How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Maine: Seven ABET-Accredited Engineering BS Programs in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, Test-Optional Admission with a Major Chosen on the Application, and Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At the University of Maine (main campus in Orono), undergraduate engineering is offered by the Maine College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC). This guide, based on the university’s website, covers domestic students, international students (including a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students. Computer science sits in the college’s School of Computing and Information Science and has its own article on this site, so it is not covered here.

1. Degrees and majors

• Seven engineering BS degrees (each program page says in person and lists accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET): Mechanical Engineering, 123 credits; Civil Engineering, 124; Chemical Engineering, 120; Biomedical Engineering, 130; Electrical Engineering, 124; Computer Engineering, 124; and Engineering Physics, 125 (its page says the program was established in 1938).
• Concentrations: Mechanical Engineering lists Offshore Wind Energy and Aerospace Engineering; Civil Engineering lists Environmental, Water Resources, Structural and Transportation; Electrical Engineering lists a Power concentration. The other program pages list none.
• Departments: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering, plus the School of Engineering Technology (construction, electrical, mechanical and surveying engineering technology majors). The college has a page explaining the difference between engineering and engineering technology, saying graduates of both can pursue professional licensure; this guide covers the engineering majors only.
• 4+1 accelerated programs: the college lists 4+1 programs including Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; the Biomedical and Computer Engineering pages also mention a five-year BS-MBA path. Eligibility is not published; ask the departments.
• Course lists: the program pages point to the university catalog (catalog.umaine.edu), which this guide could not read, so check the catalog or ask the college (mcec@maine.edu). The Civil Engineering page says the degree needs at least 53 credits of required and elective civil engineering courses beyond general education, with breadth across environmental, structural, transportation, geotechnical and water resources; the Biomedical Engineering page requires at least 45 credits of engineering topics.
• The Engineering Physics page says students can earn a math minor (about half of graduates do) and the program needs at least 125 credits with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. The Chemical Engineering page requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in required CHE courses (excluding technical electives) and a laptop able to run Mathcad, Microsoft Office and Aspen.

2. How admission works

• Choose a major on the application: the application information page says to indicate a first and second choice, or to say you are undecided within a college. The pages read do not describe a “first-year engineering” track or a general entry followed by sorting into majors, and do not state a GPA threshold, a seat cap or required course grades for entering an engineering major. This is not published; ask the college’s Student Success and Advising Center (mcec.ssac@maine.edu).
• Mechanical Engineering deadline note: a note on the application information page says Mechanical Engineering applications received after February 28 are considered on a space-available basis.
• Moving into engineering from another UMaine college: not published; ask the college.
• Holistic review: once the application is complete. First-year applicants send a high school transcript, one school recommendation and transcripts for any college work; an essay is recommended, and some programs have additional requirements.
• Testing and fee: UMaine is test optional for all programs, and the application page says it is free to apply, through the Common App or the ApplyMaine Application.

3. Prerequisites and math placement

• High school preparation: college-preparatory or higher; honors and AP courses are encouraged. Four units of English, three to four of math (at least Algebra I and II and geometry; some programs require advanced math), two to three of lab science (some programs require specific science courses), two of foreign language and two to three of social studies. The pages read do not set separate calculus, physics or chemistry minimums for engineering; ask the college.
• Math placement: the incoming-student page says you must complete the math placement; without an acceptable score the college cannot place you in required math, physics or chemistry courses, which delays registration. The university’s fees page says placement uses the ALEKS assessment, billed at $25 for up to three attempts.
• AP/IB credit: the application information page says AP credit is available for more than 40 UMaine courses and credit is available for the IB diploma; send official results. The pages read do not say which engineering courses AP or IB scores replace; see the university’s AP credit table or ask the college. The incoming-student page asks you to send SAT, ACT, IB and AP scores directly from College Board.

4. Deadlines and documents

• Fall (no year stated; confirm it is fall 2027): December 1 Early Action, with a guaranteed decision before the end of the year and consideration for additional merit scholarships when complete; March 1 regular deadline with scholarships as available; rolling after that.
• International final deadlines: the international admissions page gives July 15 for students living outside the US and Canada and August 1 for those living in the US or Canada; the apply page’s international section gives only July 15. Later applications are reviewed on a space-available basis and most move to spring.
• Spring: November 1 regular deadline. The international admissions page gives the final international deadline as December 1 for students outside the US and Canada and December 15 for those in the US or Canada; the apply page gives only December 1.
• Fall 2027 scholarships: the scholarship pages say to submit a complete application by December 1, 2026 for maximum consideration.
• Essay: the pages read do not mention an additional engineering essay; a personal statement is recommended.
• Submitting: transcripts can be uploaded by a school official through the Common App, emailed by the school to edocs@maine.edu from a verifiable address, or mailed.

