How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Memphis: Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Technology in the Herff College, with Paid Co-ops, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Undergraduate engineering at the University of Memphis (UofM) is offered by the Herff College of Engineering in Memphis, Tennessee. This guide follows the university’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Programs in the college

• BS majors and concentrations (undergraduate majors page): Biomedical Engineering (with Bioelectrical Devices and Systems, Medical Imaging, and Medical Materials and Manufacturing concentrations); Civil Engineering; Computer Engineering (with an Intelligent Systems Engineering concentration); Electrical Engineering (with a Modern Energy and Power Systems concentration); Mechanical Engineering (with Advanced Manufacturing, Biomedical Engineering, Materials for Engineering Applications and Thermal Fluid Systems concentrations); and Engineering Technology. The college also has the Polytechnic@UofM for students with work experience or credit from TCATs and community colleges.
• Departments: Biomedical Engineering; Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; and Engineering Technology. The college’s pages say both “five” and “six” departments, so they do not agree.
• ABET accreditation: the Biomedical, Civil, Computer and Electrical Engineering pages state accreditation by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC); the Mechanical Engineering page says the undergraduate program is ABET accredited; the BS in Engineering Technology is accredited by ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC).
• Accelerated bachelor’s to master’s: major programs have an ABM option in which qualified undergraduates can count up to 12 credit hours toward both degrees.
• Paid co-op: the college’s career services page describes a paid cooperative education and internship program, says the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers counts three semesters of co-op coursework as one year of professional experience, and says salaries are well above minimum wage. It does not give amounts or say whether international students can take part; this is not published.
• FE exam: the college encourages seniors to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and reimburses up to $300 of costs for a passing attempt taken while enrolled.

2. How admission works: you apply to the university, and the college lists no separate thresholds

• The university admits: the college admissions page says the University of Memphis has standard admission requirements for undergraduate and graduate students and sends applicants to the university application; for Herff undergraduate admissions it names the director of Student Services (i.surbrook@memphis.edu). The pages we read do not describe a first-year or “undeclared engineering” stage and do not give engineering-specific admission thresholds, GPA cut-offs or seat limits; this is not published.
• How first-year applicants are reviewed: the university page says U.S. applicants submit a high school transcript (at least three years) and an ACT or SAT score, that no score alone guarantees admission and that scores are used with other factors. Specific GPA and score cut-offs are not given on the pages we read.
• Changing into engineering: not described on the pages we read. The Biomedical Engineering page says freshmen and transfer engineering students are advised through the college’s Advising Center, with faculty advisors for sophomores and above.

3. Prerequisites

• Minimum high school units: English 4; mathematics 3 (at least Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II); natural and physical science 2 (at least one unit of biology, chemistry or physics); social studies 2 (one of them U.S. history); the same foreign language 2; and visual or performing arts 1.
• Extra requirements for engineering such as high school calculus, physics or chemistry are not published on the pages we read.
• Math placement: the university says ACT or SAT sub-scores are used for placement in certain areas; how engineering majors are placed in math is not described.
• AP and IB credit for engineering courses: not covered on the pages we read. The course catalog is hosted by a third party and was not accessed; ask the college’s Advising Center.

