How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Cincinnati: Direct Admission to a Major in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, Five-Year Programs with Five Paid Co-op Semesters, and Admission and Prerequisites for US, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At the University of Cincinnati (UC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, undergraduate engineering is offered by the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS). Here is what you need to know, based on the university’s website, for US students, international students, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer science (BS) is also in CEAS and is not covered here.

1. Engineering programs

CEAS’s undergraduate majors page lists these Bachelor of Science programs:

• Engineering: Aerospace, Architectural, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Cybersecurity, Electrical, Environmental, Industrial and Systems, and Mechanical Engineering;
• Engineering technology and applied science: Electrical Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology: Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Construction Management;
• Computer Science (not covered in this article).

The page notes that the BS in Fire and Safety Engineering is not currently accepting applications. The admissions FAQ says engineering focuses on theory and design while engineering technology focuses on application and implementation; both are five-year bachelor’s programs that include five co-op semesters.

ABET accreditation: the ABET page says the Aerospace, Architectural, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission; Construction Management by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission; and Computer Science by the Computing Accreditation Commission. The text of that page we read does not list Cybersecurity Engineering or Industrial and Systems Engineering, so check their status with ABET and the college.

2. How admission works: direct to a major

• The CEAS FAQ says CEAS is a direct-admit college: you apply to a program of choice and, if admitted, begin in that program rather than in a pre-major program. The requirements page says you can list up to two majors on the Common App and your application is reviewed with that program in mind; for engineering, math and science preparation gets close attention.
• Pre-Engineering Program (formerly the Freshman Engineering Program): referral only; students cannot apply directly. Admissions staff place students there when they see potential but recommend more academic preparation before direct entry into a major. Students take the same curriculum as peers and, after one to three semesters, apply to transition to a major. The page says Pre-Engineering students are guaranteed admission to all CEAS programs if they meet the transition criteria.
• Criteria for changing majors, moving into CEAS and returning are in section 9. Specific GPA minimums for entering first-year students are not published (the university says applications get a holistic review).
• Popular programs can close early: the application page says some majors receive many applications and close to first-year students before the March 1 rolling deadline. UC’s Closed Programs page currently says “No majors to display” for the Fall 2027 term; check it for updates. The deadlines page adds that CEAS programs have historically closed on or shortly after November 1 and recommends applying through Early Action.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses (CEAS future students page): engineering programs need 3 credits of science (including chemistry and physics) and 4 credits of math (including at least pre-calculus). Technology programs (Construction Management, Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology) need 3 credits of science (including chemistry or physics) and 4 of math (including algebra, geometry, and statistics or trigonometry; pre-calculus is highly encouraged). The page tells students to choose the math pathway that leads to pre-calculus.
• International transcript page: international first-years typically complete mathematics (4 years), science including chemistry and/or physics (3–4 years), and language, history, social sciences and electives (3–4 years).
• AP, IB and A-Level credit: the international admissions FAQ says IB Diploma, Cambridge International A/AS Levels, AP, GAC and CLEP may earn college credit, with details through the Registrar. Which engineering courses each exam replaces, and the math placement process, are not published on the pages we read.

4. Deadlines, fees, essays and testing (Fall 2027 entry)

• First-year deadlines (fall): Early Action November 1; rolling application deadline March 1; confirmation deadline May 1. Early Action decisions are released on the second Wednesday in December (Cincinnati Decision Day). The pages do not print a year; confirm they apply to Fall 2027 entry. Only applications by November 1 are considered for scholarships, competitive programs and the Honors Program.
• Application fee: the international first-year page says USD 100, non-refundable. The deadlines page says first-year applicants who apply by the Early Action deadline have the fee waived (the application page says “Apply for FREE by Nov. 1”). The domestic fee amount is not published on the pages we read; the fee is waived for Pell-eligible students and NACAC fee waiver users.
• Materials: the Common App; an official high school transcript; and letters of recommendation. The requirements page says letters are optional (one to three suggested), and the international first-year page calls them “preferred but not a requirement.” However, the IB and A-level page lists essays and recommendation letters in its application-complete checklist, which is not fully consistent; follow the prompts in your application portal.
• Essays: the writing prompts page offers a personal statement of about 500 words (“What motivated you to choose your first-choice academic program?”) and also says no additional essays are required. A separate CEAS supplemental essay is not published on the pages we read.
• Testing: the requirements page says UC is test-optional for all programs, and the international page also says SAT/ACT is optional but English proficiency is required (section 6). The IB and A-level page says SAT or ACT is still required for College of Nursing and College of Medicine applicants and for students who want review for the highest scholarship tier.

