How to apply to Engineering at Northern Arizona University: the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering majors in civil, environmental, electrical, computer, mechanical and mechatronics and robotics engineering, and admission and prerequisite requirements for domestic, international (including China) and transfer applicants

Northern Arizona University (NAU) has its main campus in Flagstaff, Arizona. Engineering degrees are offered by the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering, which describes average class sizes of 25 to 30, hands-on learning and capstone design courses. Computer science sits in the college’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems 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 majors in the college

• Civil Engineering, Construction Management and Environmental Engineering (department): the catalog says the BS in Civil Engineering and the BS in Environmental Engineering are accredited by the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC); the website calls environmental engineering the first of its kind in Arizona. The BS in Construction Management is also in this department; it is not an accredited engineering program and is not covered here.
• Department of Mechanical Engineering: the BS in Mechanical Engineering (ABET EAC accredited), the BS in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering and the BS in Multidisciplinary Engineering. The mechanical engineering page says the department runs at multiple campuses (Flagstaff or NAU-Yuma).
• Engineering degrees in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems: the BS in Electrical Engineering and the BS in Computer Engineering (both state ABET EAC accreditation), the BS in Software Engineering, and the BS and BPRS degrees in Engineering Technology.
• Accreditation status: the catalog pages for Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering and Software Engineering do not mention ABET accreditation; the Multidisciplinary Engineering page says all emphases are anticipated to be accredited by EAC under “General Engineering”; the Engineering Technology page says NAU intends to seek ABET accreditation. Check the official site for the latest.
• Credits and courses: the catalog lists a minimum of 120 units for Civil, Environmental, Electrical, Computer, Mechatronics and Robotics, Multidisciplinary, Software Engineering and Engineering Technology, and 125 units for Mechanical Engineering. For example, Civil Engineering has 53–54 units of preprofessional requirements (30–31 in mathematics and science and 20 in engineering science) and 48 units of major courses; Mechanical Engineering has 60 units of engineering requirements and 43 units of mechanical engineering requirements.
• Multidisciplinary Engineering is a customizable degree with emphases such as Audio Engineering, Energy Engineering and Infrastructure Engineering, with 95–103 units of major requirements.
• Accelerated bachelor’s/master’s: the Civil, Environmental, Electrical, Computer, Mechanical and Software Engineering catalog pages list an optional accelerated plan; students apply separately to the master’s program, and the catalog notes that admission is competitive and may be limited by enrollment. The civil and environmental engineering department page says a bachelor’s and master’s can take about five years.

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

• The pages we read do not describe a first-year or undeclared engineering year with GPA-based placement, and do not state a college-specific admission GPA or enrollment cap; not published. The first-year application page gives a university-wide standard: students who have completed their junior year and are on track to graduate with a core GPA of 2.5 or higher (4.0 scale) get guaranteed admission to NAU. How an engineering major is chosen on the application, and whether you enter that major directly, is not published; ask Admissions (admissions@nau.edu).
• Mechanical Engineering has a course-based GPA gate: the catalog says students who complete all required foundational courses with a C or better but whose GPA in those courses is below the acceptable GPA for upper-division courses may repeat up to two of the foundational courses in which they earned a C to meet the minimum GPA; a C course can be repeated only once. The GPA number and the foundational course list are not on the pages we read. Whether other engineering majors have a similar gate is not published.
• Major GPA: the catalog lists a minimum major GPA of C for Engineering Technology and 2.0 for Software Engineering; the other engineering plans do not list one.
• Testing: the first-year page uses ACT/SAT only as alternative ways to meet the English, math and lab science course requirements; it does not state a separate test requirement for engineering.