4. Rounds, materials and fees

• U.S. applicants (deadline page, no year shown, so check it applies to fall 2027): fall application deadline July 1 and file-completion deadline August 1. The scholarship priority deadline is December 1 for admitted students, and applicants are urged to apply before November 1 of the year before enrollment.
• Application fee: $25, non-refundable, for first-time freshmen.
• Materials: high school transcript with at least three years; ACT or SAT (valid for five years); extra rules apply to GED/HiSET and adult applicants. The university may ask for 7th or 8th semester grades or new scores.
• Essays and recommendation letters: the pages we read do not list an engineering-specific essay or letters; this is not published.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Testing: an ACT or SAT result is required, not optional.
• Tuition (fee schedules, 2026–2027; check 2027–2028): undergraduate tuition plus university service fee per semester is $5,880 for Tennessee residents taking 12 or more hours (no increase above 12); for non-residents it is $8,328 at 12 hours, with $610 added per hour above that ($10,158 at 15 hours). The schedule says non-resident and international fees are charged per hour with no maximum, while the “Value” page says non-resident undergraduates are charged in-state tuition for credits over 12; the two do not agree, so confirm with the university. Special course and material fees are extra; an engineering differential fee is not listed in the schedule.
• Residents and border counties: Tennessee residents pay the standard rate; residents of the five border counties in the Memphis area see no change in charges (the border-county page was not read).
• University scholarships: the university says 700+ scholarships are awarded each year, with academic scholarships starting at a 3.25 GPA and a 22 ACT (or SAT equivalent), and a Memphis Promise last-dollar scholarship for Tennessee residents.
• Herff Engineering Merit Scholarship: $4,000 a year in-state and $5,000 a year out-of-state, for up to four years. Requirements, one of: 3.5 GPA with ACT composite 26 and ACT math 26 (or SAT 1230 with math 610); 3.75 GPA with ACT 25 and math 26 (or SAT 1200, math 610); or 4.0 GPA with ACT 24 and math 26 (or SAT 1160, math 610). It lasts up to eight semesters, requires a 3.00 cumulative GPA in the first two semesters and 3.25 after that, full-time enrollment and progress on the standard curriculum plan, and ends if you leave engineering. The page does not say whether international students are eligible; this is not published.

6. International applicants

• Application: online application with a $50 non-refundable fee, an uploaded copy of your transcript or mark sheet, and English proficiency scores; the I-20 and visa steps come after admission. The international requirements page says freshman admission is competitive and based mainly on secondary school GPA and demonstrated English proficiency. It does not ask for SAT or ACT scores or give a minimum GPA; this is not published. Official transcripts are required before enrollment, and decisions typically come within 5–7 business days once the fee and transcripts are in.
• International deadlines (no year shown): for fall, applicants already in the U.S. have an August 1 deadline; first-time F-1 applicants outside the U.S. have a July 1 application deadline and July 15 file-completion deadline. The page does not recommend summer admission for students who need a visa.
• English minimums: TOEFL iBT 61 (before 2026) or 4 (after 2025), IELTS 6, PTE 50, Duolingo 95 or iTEP 3.7; or SAT evidence-based reading and writing 540, ACT English 21, IB English A HL 5, GED 450 or HiSET 45, or a B or better in Cambridge GCE/GCSE/IGCSE English; or completing the university’s Intensive English for Internationals (IEI) program. Other routes: a college composition course with a C or better, two years at a high school in the U.S. or a listed English-speaking country, or a letter from your school stating the language of instruction (the admissions committee may reject it). Scores are valid for two years. The list of approved countries includes Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Nigeria; China is not on it.
• Costs: the 2026–2027 international undergraduate fee schedule shows $10,752 per semester at 12 credit hours, including the university service fee ($896 per hour with no maximum, rising $812 in tuition for each hour from 12 to 18). The F-1 cost page separately gives $19,824 for two semesters (and $20,040 elsewhere on the same page), Tiger Eat$ at $325 a semester, living costs of about $13,000, books of about $1,000 and a total of about $33,040, and says F-1 students admitted from September 1, 2023 must show $32,824 in funds. These figures are for different years and do not fully agree; confirm the fall 2027 amount with International Student Services.
• Scholarships: the international scholarship page describes competitive merit scholarships for newly admitted degree-seeking international undergraduates on J-1 or F-1 visas, for first-time entrants only; dual citizens and permanent residents are not eligible. They are judged by GPA plus ACT/SAT or by GPA alone, and scores can be updated through March. The chart on that page (an image) lists: Presidential, 3.25+ GPA and ACT 31+ or SAT 1390+, $14,000 a year; Provost, ACT 28–30 or SAT 1300–1380, $12,000; Deans, ACT 24–27 or SAT 1160–1290, $10,000; Academic Achievement, ACT 22–23 or SAT 1100–1150, $7,000; Trustee, GPA only at 3.80+, $5,000. Awards renew for up to three more years with 12 credit hours a semester, good standing and service hours, and a student may hold only one first-time freshman scholarship. Priority applications are due December 1. The page does not say whether international students can receive the Herff Merit Scholarship; this is not published.

