How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Hartford: ABET-Accredited Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Aerospace and Other Engineering Degrees in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, with Admission and Preparation Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Hartford (UHart) is in West Hartford, Connecticut. Undergraduate engineering is taught in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), which has five departments: Architecture; Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering; Computing Sciences; Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Mechanical, Aerospace, and Acoustical Engineering. Computer science is also in the college; this site has a separate article on it, so it is not covered here. Below is what the university’s website says, for domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. The undergraduate engineering majors

• Engineering degrees: the college’s program list and department pages show Acoustical Engineering and Music (with The Hartt School), Aerospace Engineering (BSAE), Biomedical Engineering (BSBE, with Electrical Engineering or Pre-Med options), Civil Engineering (BSCE, with Environmental or Construction Engineering options), Computer Engineering (BSCompE), Electrical Engineering (BSEE), Mechanical Engineering (BSME), Robotics Engineering (BS) and Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies (BSE). Mechanical engineering lists six concentrations: acoustics, computational, energy engineering and sustainable design, manufacturing, robotics and turbomachinery.
• ABET: the accreditation page lists Acoustical Engineering and Music, Aerospace, Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering as accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), and Architectural Design + Technology, Computer and Electronic Engineering Technology and Electromechanical Engineering Technology by its Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC). The college’s home page news says Robotics Engineering has received ABET accreditation, but the accreditation page’s list does not include it; the two differ, so check the accreditation page and ABET.
• Engineering technology is separate: Audio Engineering Technology, Computer and Electronic Engineering Technology, Electromechanical Engineering Technology, and Architectural Design + Technology are listed as technology programs. The department page says technology graduates follow different career paths from engineering graduates and may find entry to graduate engineering programs difficult. Make sure you are applying to the degree you mean.
• Credits: total credits listed on program pages are 132 for mechanical, 132 for civil, 127 for electrical and 128 for interdisciplinary engineering. See the other program pages for the rest.
• 4+1 (BS plus MEng): students in civil, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering can earn a bachelor’s and a Master of Engineering in five years, with two graduate courses counting toward both. Students usually commit at the start of the second semester of the junior year and need a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the end of junior year (below 3.0 considered case by case).
• Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies: for students whose goals cross traditional majors; the first two years follow the other engineering programs. You write a letter of interest about your goals and work with the dean’s designee and faculty on a plan of study. The admission requirements section only lists a contact, Alan Hadad.

2. How admission works

• Applying to a program: the university application is for the university; program pages say “Rolling Admission”. The pages read do not describe a “first-year engineering, then sorted by GPA” arrangement, and do not give a GPA threshold, enrollment cap or required course grade for entering a specific engineering major. This is not published; ask CETA (cetainfo@hartford.edu) or admissions.
• Changing into engineering: conditions are not published on the pages read; ask admissions and the college.
• Materials: the first-year page read does not itemize transcripts, essays or letters; check the application portal. The international page says an essay (or a sample of your best writing) is not required but encouraged, and a recommendation letter is not required but encouraged; character references are not encouraged.

3. Preparation

• High school courses: the pages read do not set high school math, physics or chemistry requirements for engineering; not published. Ask admissions.
• Math placement: not described on the pages read.
• AP/IB credit: the international pages say AP scores of 3 and above are considered for credit in the matching subject, IB results determine credit (the higher the score the more credit, none for subsidiary-level subjects), and neither is required for admission. The transfer page says AP scores of 3, 4 or 5 count (4 or 5 for English) and IB Higher Level scores of 4 or higher (5 or higher for math) earn credit. Which engineering course a given exam replaces is not published.
• Courses in college: for example, electrical engineering requires a 4-credit general chemistry course, two calculus-based physics courses with labs, Differential Equations, Calculus of Several Variables and Linear Algebra; the mechanical engineering core includes Mechanics of Materials, Fluid Mechanics, Elements of Mechanical Design and a two-semester capstone. See the course catalog.

