How to Apply to Engineering at Fairfield University: Biomedical, Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering in the School of Engineering and Computing, Through the Common Application, with Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Fairfield University is a Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut, which the website says is about 60 minutes by train from New York City. Undergraduate engineering is taught in the School of Engineering & Computing (SEC). Computer science is also in the school but 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. The dates on the website print no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.

1. The undergraduate engineering majors

• Majors: the school’s undergraduate page lists biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronics engineering and computer science. The degree is a Bachelor of Science (BS). The website describes mechatronics as one of the few bachelor’s programs of its kind in the country.
• Credits: the program pages list total credits of 127 for biomedical, 128 for electrical and 134 for mechanical engineering. The mechatronics page, in the part read, does not give a total; see the program page.
• ABET: the school’s home and about pages say the BS in electrical, biomedical and mechanical engineering is accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), and computer science by the Computing Accreditation Commission. The website is inconsistent here: the accreditation paragraph on the biomedical and mechanical engineering pages names “electrical engineering”. Mechatronics does not appear in the school’s accreditation statement (not published; ask the department), and the about page’s list of programs omits it although the undergraduate page includes it.
• Five-year bachelor’s plus master’s: biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering (three years of the standard curriculum, graduate courses from year four, eight more courses in year five) and electrical engineering (BS plus an MS in electrical and computer engineering) have them, and the website says they save at least a year. The about page also mentions an MS in Management of Technology.

2. How admission works

• Application route: Fairfield uses only the Common Application. The pages read mention no separate engineering application or supplemental essay. They also do not say whether you choose a specific engineering major when applying, whether there is an undeclared-engineering track, or what the conditions are for changing into engineering later. This is not published; ask undergraduate admission (admis@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4100).
• Review: the website describes a holistic review in which the four-year high school record matters most, along with course rigor, the personal statement, teacher and counselor recommendations, and activities.

3. Preparation

• High school courses: the first-year page mentions only a “strong college preparatory program” with some honors and AP classes. It does not list the math, physics or chemistry courses engineering needs; this is not published, so ask admissions.
• Math placement: the pages read do not describe a placement test; not published.
• AP/IB credit: AP scores of 4 or 5 earn 3 or 4 credits per course and Higher Level IB grades of 6 or 7 earn 3 or 4 credits, with a maximum of 15 credits each. The website says a formal review happens after enrollment and how credit applies may differ by major, so whether it replaces required engineering courses must be confirmed after enrolling.

4. Rounds, materials and testing

• Deadlines (no year is printed; check they apply to fall 2027): Early Action November 1 (notification December 20 to January 15; the international page says January 1); Early Decision I November 15 (notification December 15); Early Decision II and Regular Decision January 15 (ED II notification February 15, Regular April 1). Early Decision is binding. Applications by the deadline get priority consideration for admission, financial aid, scholarships and housing.
• Materials: the Common Application, personal statement, USD 65 fee (or an official waiver), official secondary school transcript, School Report and counselor recommendation (submitted by the school, accepted up to two weeks after the deadline). An interview is not required but can be scheduled.
• Testing: SAT/ACT is optional, not submitting is not a disadvantage and does not affect merit scholarships; you indicate this on the Fairfield supplement to the Common Application. The website adds that home-schooled students must still submit SAT or ACT. The pages read do not say the school of engineering has a different testing requirement.

5. Domestic students

• Tuition (2026-27): full-time tuition is USD 61,390 for arts and sciences, business, education, engineering and nursing alike (the page lists no separate engineering tuition; whether one exists is not published). Other charges: a student activity fee of USD 1,025 a year (charged in fall), a USD 425 orientation fee for first years, and an engineering laboratory fee of USD 132 per course. Part-time engineering (under 12 credits) costs USD 1,005 a credit. Room and board are extra, for example USD 12,100 for a double room and USD 8,430 for the unlimited meal plan.
• Scholarships: every admitted student is automatically considered for a merit scholarship with no separate application and no minimum grades or test scores; awards are USD 10,000 to 30,000 and apply to tuition only. The pages read mention no school-of-engineering scholarship.
• Need-based aid: file the FAFSA and CSS Profile (the transfer page gives FAFSA code 001385 and CSS code 3390); the financial aid due dates are December 1 for Early Action and Early Decision I and January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision.
• Connecticut residents: the pages read mention no resident preference or guarantee; not published.

