Students who have been registered in any college on the UC Berkeley campus can change into the College of Engineering only by petitioning for Change of College. Admission to Engineering is competitive, and petitions are reviewed only once each academic year -- during the spring term for acceptance into the fall term.

• When can I petition to change into the College of Engineering?
• When do I decided on a major in Engineering?
• What courses should I complete in order to be a good candidate for change of college?
• How are change of college applications evaluated?
• How are courses in progress treated?
• How competitive is changing to the College of Engineering?
• When will I learn the decision on my application?
• May I apply again if I am denied change of college?

Q: When can I petition to change into the College of Engineering?

Although students can petition at any level they must have completed at least two semesters at UCB. Freshmen may apply by the application deadline, but a decision will not be made until second semester grades have been posted. Students must also be able to fulfill the College’s residency requirement and complete the engineering degree within the appropriate number of semesters. The ideal time to petition for a change into the College of Engineering is during your sophomore year. This gives the Faculty Reviewers at least two or three semesters of work to evaluate. Application packets will be available online by December 15th.

Q: When do I decide on a major in Engineering?

You must choose a specific major when you petition for a change into the College of Engineering. The College of Engineering does not admit students to the College of Engineering undeclared program when changing college.

All of the engineering majors and associated curricula are described in the College Announcement beginning on page 52. Each field has its own areas of specialization and curriculum requirements which will affect your lower-division program. You may want to discuss professional opportunities with Career Planning counselors at 2111 Bancroft Way before making your final decision on a major. You may also address questions regarding any of the UC Berkeley Engineering curricula to the department concerned.

Change of college applicants should choose their major carefully. Once admitted to the College of Engineering, change of college students are not permitted to change their major except in circumstances that will not cause a delay in graduation.

Q: What courses should I complete in order to be a good candidate for change of college?

You should follow the lower-division program of the major for which you intend to apply. The requirements for each major are outlined in the General Catalog and in sample programs  the College's Announcement. Planning guides are avaible for each major. The higher the rate of completion of the lower division requirements, the better the chance of being accepted.

Technical Courses - You should be completing courses which will satisfy the lower-division technical requirements (math, science, and engineering courses) for your intended major. Technical courses must all be taken for a letter grade. 

Reading and Composition - You should also be completing the College of Engineering’s Reading and Composition requirement. These courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Breadth Requirements - The College of Engineering has a degree requirement of six courses of at least 3 units each in humanities and social studies selected from an approved list of courses Change of college applicants are encouraged to consult the web site for more information on this requirement if they would like to complete suitable courses prior to admission. 

Q: How are change of college applications evaluated?

Change of college applicants are evaluated primarily on the following: a proven strong foundation in mathematics and sciences, the completeness of the applicant's preparation at the level considered, the grades earned through the last semester completed, grades in particular courses, the total units accumulated including work currently in progress, the total number of semesters it will take the student to graduate, ability to fulfill the College’s residency requirement and the personal statement. Students who were admitted as junior transfers to another college are not likely to be considered for subsequent transfer into the College of Engineering unless they can complete the engineering degree within four semesters from when they first enrolled at UC Berkeley (one additional semester may be petitioned, but is not guaranteed) and they can fulfill the College’s residency requirement.

Due to enrollment pressures in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences programs, Bioengineering programs and Engineering Physics, students with full lower-division preparation at the time of change and superior academic achievement will be strongly favored.

Q: How are courses in progress treated?

Courses in progress, as listed on the submitted "APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER TO THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING", are considered completed in the calculation of the lower-division completion rate. However, any change to your study list must to be reported to 308 McLaughlin Hall immediately, as it may affect your transfer status. Final acceptance will require satisfactory completion of the term in progress as stated in the letter of acceptance. 

Q: How competitive is changing to the College of Engineering?

Admission to Engineering is competitive, but not impossible, for students in other colleges. In recent years roughly 60% of the applicants to most majors have been approved for admission. However, EECS programs, Bioengineering programs and Engineering Physics are the most competitive for admission. To be considered for change of college to these programs, an outstanding UCB GPA and a high rate of completion of the major's lower division requirements at the class level considered are necessary. For other engineering majors, a GPA of at least 3.0 or higher (depending on the major) and a high rate of completion of the major's lower division requirements at the class level considered are likely to be required for consideration.

Q: When will I learn the decision on my application?

All applicants will be advised of their status by email by mid-April if possible, prior to Tele-BEARS enrollment for the fall term.

Q: May I apply again if I am denied change of college?

Students who apply in their freshman year may be denied simply because they lack sufficient course work to be competitive. Such students may certainly apply again in their sophomore year with an improved chance for admission. However, sophomores who have been denied are not encouraged to pursue admission to the College of Engineering in subsequent years. Such students should be prepared either to choose another major within the college in which they are currently registered or to seek transfer to another institution offering degrees in engineering. Student may apply to change into the College of Engineering no more than twice.

Rev 4/07