7. Applicants from China

• The university’s China page (a PDF dated September 9, 2026): submit at least one of the Huikao certificate (general examination for high school graduates), with results verified directly by the China Qualifications Verification Authority (CDGDC), or the graduation certificate. GCE/GCSE/IGCSE (O-Level, A/AS-Level, AQA) and IB certificates are also accepted. Documents are submitted in English and the native language. If you did not sit any of these exams, notify Undergraduate Admissions (admissions@memphis.edu).
• Gaokao: neither the China page nor the international requirements page says whether or how Gaokao results are used. This is not published; contact Admissions.
• English: proof of English proficiency is required; China is not on the exemption list, see above.
• Transfer: the China page says international college documents must be evaluated by a NACES member with a course-by-course evaluation and calculated GPA; TEC or IEE can be used.
• Interviews and other recognised agencies are not described on the pages we read.

8. Transfer students

• Fewer than 15 transferable credits: apply as a first-time transfer with the $25 fee, a final high school transcript with a graduation date, an ACT or SAT result and all college transcripts; students who still have fewer than 15 transferable hours at enrollment must also meet the freshman requirements.
• 15 or more credits: $25 fee and all college transcripts. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is typically expected, with a comprehensive review, and applicants on academic suspension from the last school are generally not admitted.
• International transfers: a minimum 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale; coursework from abroad needs a course-by-course evaluation by an agency certified by NACES or AICE before credit is given. Credit first posts as unassigned electives and you must give your advisor course descriptions or syllabi to apply it to degree requirements; credit that does not apply still counts toward the 120 hours needed to graduate.
• Engineering-specific conditions: required calculus, physics and chemistry sequences and GPA for transfers into the college are not listed on the pages we read; this is not published.
• Herff Transfer Scholarship: $3,000 a year for up to three years, for transfer students with a 3.25 GPA who have completed Calculus I, Physics I with lab, English Composition I and II, and Chemistry I with lab.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by July 1 for fall (confirm for fall 2027); for scholarships, apply before November 1 and be admitted by December 1
• Send an ACT or SAT score (required); take at least Algebra II, and ask the Advising Center what math preparation engineering needs

International applicants (including China):

• First-time F-1 applicants for fall: apply by July 1 and complete files by July 15; $50 fee; TOEFL 61 or IELTS 6
• Chinese applicants: the Huikao certificate (verified through CDGDC) or the graduation certificate; ask Admissions how the Gaokao is treated; prepare proof of funds after admission

Transfer students:

• At least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and complete transcripts; evaluate foreign coursework; for the transfer scholarship, a 3.25 GPA with calculus, physics, chemistry and English composition

Sources: University of Memphis website, Herff College of Engineering; Undergraduate majors; College admissions; College scholarships; Career services and co-op; Accelerated bachelor’s to master’s; FE exam; Mechanical Engineering; Civil Engineering accreditation; Electrical and Computer Engineering accreditation; Engineering Technology accreditation; Biomedical Engineering; Undergraduate requirements; Deadlines; International applicants; International requirements; English proficiency; Requirements by country; China requirements (PDF); F-1 costs; Transfer requirements; Tuition and value; Fee schedules; International scholarships. The deadline page shows no year and the fee schedules are for 2026–2027; the F-1 cost and scholarship pages use other years, so confirm the versions that apply to fall 2027.