Admission Guidelines

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Admission Information for Undergraduate Students

NOTE: Our program in Mechanical Engineering continues to be in great demand and under considerable enrollment pressure. Consequently, admission is highly competitive. Most students enter the program as incoming freshmen. The number of transfer students admitted is very, very limited. (Fall 2011)

INCOMING FRESHMAN STUDENTS

Full admission into Mechanical Engineering is essentially a two-step process for all students. The first step is to be admitted as an incoming freshman. The admission process for incoming freshmen students is handled entirely by the University’s Office of Admissions and Records (OAR). For more information on this part of the admission process, deadlines, etc., contact their office and/or go to: http://admissions.tamu.edu

The second step is to complete all CBK (Common Body of Knowledge) courses satisfactorily. The CBK courses are: ENGR 111, ENGR 112, MATH 151, MATH 152, PHYS 218, PHYS 208, CHEM 107+117, and ENGL 104. The basic requirements are:

1. Completion of all CBK courses with grades of “C” or better
2. Completion of all CBK courses within 3 full (fall, spring) semesters
3. Earn a GPA of 2.85 or better for all CBK courses
4. Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.85 or better for all courses taken at TAMU

When calculating the CBK GPA, Mechanical Engineering includes transfer grades, but not credit-by-exam (i.e. AP). The higher grade is used for repeated CBK courses in which a D or F is made. Repeating CBK courses in which a B or C is made will not change CBK GPA calculations; that is, CBK GPA calculation is made when a student first completes all CBK courses. Additional important details concerning CBK requirements are explained in a separate document that is available online at meen.tamu.edu. The document is entitled Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) Worksheet and can be found under Academics > Undergraduate Program > Curriculum Details. This document is also available in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Academic Advising Office.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Transfer students generally fall into one of three categories:

I. Students from Institutions Outside Texas A&M University (TAMU)
II. Students from Other Majors Within the College of Engineering at TAMU
III. Students from Majors Outside the College of Engineering at TAMU

Evaluation for admission into the Department of Mechanical Engineering is handled differently for each category, as described below.

Students who have ever been assigned a sanction due to academic or behavioral misconduct at any institution of higher education will not be admitted into the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Category I: Students from Institutions Outside Texas A&M University (TAMU)
The admission process for students who transfer from institutions outside TAMU is handled through the University’s Office of Admissions and Records (OAR). For more information on the transfer admission process, deadlines, etc., contact their office and/or go to: http://admissions.tamu.edu/transfer/

After applications are processed through OAR, the Department of Mechanical Engineering reviews them and makes decisions based on several factors. These include, but are not limited to:

A. the number of students currently enrolled in the Department,
B. the projected number of admitted first-year (freshmen) students who will enroll in the Department for the semester under review,
C. the projected number of admitted transfer students who will enroll in the Department for the semester under review,
D. the number of transfer applicants under review, and
E. the academic record of those transfer applicants under review.

With respect to the last factor, academic record, the Department favorably views those students with a proven record of excellence in math, science, and engineering. In addition, the following factors generally increase the prospects of being admitted:

1. Completed all of the CBK (Common Body of Knowledge) courses. These CBK course are: ENGR 111, ENGR 112, MATH 151, MATH 152, PHYS 218, PHYS 208, CHEM 107+117, and ENGL 104. Course descriptions can be found at catalog.tamu.edu
2. Earned a GPA of 3.2 or better for all CBK courses
3. Earned a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better for all courses taken
4. No history of repeating, dropping, or withdrawing from courses
5. Taking a reasonable load of courses and completing them in a timely manner
6. No grade less than “C” in any course in the last semester of courses

In addition, students should have completed a computer-aided graphics course equivalent to ENDG 105 and a computer programming course equivalent to CSCE 110, 111, 203 or 206. These two courses can be substituted for the CBK courses ENGR 111 and ENGR 112. More information on these and related matters is provided in our "Prospective Transfer Letter."

All transfer students are classified as "lower level" and given the MEEL designation upon admittance into the program. These students are allowed one semester to earn a cumulative GPA at TAMU of 2.75 or better. If this is done, the student is then admitted to "upper level" (with the MEEN designation) and allowed to continue in the degree program. If the student does not obtain a cumulative GPA at TAMU of 2.75 or better after the first semester, then the student must change majors out of Mechanical Engineering.