5. Domestic students

• Testing: test optional for all programs, engineering included.
• Maine residents: 2026-2027 tuition at the Orono campus is $441 per credit. First-year merit scholarships are based on high school GPA and rigor, need no separate application and require a minimum 2.5 GPA: for fall 2027, $2,000–$10,000 a year if complete by December 1, 2026 and $2,000–$5,000 after that.
• Special Maine programs: the UMaine National Merit Award for National Merit semifinalists and finalists covers tuition and mandatory fees up to 30 credits a year, renewable for four years with a 3.3 GPA; Maine Top Scholars requires a separate application and covers tuition and fees, with a requirement to take part in scholarly activity or research in the field and an invitation to join the Honors College.
• Out-of-state students: Flagship Match: a merit scholarship for qualified out-of-state students who then pay a tuition rate equivalent to in-state tuition at their home flagship; renewable for up to 8 semesters or 120 credits. The page lists California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Applying counts as consideration; December 1 gives maximum consideration.
• New England (NEBHE) students: $772 per credit in 2026-2027, but only for selected programs. Whether the engineering majors are on the list was not checked; see UMaine’s NEBHE page.
• College scholarships: the college’s scholarship page says entering students are automatically considered for its named scholarships and for departmental scholarships, with no application. Many funds carry preferences (for example New England high school graduates or Maine students) or need criteria. The Dearborn Scholarship ($10,000, renewable) needs a separate application and a mechanical aptitude test, due February 15 each year; the page presents it for continuing students.
• Federal aid: US citizens and eligible applicants file the FAFSA with UMaine’s code 002053, by March 1 for first-year students and June 1 for transfers.

6. International students

• English scores: TOEFL iBT 79 (before January 2026) or 4.5 (after January 2026), MyBest accepted; TOEFL Essentials 8.5; IELTS 6.5; PTE 53; CEFR B2; Duolingo 110.
• Waivers: native English speakers or students whose formal education was in English (examples include Canada except Quebec, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria and Ghana); two or more years of study in the US or Canada in a non-ESL track; a C or higher in English composition at a US institution; a transcript or school/ministry letter stating that all subjects (except languages) are taught in English; SAT Reading/Writing 550+; ACT English 24+; and others.
• Credential evaluation: all secondary and post-secondary records go to a NACES member for evaluation, sent directly to UMaine; first-year applicants may choose a basic or course-by-course evaluation. WASSCE, IB, American high schools and universities, Canadian high schools and universities and Cambridge International schools are exempt and send transcripts or exam results; waivers may also be approved case by case. Documents not in English need a certified translation.
• Proof of funds: the pages read do not state financial documentation requirements. This is not published; ask international admissions (internationaladm@maine.edu).
• Insurance: international students, including Canadian students, must buy or show proof of health insurance.
• Scholarships (fall 2027–spring 2028): awarded at admission on high school GPA and rigor, with no separate application and a minimum 2.5 GPA; complete applications by December 1, 2026 get maximum consideration, and Early Action applicants may receive an extra $3,000 Early Action Award. The page lists Flagship Match Commitment at $16,200 a year, Flagship Leaders Commitment at $9,000–$12,000 a year and Global Flagship Match Commitment at $25,110 a year. Global Flagship Match is for international students who graduate from Maine high schools; the pages do not say which international applicants get the other two, so ask admissions. Awards renew for up to 8 semesters or 120 credits with satisfactory progress, the required GPA and at least 6 graded credits per semester.
• Canadian students: the tuition and cost pages use a “Maine and Canadian Resident” category, the same rate as Maine residents, and there is a separate first-year merit scholarship for Maine residents and Canadian students (see the previous section).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the website does not say whether Gaokao results are considered or how. This is not published; ask international admissions (internationaladm@maine.edu).
• Chinese high school records: the pages read have no China-specific document list or country page. Under the international requirements, you need a NACES evaluation, with certified translations of documents not in English. Whether huikao (academic proficiency test) records are needed is not published.
• International curricula: IB and Cambridge International schools are exempt from the NACES evaluation and send transcripts or exam results; IB diploma credit and AP credit are available. A-Level credit rules were not checked.
• Interviews and agencies: no interview requirement is listed; evaluation agencies are the NACES members linked from the international admissions page.

