First Year Student FAQs

You are assigned an academic advisor in the Office of Academic Affairs, UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), (716) 645-2775, ubengineer@buffalo.edu.

You can find your advisor’s name and contact information in the SEAS Portal and in the HUB Student Center.

Eventually, you will also have a faculty advisor who will help you with planning that becomes important in your junior and senior years.

We encourage all students to see an advisor each term to get information on the appropriate courses to take, and in some cases, advisement will be required. There are many important sequencing issues that you need to be aware of, including things like course requisites and fall-only/spring-only course offerings.

Please see our course flowsheets for a better understanding of some of these sequencing issues. Be sure to select the correct academic year, AY 2024-2025, so that you are accessing the correct version of the curriculum.

Classes in your schedule were reviewed for you by the university to fulfill specific requirements in your major and/or the UB Curriculum. In most cases, the same schedule was also given to several other students so that it will be easier for you to meet and study with other SEAS majors. Changes to your schedule may not be possible. There may be issues regarding prerequisites, limited course offerings, multiple course components, and course reserves that an advisor should review. You will not be able to drop classes on your own, but your advisor may ask you to add a UB Curriculum course. You will need to submit schedule change requests through our online form no later than Friday, August 2.

Once classes start you will be able to adjust your registration, but we recommend you drop into our office in 410 Bonner Hall for assistance, especially in your first term. As per the student calendar, there are deadlines to add/drop/resign classes.   

If you are changing between two engineering majors and neither of these is computer engineering nor engineering physics, you will not need to change your first-semester schedule. However, if you are switching to or from Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Engineering Physics, your requirements may change your first semester schedule. Use the details section of our Schedule Change Request Form to request a change in your major no later than Friday, August 2.

EAS 199 Engineering Principles has a seminar and lab section. CHE 107 General Chemistry I for Engineers has a lecture and recitation (CHE 127 is the required laboratory for CHE 107). Attendance at all components is required. CSE 115 has a required lecture, lab, and recitation section.

CHE 110 is a one semester augmentation to CHE 107 for students who are concerned about their readiness for science courses at UB. CHE 110 is also recommended for students who did not take high school chemistry. Students entering CHE 107 are assumed to have working knowledge of the material from the New York State high school Regents Chemistry course, or an equivalent. For students who have not yet taken a Chemistry course, and students who did not have an opportunity to perform well on the Chemistry Regents, CHE 110 provides a bridge to help maximize chances of success upon enrolling in CHE 110.

EAS 107, EAS 141 and EAS 114 are courses in The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Small Groups program. These are 0.5 credit hour supplements to CHE 107, MTH 141, and MTH 114 respectively. Small Groups are synched with your courses, and keep pace with weekly course content, assignments, and exams to help you stay on track. A faculty member and two student tutors lead the sessions, which are capped at 15 students. Groups meet 50 minutes/week to solidify key concepts and work on practice problems. Participation is voluntary; however, a strong understanding of math and chemistry principles is foundational for success in your major and we strongly recommend that you take this class. If you decline to participate, please use our Schedule Change Request Form to request to be removed from the program no later than Friday, August 2. 

Don’t see Engineering Small Groups classes on your schedule but you want to participate? That is a great decision and investment in your future academic success! Use our Schedule Change Request Form to request to be enrolled in EAS 107, EAS 141, and/or EAS 114 no later than Friday, August 2. 

Ten minutes is enough time for students without accessibility concerns to get from one class on the North Campus Academic Spine to another. Students are advised to allow approximately 20-30 minutes to travel between the Academic Spine and the Ellicott Complex on the North Campus, and one hour to travel between classes on the North Campus and South Campus.

You can find the specific instruction modes within the Class Details portion of the Class Information section. For more information on how to locate the instruction mode, review the HUB Student Center Training Guide.

There are a few things to take into consideration when determining the right number of credits in a given term:

• Timely progress to degree: To graduate in four years the typical SEAS student needs approximately 17 credit hours per term (see our flowsheets). However, if you prefer to take a lighter course load you may choose to take summer courses or take a little longer to graduate. Of course, if you have already earned transfer credit or other college credit that will meet a graduation requirement (in your major or perhaps for UB Curriculum) then you could choose a lighter course load at some point during your studies: early on if you are worried about the transition or later when the courses may become more challenging. 
• Dean’s List: If you would like to be eligible for the University Dean’s List, you must take at least 15 credits per semester. 
• Financial Aid: Students generally need at least 12 new credits to be considered full-time and eligible for most forms of aid. Students who receive any New York State Grants or Scholarships must take a minimum of 12 degree-applicable credits (DACs) per semester. This includes but is not limited to NY's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), STEM Scholarship, and Excelsior Scholarship. In addition, students in the Excelsior Scholarship must complete a total of 30 DACs over the course of a year. First-year students can apply college credit earned in high school toward the 30 DAC minimum. Please refer to the UB Financial Aid website for additional eligibility rules.  
   

If the school that you took classes at was an accredited institution these courses will probably transfer to UB for credit. Visit UB’s Transfer Articulation System (TAURUS) to find out exactly how your courses will transfer (what UB requirement they might satisfy). 

If you noted transfer credit on your orientation data form then we accounted for this in your fall schedule by avoiding any UB classes that would duplicate a requirement. Please note that if you have not already done so, you need to have the college/university granting college credit send an official college transcript to:

Office of Admissions
University at Buffalo
12 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260-1660

Electronic versions of your transcripts are strongly recommended. A separate official transcript must be received from each institution you attended.

We have not verified receipt of any transfer credit at UB. You will need to confirm your transfer credit through later advising sessions during the academic year or by checking your academic record for transfer credit.

Note: This video provides a helpful overview!

The PLTW 101 Intro to Engineering Design course from RIT can satisfy the Graphics Requirement in various engineering majors. Other Project Lead The Way (PLTW) coursework is accepted as general elective credit (EAS or TR 999TR). PLTW coursework is a valuable preparatory experience for engineering programs, however general elective credit will not satisfy a specific engineering degree requirement. PLTW credit contributes to total credit hours required and will contribute to total credits earned when assigning enrollment appointments for future course registration.

Please visit the Office of the Registrar's website. Here, you will find articulation for each AP exam offered. To earn credit as outlined in this chart you must have the College Board send an official score report to UB (SUNY Center Buffalo/School Code 2925). If you did not do this at the time you took the exam(s) or after you made the decision to attend UB, do so now! A high school transcript is not accepted as proof of AP credit.

This video provides a helpful overview!

Please view this video, submit your inquiry via the Schedule Change Request Form no later than Friday, August 2, and let us help you determine the best way to proceed.

Information can be obtained from Campus Living. You can also call them toll-free at 866-285-8806. In addition, if desired there is Off-Campus Housing information.

See UB IT's Student Technology Guide.

See Student Computer Standards for more information.

While not required, some students prefer to use a graphing calculator in some classes. Our recommendation is to get a good scientific calculator with at least the following properties: Log and anti-log, Exponentials, Sin and Cos, and their inverses. However, most professors will not allow you to use them when taking tests, especially during your first two years.