4. Dates and materials (fall 2027)

• First years: the application opens August 1 (the page prints no year, so confirm it is for fall 2027 entry). Non-binding early action closes November 15; after that rolling admission continues until programs fill, and the site warns programs fill quickly. The priority deadline for the enrollment deposit is May 1.
• Application fee: USD 35, waived for early action.
• Testing: the international application page says applicants will be considered without SAT or ACT, and the international FAQ says the scores are not required but can strengthen an application and a scholarship bid. The domestic first-year page does not state a testing policy (not published); the scholarship page lists SAT/ACT scores, class rank (if applicable) and cumulative high school GPA among the factors.
• Interviews: the international page says Zoom interviews are available on request at intlinfo@hartford.edu.
• Turnaround: the international FAQ says most programs aim to review within about 2 weeks of a complete application.

5. Domestic students

• Cost: the 2026-27 estimate for a full-time, on-campus undergraduate is USD 48,464 tuition, 3,444 fees, 9,013 housing and 6,495 meals a year, for billed direct costs of USD 67,416; indirect costs (books, travel, personal) are about USD 4,998, for a total estimate of USD 72,414. The cost page does not mention an engineering tuition differential (not published), and does not show separate resident and out-of-state rates (not published).
• Aid: file the FAFSA by February 15 for maximum consideration (school code 001422). The university says it awards more than USD 95 million in scholarships and grants each year.
• Academic scholarships: considered automatically with no separate application, from USD 23,000 up to full tuition “for most majors”, renewable for up to eight semesters with full-time enrollment and a minimum GPA; awarded to US citizens and permanent residents.
• Engineering scholarships: five FIRST Robotics Scholarships of USD 2,000 a year for students on a FIRST team for at least two years (separate application and coach recommendation, due March 1); three ACE Mentor Program Scholarships of USD 5,000 for students active in ACE for two years and admitted to any CETA program, with preference for architecture (due March 1). The civil engineering page says more than USD 200,000 in merit and need-based engineering scholarships is awarded each year.
• Connecticut residents: the Hartford Scholars and Bloomfield Scholars awards are for full-time students who live in those cities and attend public (or CREC) schools; they raise the total scholarship to half tuition when combined with merit aid. Applicants must apply by March 15, be admitted by April 15 and deposit by May 1. The pages read do not mention a state-resident admission preference or guarantee.

6. International students

• Grades: the international application page asks for 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, 3.75 on a 5.0 scale or 80% (70% for India and Canada); for UK GCSE/GCE, five passes at A, B or C including English, math, a science and a social science. A document is “official” only when sent directly by the issuing school or agency; unofficial documents can be used for a decision, but official ones are due 3 weeks before arrival and are needed to register.
• English scores for CETA (the website is inconsistent): the international application page lists IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 74, Duolingo 100 and PTE 55 for CETA, and IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 80, Duolingo 110 and PTE 58 for other colleges. The international home page says TOEFL 80 (new scale 4.0, no subscore below 3.5) with the note “Engineering requires a minimum score of 74”. The international FAQ says IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120, PTE 52 and TOEFL 80 for all undergraduate programs. Because these differ, confirm the current requirement with International Admission (intlinfo@hartford.edu).
• Other proof of English: a US regionally accredited college English composition course with a C or higher taken in class (online does not count); IB English A1 or A2 at 3 or higher; AP English at 3 or higher; SAT evidence-based reading and writing 480 or higher; GCSE or GCE English at A, B or C; CEFR B2+, among others. If you fall short, the International Pathway Program (IPP) lets you take degree credit while studying English, usually finishing in four years, and the English Language Institute (ELI) is English-only and adds semesters.
• Proof of funds: a bank statement in US dollars showing at least one year of the university’s international cost of attendance plus the Financial Sponsorship Certification Form, for the I-20. A scanned I-20 sent by email is described as valid.
• Scholarships: full-time F-1 undergraduates are considered automatically for merit scholarships with no separate application. The site gives two ranges: the application page says the Hawk International Scholarship is partial tuition of USD 16,000 to 31,000; the international FAQ says USD 10,000 to 23,000. No need-based aid is available to F-1 students, and students fully sponsored by their governments (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE) are not eligible for merit scholarships.
• STEM designation: the international page’s STEM list includes aerospace, biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, robotics, acoustical and interdisciplinary engineering, which it says determine F-1 eligibility for the 24-month OPT extension; check with the International Center.