8. Transfer students

• GPA: students with at least a 2.0 cumulative college GPA are encouraged to apply; most programs require 2.0, and some education, science and engineering programs require 2.3–2.5 (individual engineering majors are not listed).
• Prerequisite courses: the transfer page says some programs require specific prerequisite courses for admission and gives Engineering as “college-level math in advance of Algebra II with Physics preferred.” It does not list the required calculus, physics and chemistry sequence or grades; ask the college.
• What is reviewed: cumulative GPA, rigor of college courses, the final high school transcript (or HiSET/GED) and college transcripts; the essay is optional.
• Deadlines: March 1 is the preferred fall date, and applications after July 1 are reviewed on a space-available basis; for spring, applications after January 1 are space-available. Transfers admitted by June 1 are considered for merit scholarships.
• Credit transfer: the application information page says credit is awarded for college-level courses from regionally accredited institutions depending on grades, with evaluated courses listed at umaine.edu/mainestreet; the Biomedical Engineering page tells transfer students to make sure they reach the 45 credits of engineering topics. International transfer students need a course-by-course NACES evaluation of university records (US and Canadian universities are exempt).

9. Costs, scholarships and co-ops

• 2026-2027 Orono undergraduate (30 credits a year, cost-of-attendance estimate): tuition $13,230 for Maine and Canadian residents, $38,340 for out-of-state and international students and $23,160 for New England (NEBHE) students; mandatory fees $1,070; housing and food $14,696; books $1,000; travel and miscellaneous $2,200. Totals: $31,896 for Maine and Canadian residents and $57,006 for out-of-state and international students.
• Per-credit tuition: $441 for Maine and Canadian residents, $1,278 for non-residents and $772 for NEBHE.
• Engineering differential: the tuition page says undergraduate courses in the college (prefixes BEN, CHE, CIE, CET, ECE, EET, GEE, MEE, MET, SVT) carry an extra $50 per credit hour on top of base tuition, replacing many course and lab fees; it does not currently apply to Computer Science or Data Science and Engineering. The cost-of-attendance table does not show it separately, so check your bill against the university’s figures. Other charges include an Infrastructure and Technology Fee of $29 per credit hour and a $100 per term activity fee (6+ credits).
• College scholarships: entering students are considered automatically for the college’s and departments’ named scholarships. Their criteria vary, and the page does not say whether international students are eligible; ask the college (mcec@maine.edu).
• Co-ops and internships: the Chemical Engineering page says UMaine’s cooperative work experience program gives paid, practical training with industry; the Engineering Physics page says students who have finished their sophomore year and 16 physics credits can join the cooperative education program, earning credit through PHY 495; the Electrical Engineering page lists past internship sponsors such as General Electric, ON Semiconductor and Texas Instruments. The other program pages do not describe co-op rules.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Apply by December 1 for Early Action scholarships; note the February 28 Mechanical Engineering remark
• Testing is optional; take math through Algebra II and geometry at least, and complete the math placement
• Ask the college whether engineering majors have an entry gate

International students (including applicants from China):

• For maximum scholarship consideration, complete your application by December 1, 2026
• Prepare TOEFL 79 (4.5 on the new scale) or IELTS 6.5; send Chinese high school records for NACES evaluation (IB and Cambridge students are exempt)
• Ask international admissions about Gaokao use, proof of funds, and which of the three international scholarships apply to you

Transfer students:

• At least a 2.0 cumulative GPA (2.3–2.5 for some engineering programs); college math beyond Algebra II, physics preferred
• International transfers need a course-by-course evaluation

Sources: University of Maine, Maine College of Engineering and Computing; Academic departments; Mechanical Engineering; Civil Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Computer Engineering; Engineering Physics; 4+1 accelerated programs; Incoming students; College scholarships; Apply and deadlines; Application information; International undergraduate admissions; Transfer admission requirements; International scholarships; Merit scholarships for Maine residents/Canadian students; Flagship Match; Tuition and fees; Cost of attendance. Deadline pages do not state a year; scholarships are for fall 2027–spring 2028 and costs for 2026-2027. Check UMaine’s website for the latest.