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Transfer Admissions FAQ's

Miscellaneous FAQ's


Transfer Admissions FAQ's


Q) What courses should I take in my community college to prepare for transferring to the Jacobs School of Engineering?

A) All UC San Diego admitted transfer students who selected an engineering major as their first choice on the UC Undergraduate Application are reviewed by the Jacobs School Dean's Office for admittance into their selected major based on their completion of the major preparation courses listed below:

  • Calculus I – for Science and Engineering (Math 20A)
  • Calculus II – for Science and Engineering (Math 20B)
  • Calculus and Analytical Geometry (Math 20C)
  • Differential Equations (Math 20D)
  • Linear Algebra (Math 20F)
  • Calculus Based Physics series with lab experience (Physics 2A)
  • Calculus Based Physics series with lab experience (Physics 2B)
  • Calculus Based Physics series with lab experience (Physics 2C)
  • Chemistry 6A (except Computer Science and Computer Engineering majors)
    Note: Effective fall 2007, a total of ten quarter-units of general chemistry (including laboratory) will be required for students applying to all majors offered by the Department of Bioengineering. At a community college, this requirement will typically be satisfied by the first two semester "Chemistry for Science and Engineering" courses. Please refer to ASSIST for specific course equivalent information.
  • Highest level of Computer programming course offered at your college (Equivalent UC San Diego courses include: CSE 8B, CSE 11, CSE 12, CSE 20 (or Math 15A), CSE 21 (or Math 15B), CSE 30, CSE 91, ECE 15, MAE 9, MAE 10)

Note: The above courses are listed by their name at UC San Diego. Students may visit ASSIST to see what they are equivalent to at their community college.

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Q) What is an impacted major and how does it affect my chances of getting into engineering?

A) Due to high demand, five engineering majors at the Jacobs School have been designated as oversubscribed.

  • Bioengineering (Bioengineering Department)
  • Bioengineering Biotechnology (Bioengineering Department)
  • Computer Science (Computer Science & Engineering Department)
  • Computer Engineering (Computer Science & Engineering Department)
  • Computer Engineering (Electrical & Computer Engineering Department)

Admitted UC San Diego transfer students who have applied to an oversubscribed major will be further evaluated by the Jacobs School Dean's Office according to the student's completion of selected major preparation courses, with a minimum 3.20 UC transferable GPA and 3.40 in the major preparation courses. The three engineering departments which have oversubscribed majors (BENG, CSE, and ECE) set their major preparation/GPA cutoff requirements in accordance with the available seats they have for entering transfers. Students who do not meet the departmental oversubscribed major preparation/GPA requirements are placed into the alternate major they selected on the UC Undergraduate Application provided the alternate is not engineering.

We highly recommend that transfer applicants list a non-engineering major as their alternate choice on the UC Undergraduate Application. If a student lists engineering majors as both the first and alternate choices on the UC Undergraduate Application, and is not admitted to the first choice engineering major, the Jacobs School will place the student in the Undeclared major at UC San Diego. The undeclared major is not affiliated with the Jacobs School . However, students admitted as Undeclared may later seek admission to an open engineering major after they arrive at UC San Diego.

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Q) How do I apply for admission/who can transfer to UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering?

A) Priority enrollment is granted to transfer applicants coming directly from California Community Colleges. Those wishing to apply from other UC campuses and other four-year institutions should contact the UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools for further information.

Applications to UC San Diego are available on-line by going to the UC Office of the President website. The filing period for all UC applicants is November 1-30 for admission for the next fall (except for TAG applicants*)

*Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) applicants – Can apply for admission during the Fall, Spring and Winter quarters. Please visit the UC San Diego Officer on your campus for TAG submission deadlines and application requirements. More information about the TAG and other Transfer Preparation Programs, please visit here.

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Q) What criteria are used to evaluate my application to an engineering major at UC San Diego?

