common App. The final scholarship deadline for first-years is March 1.
• Materials: high school and any college transcripts, a passport copy (name must match your application) and English scores. The domestic page asks for official transcripts from every high school attended, the 12th-grade schedule and seventh-semester grades if available.
• Application fee: the domestic page lists USD 40, waived through fall 2026; the international fee amount is not stated on the pages we read.
• Essays and recommendation letters: the undergraduate application page we read does not list any, including for engineering; not published.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Tuition: for the 2026-27 cohort (tuition guarantee, effective fall 2026 through summer 2030), 12–18 credits per semester is USD 6,828.00 for Ohio residents and USD 6,828.00 plus USD 2,956.56 for non-resident domestic students. The standard undergraduate schedule (fall 2026 through summer 2027) lists USD 5,458.20 for residents and USD 7,758.96 for non-resident domestic students for the same load. Both tables are published; which applies depends on your entering cohort and eligibility.
• Engineering fee: the 2026-27 miscellaneous fees list an engineering fee of USD 36 per credit hour, and note that lab and material fees are shown in the course schedule.
• Scholarships: first-years are automatically considered for institutional scholarships, typically up to USD 32,000 for Ohio freshmen and up to USD 40,000 for non-resident freshmen. College awards: Engineering First Year Awards of USD 1,000–3,000, renewable up to four years, selected from your admission application with no separate application; the Washkewicz Scholars Award (about 25 students including returnees, bridging the gap to tuition) needs a separate application, and the 2027-2028 application is expected to open in late fall 2026; and Choose Ohio First, USD 2,000–5,000 a year for Ohio residents in STEM majors, requiring a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. College scholarships that require proof of need need the 2027-2028 FAFSA by May 15, 2027.
• Any priority or guaranteed admission for Ohio residents is not published on the pages we read.

6. International applicants

• Grades: a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.3 on a 4.0 scale. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the international admissions team by The Evaluation Company (TEC), Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES).
• English (any one): TOEFL iBT for tests on or after January 21, 2026, overall 4.0 with at least 3.5 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 4.0 in Writing; for earlier tests, 78 overall with no section below 17. IELTS 6.0 (no band below 5.0), iTEP 3.8, Duolingo 105, ACT English 20, SAT reading/writing 530 (March 2016 or later), or ELS Level 112. Students short of the GPA or English requirement can use the ESL pathway courses.
• Exemption: the requirements page says applicants from countries on the exemption list may not need a test; the list includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada (all provinces except Quebec). However, the international FAQ says English proficiency is not waived unless you graduated from a U.S. university or a university in an exempt country. The two pages differ; ask International Admissions.
• Financial documents: proof of support for one academic year is required during admission, for the I-20.
• Scholarships and aid: international students are not eligible for U.S. government aid. The international cost page points undergraduates to scholarships by college; how freshman scholarships apply to international students, and whether international students can receive the college’s First Year Awards, is not stated, so ask admissions and the college.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: how Gaokao results are used is not published; ask admissions (admissions@csuohio.edu).
• Transcripts and documents: Chinese high school transcripts must be evaluated by TEC, ECE or WES and sent directly; requirements for the Huikao (graduation exam) records are not published.
• China-specific information: the pages we read have no China country page, interview requirement or designated credential agency beyond the three evaluators above; not published.
• English: China is not on the exemption list, so one of the listed scores is needed.

8. Costs and co-op

• Estimated annual cost for an international undergraduate (year not stated; fall and spring, full time): tuition and fees USD 22,457, room and meals USD 16,800, books USD 800, health insurance USD 3,523, local transportation USD 1,770 and personal expenses USD 1,800, for a total of USD 47,150; plus a one-time USD 100 international matriculation fee and USD 30 per semester international services fee.
• International tuition tables: for the 2026-27 tuition-guarantee cohort, 12–18 credits per semester is USD 6,828.00 plus USD 3,547.80, or USD 10,375.80; the standard schedule lists USD 8,218.80 for the same load. First-year students can lock in tuition, meal plan and residence hall rates for four years (the CSU Guarantee).
• Engineering fee: USD 36 per credit hour in the 2026-27 fee list. Whether this overlaps with “tuition and fees” in the international estimate is not stated.
• Fenn Co-op Program: described as a structured academic program that combines classroom study with paid, real-life work experience; students complete three to four co-op semesters with employers such as government agencies, manufacturers and consulting firms. Work-authorization rules for international students’ co-op are not published on these pages; ask the Center for International Services and Programs (CISP).

9. Transfer students

• Process: international transfers follow the same application, plus a preliminary credit assessment and an official transfer credit evaluation after admission. Domestic transfers with fewer than 12 semester hours of college credit must also send a high school transcript or GED and ACT/SAT scores.
• English: 30 transfer credits from an accredited U.S. institution with a C or better in English 101 and 102 equivalents meets the English requirement.
• Engineering courses: the curriculum sheets say transfer students take ESC 120 in place of INQ 170 (with a possible waiver).
• Specific GPA and calculus/physics/chemistry sequence requirements for transferring into the college are not published on the pages we read. Engineering First Year Awards are also open to transfer students who submit a CSU application.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply early (scholarship materials deadline March 1) and file the FAFSA by May 15, 2027
• Watch for the 2027-2028 Washkewicz Scholars application (expected late fall 2026)

International applicants (including China):

• High school GPA of at least 2.3; transcript evaluated by TEC, ECE or WES
• Prepare TOEFL 4.0 on the new scale (78 on the old), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 105
• Build strong calculus; you will take math placement
• Ask admissions about Gaokao, the fall 2027 deadline, the application fee and whether international students can receive the College’s First Year Awards

Transfer students:

• Send all college transcripts; confirm calculus, physics and chemistry sequence requirements with Academic Coaching

Sources: Cleveland State University, Washkewicz College of Engineering; Undergraduate degree list; Accreditation; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Chemical Engineering curriculum sheet; Biomedical Engineering curriculum sheet; Co-op; College scholarships; First-year scholarships; International undergraduate requirements; International undergraduate how to apply; International tuition and scholarships; English-exempt countries; International FAQ; Undergraduate tuition; Tuition and fees; New freshman scholarships; Undergraduate application. The international deadline page currently shows only 2026 dates and the curriculum sheets are the fall 2025 versions. Check Cleveland State’s website for the latest.