3. Prerequisites and math

• High school core courses (first-year page, 14 courses): 4 years of English (or ACT English 21+, SAT Critical Reading 580+, etc.); 4 years of math (or ACT math 24+, SAT math 570+, or a transferable college math course with at least intermediate algebra as a prerequisite); 3 years of lab science (or ACT science 20+ and similar alternatives); 1 year of American history; 1 year of social science; and 1 year of fine arts or Career and Technical Education. A second language is not required. Up to two course deficiencies can still be admitted. The page uses one description for all first-year applicants, with no split by country or major.
• Math starting points in the catalog: the highest mathematics course listed is MAT 239 for Civil, Environmental, Electrical, Computer and Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering; MAT 137 for Multidisciplinary; MAT 362 for Mechanical; MAT 125 for Engineering Technology; and MAT 226 for Software Engineering. Civil Engineering’s preprofessional courses include CHM 151 chemistry, MAT 136 calculus and PHY 161 physics. The prerequisite for MAT 136 is MAT 125 with a C or better or a qualifying math placement result, and the catalog cites ALEKS and other placement scores. We do not go into the conversions; check the catalog.
• AP / IB credit: how it counts toward engineering required courses is not published on the college and admissions pages we read; ask admissions or the Registrar.

4. Dates and materials

• Deadlines: most undergraduate programs have rolling admission, so you can apply any time. The dates page currently shows only 2026–27: enrollment fee May 1 for fall 2026 (December 1 for spring), scholarship application April 15, and final transcripts July 1. The equivalent dates for fall 2027 are not published; confirm them.
• Enrollment fee: USD 325 for first-year students and USD 250 for transfers (paying it unlocks housing, onboarding and visa documents).
• Application fee: USD 50 for international undergraduates, paid with the application. The fee for domestic applicants is not stated on the pages we read.
• Essays and recommendations: the pages we read do not list a college-specific essay or undergraduate recommendation letters (the page says a personal statement or letters vary by program); not published.
• FAFSA: priority date April 15; NAU school code 001082.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Tuition: for 2026-27, Arizona residents pay USD 12,000 in tuition plus USD 1,622 in fees, for USD 13,622. The site says Arizona resident tuition stays at USD 12,000 for 2027-28.
• Non-residents: tuition is USD 30,000 for 2026-27. From fall 2027, eligible non-residents at the Flagstaff campus pay USD 16,000 a year (the Flagstaff Advantage Rate, FAR). Residents of western states can apply for the WUE discount (USD 18,000 tuition in 2026-27; WUE benefits also change from fall 2027, and the new figures are not on the pages we read).
• Scholarships (2027-28): first-years are automatically considered for tuition scholarships by high school core GPA, with no separate application. Arizona residents: 3.75–4.00, USD 11,000 a year; 3.50–3.74, USD 9,000; 3.4–3.49, USD 6,500; 3.00–3.39, USD 5,000; other admitted students, USD 2,500; eligible Arizona residents (and members of certain tribes) may also get Access2Excellence covering full tuition. Out-of-state (WUE and FAR): 3.75–4.00, USD 6,500 a year; 3.50–3.74, USD 6,000; 3.00–3.49, USD 5,000; other admitted students, USD 2,500. They last four years if you keep a 2.0 cumulative GPA and enroll full time; one condition is living in NAU Campus Living housing with a meal plan in the first year; they apply to fall and spring tuition only.
• College scholarships: the Mechanical and Civil and Environmental Engineering pages point to the Scholarship Universe website, which we did not read; engineering scholarship amounts and conditions are not published on the pages we read.
• Any priority or guaranteed admission for Arizona residents specific to engineering is not published; we only found the university-wide guarantee (core GPA 2.5).