A) Students must meet the UC San Diego requirements for transfer admission. Priority is given to applicants from California Community Colleges. All applications are reviewed by the UC San Diego Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools. This office determines admission to UC San Diego and assigns transfer students to their undergraduate college.

A) All UC San Diego admitted transfer students who selected an engineering major as their first choice on the UC Undergraduate Application are reviewed by the Jacobs School Dean's Office for admittance into their selected major based on their completion of the major preparation courses listed below:

  • Calculus I – for Science and Engineering (Math 20A)
  • Calculus II – for Science and Engineering (Math 20B)
  • Calculus and Analytical Geometry (Math 20C)
  • Differential Equations (Math 20D)
  • Linear Algebra (Math 20F)
  • Calculus Based Physics series with lab experience (Physics 2A)
  • Calculus Based Physics series with lab experience (Physics 2B)
  • Calculus Based Physics series with lab experience (Physics 2C)
  • Chemistry 6A (except Computer Science and Computer Engineering majors)
    Note: Effective fall 2007, a total of ten quarter-units of general chemistry (including laboratory) will be required for students applying to all majors offered by the Department of Bioengineering. At a community college, this requirement will typically be satisfied by the first two semester "Chemistry for Science and Engineering" courses. Please refer to ASSIST for specific course equivalent information.
  • Highest level of Computer programming course offered at your college (Equivalent UC San Diego courses include: CSE 8B, CSE 11, CSE 12, CSE 20 (or Math 15A), CSE 21 (or Math 15B), CSE 30, CSE 91, ECE 15, MAE 9, MAE 10)

Note: The above courses are listed by their name at UC San Diego. Students may visit ASSIST to see what they are equivalent to at their community college.

Work-In-Progress
In accordance with UC San Diego Admissions policy, coursework completed in Winter/Spring by Fall applicants will be considered Work-In-Progress. In the Jacobs School major preparation requirements review process; we will only evaluate student grades through Fall.

Impacted Majors
Admitted students that have applied to an oversubscribed major will be further evaluated by the Jacobs School Dean's Office according to their completion of the major preparation requirements listed above AND minimum GPA requirements.

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Q) Which of the six UC San Diego colleges do engineering students choose?

A) Each undergraduate college at UC San Diego is comprised of all types of majors, so there is no "particular" college for engineering students. Once you are admitted to UC San Diego, you will meet engineering students who are affiliated with each of the six colleges. The main difference is that each college has its own general education requirements to graduate, mission, philosophy, traditions, and housing/dining facilities. To pick the best college for you, we suggest you do a little research. Please visit on-line for Tips on How to Choose a College

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Q) Can you transfer from an out-of-state institution?

A) For undergraduates wishing to transfer to the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering from out-of-state or internationally, there are many things to consider when planning to transfer to UC San Diego. In order to enter Jacobs School of Engineering, all transfer students must first meet the requirements for admission set by UC San Diego. It is important to note that priority enrollment is given to students transferring from California Community Colleges. In addition, the Jacobs School of Engineering evaluates student applications for admission to all of our engineering majors. For full details on our screening process, visit here. We also suggest you visit the Financial Aid Office to find out about cost of attendance and find out about CA residency requirements for tuition purposes.

Students who want to apply to UC San Diego should complete the UC Undergraduate Application during the annual November 1-30 filing period for admission the following Fall.

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Miscellaneous FAQ's


Q) Do you allow second bachelor's degrees?

A) UC San Diego does not offer second bachelor's degrees. However, you can pursue a Masters or Doctoral Program in Engineering as long as you satisfy the prerequisite requirements for the program.

If you would like to pursue a graduate degree in engineering, please contact the department you are interested in directly. All graduate admissions are handled directly through the departments. For more information on the different Departments and majors, please visit: http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/academic/departments.shtml

If you are interested in taking UC San Diego courses to prepare for advanced study you may sign up for UC San Diego courses in several ways. Concurrent Enrollment through UC San Diego Extension might be your best option. The following website is very useful:

If you are pursuing an additional bachelor's degree, another option would be to find a school that does offer the opportunity to pursue a second bachelor's degree.