6. International students

• Application: through the Common Application, with your name exactly as on your passport. Review starts only when everything has arrived: official academic records (transcripts, national examination results, graduation certificates) sent directly by a school official or a NACES-approved evaluation agency, in a sealed envelope or directly from the issuing institution or ministry; non-English documents need both the original and a translation, and electronic copies are not accepted; a school counselor recommendation (the principal if there is no counselor); and a Certificate of Finances, for which the page gives no amount (not published).
• Deadlines: the same undergraduate dates as above (no year printed).
• English: required if English is not your native language: TOEFL iBT 4.5 if taken on or after January 21, 2026 or 80 if taken earlier; IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 115. Official institutional score reports are required; student copies are not accepted. The first-year page calls TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo “highly recommended” for students who have lived in the US fewer than three years, while the international page says “required”; international applicants should prepare to submit one.
• After admission: a passport copy and, where a parent or sponsor provides support, an Affidavit of Financial Support, to start the visa process.
• Scholarships and aid: all students regardless of citizenship are automatically considered for merit scholarships (USD 10,000 to 30,000, tuition only); international and international transfer students are encouraged to apply for aid with the CSS Profile. The pages read mention no international-specific engineering scholarship.
• After graduation: the international page points to the OPT STEM extension for qualifying degrees; see the website and the international student office.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether or how Gaokao results are used, and there is no China country page. This is not published; ask undergraduate admission (admis@fairfield.edu).
• Transcripts and verification: follow the international rules above: records sent directly by a school official or a NACES-approved agency, including national examination results and the graduation certificate, with translations. The page says many international applicants use an evaluation company (it names The Evaluation Company) but does not require it for Chinese applicants and does not describe any China-specific exam-certificate or interview requirement; not published.
• English: the pages read give no English exemption for Chinese applicants; prepare TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo as above.

8. Internships and professional development

• Internships: the school’s home page states that 75% of engineering students take part in one or more industry internships, and the internships page lists organizations where students have interned, such as NASA, GE, Lockheed Martin, Medtronic and Sikorsky. The pages read do not say whether internships are paid and do not describe a school-wide paid co-op program (not published). The Professional Development Series runs in four levels across the four years and encourages an internship or summer co-op at level 2 and a second one at level 3.
• Research and design: the program pages say undergraduates can do research with faculty, and the school mentions competitions such as SAE Baja.

9. Transfer students

• Deadlines: November 15 for spring entry and April 1 for fall entry (no year printed; check). Complete applications by the deadline are considered for admission, institutional aid, merit scholarships and housing; fall transfer decisions generally come by mid-May.
• Materials: the transfer Common Application, USD 65 fee, official high school transcript, official transcripts from every college attended, and a Dean of Students Certification Form; midterm grades are optional. SAT/ACT is optional for domestic applicants and required for international and home-schooled applicants.
• GPA for engineering: transfer applicants to the School of Engineering & Computing need a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5/4.0 (the same as the arts and sciences; business asks for 2.8).
• Credit transfer: only courses of three credits or more with a C or better; courses 10 or more years old cannot count toward major requirements; the final evaluation comes after admission; at least 60 credits, including the last 30, must be earned at Fairfield. The pages read do not list a calculus, physics and chemistry transfer sequence for engineering; this is not published, so ask transfer admission (transferadmis@fairfield.edu).
• Other: merit awards for transfer students are limited in number and announced with admission; on-campus housing is not guaranteed.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Apply through the Common Application by November 1 (EA), November 15 (ED I) or January 15; USD 65 fee
• File the FAFSA and CSS Profile; every admitted student is automatically considered for a merit scholarship
• Ask admissions how to indicate an engineering major and which high school math and science courses they recommend

International students (including those from China):

• Records sent directly by the school or a NACES-approved agency (with translations), a counselor recommendation and proof of finances
• TOEFL iBT 4.5 (80 before January 21, 2026), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115
• Ask admissions how Gaokao results are used

Transfer students:

• A cumulative GPA of at least 2.5; complete materials by November 15 (spring) or April 1 (fall), and confirm how engineering courses will transfer

Sources: Fairfield University, School of Engineering and Computing; Undergraduate programs; About the school and ABET; Biomedical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Mechatronics Engineering; Internships and professional development; First-year applicants; International students; International application requirements; Transfer students; 2026-27 undergraduate tuition; Merit scholarships. The date pages print no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. Costs are for 2026-2027. Check Fairfield’s website for the latest.