5. US students

• Tuition (2026–27 entry cohort, Uptown campus, two semesters a year): Ohio resident USD 14,824, Metro resident USD 15,424 and non-resident USD 30,158 per year (USD 7,412, 7,712 and 15,079 per full-time term). Tuition is set by entry cohort and locked by the Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee. Tuition for 2027–28 will be set by the Board of Trustees in June 2027.
• College fee: undergraduates in the College of Engineering and Applied Science pay a program fee of USD 504 per full-time term (USD 42 per credit hour for part-time), in addition to tuition.
• Residency: the international admissions FAQ says UC recognizes in-state rates for eligible people living in Ohio and Metro/reciprocity rates for eligible residents of Kentucky and Indiana; see the university’s residency and reciprocity pages for eligibility. Priority or guaranteed admission for Ohio residents is not published.
• Scholarships: to be considered for the Cincinnatus Scholarship (the page describes renewable four-year awards totaling more than USD 22 million) and other merit scholarships, complete your application by November 1. CEAS also awards college scholarships for incoming first-years that appear on your financial award letter after admission; there is no separate application.
• Financial aid: the costs page suggests completing the FAFSA soon after October 1; applications received by November 1 receive priority consideration.

6. International students

• Applying: international and domestic students use the same Common App application, and applicants choose one UC campus (the main Uptown campus for most international students). Send official transcripts from your school counselor or school official to international.admissions@uc.edu, or upload them through the Common App; recommendation letters are optional. Non-English documents need an English translation; the international FAQ says it should be clear, complete and professional and need not come from a government agency, while the transcript page says “certified English translation.”
• English score minimums for CEAS (one of): SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 480; IELTS 6.5 overall (6.0 writing and speaking, 5.5 other sub-scores); TOEFL iBT (before January 2026: 79 overall, 20 writing, 20 speaking, 15 other; after January 2026: 4.0 overall, 4.0 writing, 4.0 speaking, 3.5 other); Duolingo 100 overall (100 production, 100 conversation); ACT English 19; PTE 53; ELS graduation level 112; Cambridge 176 (C1 Advanced recommended). Scores must be valid within two years of the start of the term.
• English exemptions (four): a full year of US or first-language-English-country high school with a C or better in one year of standard (not ESL) English; a C or higher in IGCSE or O-Level English (first language); IB English Language and Literature or English A at HL 4+ or SL 5+; or 24 semester hours at a US accredited university with C- or better in English Composition. The International Admissions Office and academic departments make the final decision.
• Conditional admission: students who meet academic requirements but need more English can apply for conditional admission and study at the on-campus ELS language center first, through a separate application.
• Costs: for 2026–27 non-resident tuition, see section 5. The international finance page shows an older estimate for the 2022–2023 academic year (main campus tuition USD 30,010, living expenses USD 17,999, health insurance USD 2,449, total USD 50,458); it is not current and is for reference only. The same page says first-year international students are required to live on campus.
• Scholarships: the international finance page says international students can receive scholarship awards of up to USD 15,000 per academic year at the main campus, with no scholarship application. Whether every international student also receives a CEAS college scholarship is not published.

7. Applicants from China

• Transcripts: the country-specific transcript page says students in the Chinese national curriculum list their current subjects in the Common App’s “Current or Most Recent Year Courses” section, and a school counselor or head should upload a transcript with final grades for upper middle school (grade 10 and 11 equivalent) and as much of grade 12 as is available by the deadline. If upper secondary school is completed, upload final grade 12 scores and the Chinese Secondary School Diploma / Graduation Certificate (毕业证书 (高中)) with an English translation.
• Gaokao: the page does not mention whether or how Gaokao scores are used; not published, so contact international.admissions@uc.edu. The academic proficiency exams (huikao) are not mentioned either.
• Credential evaluation: the first-year pages do not require a credential evaluation for Chinese applicants; the NACES course-by-course evaluation is required on the international transfer page for transfer applicants who attended universities outside the US.
• Other China-specific guidance: beyond the transcript page we did not find a separate China page or an interview requirement; not published.
• International curricula: the IB and A-level page says IB Diploma and A-Level students can apply with predicted scores and should submit the last four years of coursework equivalent to US grades 9–12. Predicted scores take the place of other test scores in review, but admission is holistic and not guaranteed, and final official results are required.
• English: China is not on the first-language-English country list, so provide the scores above or meet one of the four exemptions.