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Q) What type of computer should I purchase?

A) If you are planning to live on-campus, please be aware that there are certain computer requirements. For more information, please visit: http://resnet.ucsd.edu/requirements.shtml

If you are interested in finding out what type of software programs are needed for your computer, please contact your department's academic advisors directly.

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Q) How do you choose a major?

A) If you are unsure about which engineering major to choose, please read carefully through the engineering majors offered by visiting: http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/academic/academic_undergrad/undergrad_majors/

In addition to meeting with a career counselor and academic department advisor, you may also find the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Handbook a very good resource in choosing a career path. You can find this handbook online, by visiting: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Finally, there are also many publications that you can refer to in choosing a college major.

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Q) Can I double major?

A) UC San Diego does allow students to double major, however, you cannot double major or major and minor in two engineering majors. For example, you can double major in Economics and Electrical Engineering but you cannot double major in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

To learn more about how to declare a double major once you are a current student at UC San Diego, please visit here to view the requirements.

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Q) Do you have programs for working adults?

A) We currently do not have any degree programs for working adults, but you do have the ability to take UC San Diego classes part-time through the UC San Diego Extension Office. More information about how to take UC San Diego classes through UC San Diego Extension Office, please visit here.

Classes are scheduled throughout various times of the day and there are a handful of classes available in the evening. You may want to take a look at the UC San Diego Schedule of Classes to get a feel for when the majority of classes are available and if they fit within your schedule (you can even search classes by time of day they are offered). You can visit the schedule of classes online.

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Q) I am a current UC San Diego student, how can I change my major/declare a major?

A) If you're an undergraduate and you want to declare or change your major, follow the steps online.

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Q) Do you offer tours of the Jacobs School of Engineering?

A) The Jacobs School of Engineering does not offer tours of our facilities; however our campus holds daily tours and general admissions information sessions. The tours run every Monday through Saturday and are approximately 90 minutes long beginning at 11:00am and the admissions information sessions begin at 1:15pm. Admissions information sessions cover:

  • College system overview and information
  • San Diego and the surrounding area
  • The UC San Diego campus community
  • Admission requirements and selection process, including the comprehensive review process
  • Financial aid and scholarship opportunities

For more information about campus tours, please visit here.
For more information about admissions information sessions, please visit here.

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Q) What companies recruit UC San Diego students?

A) Various engineering companies actively recruit students from the Jacobs School of Engineering and a majority of these companies belong to our Corporate Affiliates Program (CAP). To view a list of some of these companies, please visit: http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/external/external_cap/cap_membership/members.sfe

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Q) What is the difference between college and department advising?

A) Each undergraduate student at UC San Diego has academic advisors in their academic department as well as in their college.

Engineering Department Advising
Helps students with engineering major requirements and curriculum planning, petitions, regulations, degree checks, etc. Department advising staff can also refer students to faculty for advice on engineering specialization, technical electives and career options. See list of department academic advisors.

College Advising
Helps students with four-year curriculum planning and college-specific general education course requirements for graduation. See list of college advising websites.

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Q) How would I find out about internship opportunities?

A) The Jacobs School is located at the heart of San Diego's thriving technology and life sciences industry, and career opportunities abound for our students. Engineering students make connections with prospective employers through the following resources: http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/student/student_career/

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Q) What engineering organizations can I get involved in as an engineering student?

A) Our engineering student organizations help students develop their leadership skills and connect with the Jacobs School community. Activities range from professional development and career networking to project teams, design competitions and K-12 outreach. For a list of engineering student organizations that you can be involved in please visit here: http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/student/student_org/

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Q) What resources are available for international students?

A) For resources available to international students, please visit here.

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