Admission for Current UB Students
UB students in academic good standing may be considered for admission to any of our undergraduate engineering or applied science majors.
Admissions Criteria
Admission to engineering or computer science major requires the following:
- Matriculated student with academic good standing at the University at Buffalo.
- Submission of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Major/Minor Change Request Form. Students are strongly encouraged to apply by the end of May for fall admission and by early December for spring admission. Submission of an application by these suggested dates will allow ample time for processing and provide time for advisement before the start of the semester.
- Satisfactory performance in a series of core courses (see below). There are two paths to meet this requirement.
- Standard: Completion of four core courses with a combined core course grade point average of at least 2.5.
- Fast-Track: Completion of at least two of the four core courses (graded on an A-F basis) with a combined core course grade point average of at least 3.0.
- The minimum cumulative GPA required for the major. Students can meet the GPA standard by attaining an overall cumulative GPA or UB cumulative GPA (with minimum of 12 earned UB credits) that meets or exceeds the minimum value. The GPAs required for admission vary by academic year and requested major. The table below provides the GPA requirement for the 2022-23 academic year. Learn more about cumulative GPA requirements for previous academic years.
Core Courses
Engineering Courses:
- Calculus 1 (MTH 141 or MTH 153)
- Calculus 2 (MTH 142 or MTH 154)
- General Chemistry 1 (CHE 101, CHE 105, or CHE 107)
- General Physics 1 (PHY 107 or PHY 117)
Computer Science / Bioinformatics Courses:
- Calculus 1 (MTH 141 or MTH 153; students applying for the BA computer science degree may complete MTH 121 or MTH 131)
- Introduction to Computer Science for Majors 1 (CSE 115)
- Introduction to Computer Science for Majors 2 (CSE 116)
- Discrete Structures (CSE 191 or MTH 191)
Overall GPA Requirements
| Major | Overall GPA |
| Aerospace, Computer, and Mechanical Engineering; Computer Science (BA and BS); Bioinformatics and Computational Biology | 2.8 |
| Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Environmental, and Industrial Engineering; Engineering Physics; Material Science and Engineering | 2.5 |
| Engineering Science | 2.0 |
In addition to these specific requirements, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will consider a student's entire academic record in reaching an admission decision. Factors such as a history of repeating, resigning, or failing classes, or low grades in classes relevant to the student's desired discipline may result in conditional admission or denial of admission.
Students are encouraged to convey legitimate extenuating circumstances that negatively impacted their academic performance via the Major/Minor Change Request Form. Specific examples include documented medical issues of the student or an immediate family member, the death of an immediate family member, a disability, military orders, or other significant personal hardships.
Code of Professional Conduct
Students who have acted in a manner that is inconsistent with the SEAS Code of Professional Conduct may be denied admission to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Advanced Placement (AP) exam credit may satisfy core course requirements for Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry, depending upon the exam and the score achieved. Please see the UB Advanced Placement Exam Articulation Chart to see credit awarded for each AP exam.
International Baccalaureate (IB), General Certificate of Education (GCE), and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams may also satisfy core course requirements. Details of credit awarded for these exams can be obtained from the UB International Baccalaureate Exam articulation chart, the General Certificate of Education articulation chart, and the College Level Examination Program articulation chart.
Please note that completing a university course after receiving test credit for the equivalent course is not considered a repeat (admission criterion #3). In fact, academic advisors often recommend that students complete core courses at UB after receiving test credit for a course.
After a careful review of an applicant's academic record, one of the following decisions is processed:
- Admission to the major: In this case, the applicant meets the criteria to join the major, and is placed into the major. This represents the final step in the admission process to SEAS. Students are eligible to participate in all courses required for the major.
- Declined admission: In this case, the applicant is not currently admissible. In this case, we recommend that students work with academic advisors to identify an alternative degree program that aligns with their interests and strengths. Students are not generally permitted to enroll in engineering courses and 200-level and above computer science courses. Following a decline decision, students may apply for admission to SEAS in a future semester. The applicant must then present a convincing case that circumstances have changed and that there is now a reasonable likelihood of success within the major of interest.
Students are encouraged to utilize our course flowsheets for help in identifying courses required for their desired major. Students should pay particular attention to the course requisite sequences identified by the flowsheets to ensure that they have the necessary prerequisites to enter our courses in a timely manner. For example, students without EAS 209 Mechanics of Solids cannot take the recommended sequence of junior year classes in mechanical, aerospace, or civil engineering.