7. Applicants from China

• Credential: the country table lists China as “High School Graduation, Bachelor’s degree”; the page does not say which application each item applies to.
• Grades: the page lists 80% as the percentage standard (70% for India and Canada) without a China-specific entry; no China-specific conversion details are published.
• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used; not published. Ask International Admission.
• Transcripts and verification: documents must come directly from the issuing school or agency to count as official. Chinese-specific credential-evaluation or exam-certificate requirements are not published on the pages read. The international page has a “China Regional Representatives” link that was not read; check it on the website.
• Duolingo: the international application page’s English test list shows “Duolingo” and “Duolingo China ONLY” as separate entries without explanation; ask International Admission.

8. Internships and hands-on work

• The college stresses labs, project-based learning and a twice-yearly Design Expo; the electrical engineering page says senior capstone projects are increasingly industry-sponsored.
• The civil engineering page says industry, government and alumni connections help students find paid internships during the school year and summer, plus paid work assisting faculty research. The pages read do not describe a dedicated co-op program; not published.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: someone with 24 or more college credits within two years of high school graduation, or out of high school for two or more years. Anyone who attended college must submit transcripts; not disclosing prior attendance can lead to withdrawal of the application. Apply through UHart’s portal or the Common Application, in the term before you intend to enroll; no fixed deadline is printed on the pages read.
• Credit transfer: credits from a regionally accredited institution, 100-level or higher, C- or better, similar to a UHart course, with an official transcript. Online courses are accepted except online lab sciences. Only credits transfer, not grades or GPA. Credits from outside the US need a NACES evaluation. At least the final 30 credits must be completed at UHart. The evaluation arrives about 2 to 3 weeks after acceptance, and the college evaluator decides how credits apply to your major.
• Engineering transfer requirements: the pages read do not list required calculus, physics or chemistry or a GPA threshold for transferring into engineering; not published. The transfer page lists partnership pathways, including “Connecticut State Community College to Engineering, Technology, Architecture”.
• Connecticut Transfer Guarantee: applicants with an associate degree from a Connecticut community college and a 2.50 GPA are guaranteed acceptance.
• Scholarships: full-time transfer students are considered for academic scholarships of up to USD 30,000, depending on timely application and funds; the FAQ says non-need-based aid is for US citizens or permanent residents attending full-time without a prior bachelor’s degree. International transfers have their own application page, which was not read here.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Apply from August 1; applying by November 15 (early action) waives the application fee, and programs admit on a rolling basis
• File the FAFSA by February 15; watch the March 1 FIRST and ACE scholarship dates
• Ask admissions about high school course expectations for your engineering major

International students (including those from China):

• An 80% average (2.75 on a 4.0 scale); confirm the current English score (TOEFL 74 and up, versions differ)
• Ask International Admission whether Gaokao results are used
• Prepare a bank statement and sponsor form for the I-20

Transfer students:

• C- or better in 100-level or higher courses; apply in the term before enrolling
• Ask admissions and the college about engineering transfer prerequisites

Sources: University of Hartford, College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture; CETA academics; Accreditation; Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical, Aerospace, and Acoustical Engineering; BS in Mechanical Engineering; BS in Civil Engineering; BS in Electrical Engineering; BS in Engineering (Interdisciplinary); First-year application process; International students; International application process; International FAQ; 2026-27 tuition and fees; Scholarships; Transfer students. Costs are 2026-27 estimates; check the University of Hartford’s website for the latest.