Category II: Students from Other Majors Within the College of Engineering at TAMU
Students requesting to change majors from another major in the College of Engineering at TAMU must complete all CBK (Common Body of Knowledge) courses first. These CBK course are: ENGR 111, ENGR 112, MATH 151, MATH 152, PHYS 218, PHYS 208, CHEM 107+117, and ENGL 104.
An application packet must be completed at the appropriate time as described in the document "ME Transfer Application," which is available online at meen.tamu.edu(under Academics > Undergraduate Program > ME Transfer Application). There are application deadlines three times per year, and these are given on the application form. Decisions will be made as soon as possible after the deadlines. For those students who are admitted, the Academic Advisors in our department will provide guidance and assistance in getting students enrolled in the appropriate courses needed in the MEEN curriculum.

The formal name at TAMU for transferring from one major to another is “Change of Curriculum.” Applicants are reminded that, due to continuing enrollment pressures in our program, there is no guarantee of being admitted. The following factors generally increase the prospects for being admitted:

1. Earned a GPA of 3.2 or better for all CBK courses
2. Earned a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better for all courses taken at TAMU
3. Earned a term GPA of 3.2 or better for the last two consecutive semesters at TAMU (in a typical mix of science, math, engineering courses, as applicable)
4. No history of repeating, dropping, or withdrawing from courses
5. Taking a reasonable load of courses and completing them in a timely manner
6. No grade less than “C” in any course in the last semester of course work

Additional factors that are considered in the admission decision include, but are not limited to:

A. the number of students currently enrolled in the Department,
B. the projected number of admitted first-year (freshmen) students who will enroll in the Department for the semester under review,
C. the number of students applying to the program through transfer or change of curriculum for the semester under review and the projected number to be admitted.

Students who have ever been assigned a sanction due to academic or behavioral misconduct at any institution of higher education will not be admitted into the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Category III: Students from Majors Outside the College of Engineering at TAMU
Students requesting to change majors from another major outside of the College of Engineering at TAMU must complete all CBK (Common Body of Knowledge) courses, or their equivalents, first. These CBK course are: ENGR 111, ENGR 112, MATH 151, MATH 152, PHYS 218, PHYS 208, CHEM 107+117, and ENGL 104. Students not in the College of Engineering will not be able to take ENGR 111 and 112. However, the Department of Mechanical Engineering allows taking two courses as substitutions: (a) a computer-aided graphics course equivalent such as ENDG 105, and (b) a computer programming course such as CSCE 110, 111, 203 or 206. Both courses must be taken and then substituted for both ENGR 111 and 112 as a “package” deal.
An application packet must be completed at the appropriate time as described in the document "ME Transfer Application," which is available online at meen.tamu.edu(under Academics > Undergraduate Program > ME Transfer Application). There are application deadlines three times per year, and these are given on the application form. Decisions will be made as soon as possible after the deadlines. For those students who are admitted, the Academic Advisors in our department will provide guidance and assistance in getting students enrolled in the appropriate courses needed in the MEEN curriculum.

1. Earned a GPA of 3.2 or better for all CBK courses
2. Earned a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better for all courses taken at TAMU
3. Earned a term GPA of 3.2 or better for the last two consecutive semesters at TAMU (in a typical mix of science, math, engineering courses, as applicable)
4. No history of repeating, dropping, or withdrawing from courses
5. Taking a reasonable load of courses and completing them in a timely manner
6. No grade less than “C” in any course in the last semester of course work

Additional factors that are considered in the admission decision include, but are not limited to:

A. the number of students currently enrolled in the Department,
B. the projected number of admitted first-year (freshmen) students who will enroll in the Department for the semester under review,
C. the number of students applying to the program through transfer or change of curriculum for the semester under review and the projected number to be admitted.

Students who have ever been assigned a sanction due to academic or behavioral misconduct at any institution of higher education will not be admitted into the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

OTHER STUDENTS
Students classified as "Readmit" or "Post-Baccalaureate" for admissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Decisions will be made generally following criteria similar to those for students transferring from institutions outside TAMU.