8. Co-op and costs

• Paid co-op: the CEAS FAQ says that starting sophomore year, students alternate academic and co-op semesters for a total of five co-op experiences; after the first year, summers count as full semesters. Co-ops are full time and paid, and students typically take no classes during them. No tuition is charged during co-op, but a small fee keeps students full-time. The CEAS scholarships page says engineering students make on average USD 15–25 an hour, about USD 45,000–55,000 in total over five co-op semesters, and that recent graduates of the college earned a starting salary of USD 65,500 (the university’s figures).
• Work authorization for international students on co-op is not described on the pages we read; not published, so ask the International Admissions Office and the co-op office.

9. Transfer, change of major and readmission

• Transfer students (students who attended another college after high school): may apply to CEAS in any semester. Transfer deadlines: fall July 1 (confirmation August 1); spring November 1 (December 1); summer March 1 (April 1). The CEAS page lists Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027, so check the Fall 2027 dates. The international transfer fee is USD 100; the fee is waived for fall transfer applications submitted by November 1.
• Transfer criteria (2026–27, guaranteed admission if met): complete MATH1061 and CHEM1040 or PHYS2001 (for most majors) and meet the overall and math/science GPAs:
  • Aerospace 3.0 / 2.8; Biomedical 3.0 / 2.8; Mechanical 3.0 / 2.8;
  • Chemical 2.8 / 2.8; Cybersecurity 2.8 / 2.8;
  • Architectural 2.8 / 2.6; Civil 2.8 / 2.6; Computer Engineering 2.8 / 2.6; Electrical 2.8 / 2.6;
  • Environmental 2.7 / 2.7; Industrial and Systems 2.6 / 2.5;
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology 2.6 / 2.5 (MATH1061, plus CHEM1040, PHYS1051 or MET1071); Electrical Engineering Technology overall 2.5 (MATH1026, plus CHEM1040 or PHYS1051); Construction Management overall 2.5 (MATH1044 or MATH1061).
  The math/science GPA averages the math and science courses required for the major, using the best attempt in each course; transfer and test (AP, IB) grades count toward it.
• Holistic review: applicants within 0.2 GPA points of the criteria, or with more than 75 undergraduate credit hours, passed required courses and the overall GPA, are eligible for holistic review, which does not guarantee admission. Transfer applicants with fewer than 24 hours are also reviewed on high school records and may be admitted on first-year criteria.
• International transfers: transcripts and English scores; a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member for any university attended outside the US; a high school transcript if you have fewer than 24 college credits; the English requirements match the first-year ones.
• Transfer scholarship: the Bearcat Engineering Transfer Scholarship gives domestic transfer students USD 1,000 per semester for up to eight semesters, awarded automatically with no separate application.
• Changing majors or moving into CEAS: applicants must be in good academic standing with an overall UC GPA of at least 2.0 and meet the major’s math/science GPA: 2.8 for Aerospace, Biomedical, Chemical, Mechanical and Cybersecurity; 2.7 Environmental; 2.6 Architectural, Civil, Computer Engineering and Electrical; 2.5 Industrial and Systems and Mechanical Engineering Technology; and an overall UC GPA of 2.5 for Electrical Engineering Technology and Construction Management. Applications are accepted any semester, and meeting the criteria guarantees admission. The page warns that changing colleges or majors can affect scholarship and grant eligibility.

Checklist

US students:

• Apply through the Common App by the November 1 Early Action date (confirm it applies to Fall 2027 entry), naming a specific major
• High school math through pre-calculus and science including chemistry and physics

International students (including those from China):

• Apply by November 1 with English scores (or exemption documents); have your school send transcripts with English translation
• Submit grade 12 results and the graduation certificate, or IB/A-Level predicted scores, as the country page requires

Transfer students:

• Complete MATH1061 and CHEM1040 or PHYS2001 and compare your GPA with the major’s criteria; apply by July 1 for fall

Sources: University of Cincinnati, CEAS undergraduate majors; ABET accreditation; CEAS future and transfer students; CEAS undergraduate admissions FAQ; Pre-Engineering Program; Transfer criteria; Change of major and transition criteria; CEAS scholarships; Deadlines; Requirements and timelines; Writing prompts; International first-year requirements; International transfer requirements; Transcript requirements by country; English exemptions; IB and A-level students; International costs; International admissions FAQ; 2026-27 costs. Some pages do not print a year; check that dates apply to Fall 2027 entry, and check the University of Cincinnati website for the latest information.