6. International applicants

• Grades: the first-year page does not list a separate GPA requirement for international applicants; the university-wide standard is a core GPA of 2.5 for guaranteed admission. The international grade requirement is not separately published; ask International Admissions.
• English (any one): TOEFL iBT 70; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 95; Pearson PTE 56; ACT English and Reading 21; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 350; IB English A score of 5 (HL) or 6 (SL); IB English B score of 7 at both levels; one 3-credit English composition course from a U.S. college; B2 level for European exchange students; four years of English at an English-taught high school with verification; citizens of English-speaking countries need no extra proof. Those who do not meet the requirement may need an English placement test on arrival and/or the Program in Intensive English (PIE).
• Materials: the online application with USD 50 fee; official transcripts from every school attended (high school, college, vocational and English programs; certified translations if not in English); English scores; a passport copy; and proof of financial support (a bank statement and financial sponsor form covering estimated tuition and fees, with USD 6,000 more per dependent). Transcripts must be sent by the institution from a verifiable email address to studynau@nau.edu or mailed to the Center for International Education. The pages we read do not require a designated credential evaluator; not published.
• Timing: NAU recommends undergraduates apply at least 4–6 months before the start date; the I-20 is issued after you accept the offer and pay the USD 325 enrollment fee. Specific international priority deadlines are not on the pages we read.
• Costs: for 2026-27, international tuition is USD 30,000 plus USD 1,622 in fees, for USD 31,622. With books (USD 900), college fees (USD 500), food (USD 7,298), personal (USD 2,000), transportation (USD 2,500) and housing, the page gives two international estimated totals, USD 53,326 and USD 56,676 (they correspond to housing of USD 8,506 and USD 11,856; the page text does not say which is on or off campus). Whether the fall 2027 non-resident tuition of USD 16,000 also applies to international students is not stated (the fee page lists international students separately, also at USD 30,000 for 2026-27); ask admissions.
• Scholarships: the international admissions page says international applicants are automatically considered for scholarships with a complete NAU international application; amounts and conditions are not on the pages we read. The freshman tuition scholarship page does not address international students, so whether they can receive it is not published.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: how Gaokao results are used is not published; ask Admissions or the Center for International Education.
• Transcripts and Huikao records: the site only asks for official transcripts with certified translations; requirements for Huikao records are not published.
• China-specific information: the pages we read have no China country page, interview requirement or designated credential agency; not published. Contact Admissions (admissions@nau.edu, 928-523-5511).
• English: China is not in the English-speaking-country category, so one of the listed scores is needed.

8. Costs and work experience

• Costs are covered above: for 2026-27, international tuition of USD 30,000 plus USD 1,622 in fees. The tuition page’s other expenses also list a USD 500 “College Fees” item; the page does not explain whether it varies by college or for engineering.
• Internships / co-op: the college and department pages we read do not describe a paid co-op program. The Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering catalog page says students can get real work environments through internships or research, and the Civil and Environmental Engineering page mentions internships, research and fieldwork. Work authorization rules for international students are not published; ask the Center for International Education.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: you completed 12 or more college credits after high school (not counting dual enrollment).
• Admission routes (meet one): complete AGEC-A, AGEC-B, AGEC-S or IGETC with a cumulative GPA of 2.5; earn an associate degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.0; complete 24 or more transferable credits with a GPA of 2.0; or complete 12–23 transferable credits with a college GPA of 2.0 and a core high school GPA of 2.0. After an AGEC, IGETC or CSUGE you still need upper-division writing and major-specific courses.
• 2NAU: a pathway from partner community colleges with personalized advising. Non-resident transfer scholarships are available.
• Engineering entry conditions: the calculus, physics and chemistry sequence for transferring into each major, and the specific GPA for Mechanical Engineering’s foundational courses, are not published on the pages we read; contact the department advisors. For international transfers, one 3-credit English composition course from a U.S. college meets the English requirement.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Core GPA of 2.5 for guaranteed admission; FAFSA (school code 001082) and scholarships by April 15
• Out-of-state students: note the USD 16,000 tuition from fall 2027 and the first-year campus housing condition for scholarships

International applicants (including China):

• Prepare TOEFL 70, IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 95; USD 50 application fee
• Have your school send transcripts to studynau@nau.edu, with certified translations if not in English
• Apply 4–6 months before the start date; after admission pay the USD 325 enrollment fee and submit a bank statement and sponsor form for the I-20
• Ask admissions how Gaokao results are used, what international tuition will be from fall 2027, whether international students get the tuition scholarships, and the GPA requirement for Mechanical Engineering’s upper-division courses

Transfer students:

• Check which of the four admission routes you meet; ask department advisors about the calculus, physics and chemistry sequence

Sources: Northern Arizona University, Steve Sanghi College of Engineering; Department of Mechanical Engineering; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems; 2026-2027 catalog: Civil Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering; Multidisciplinary Engineering; Software Engineering; Engineering Technology; International admissions; International how to apply; International application steps; First-year application steps; Transfer application steps; Important dates and deadlines; Undergraduate tuition; Flagstaff Advantage Rate; Freshman tuition scholarships. The deadline page currently shows only 2026–27 dates, the courses are from the 2026-2027 catalog, the tuition table is for 2026-2027, and non-resident tuition changes from fall 2027. Check NAU’s website for the latest.