Undergraduate Admissions

Admission Criteria

Students from the Engineering Freshman Program at the University of Pittsburgh will be considered for admission into the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering if they satisfy the following criteria.

• Complete the first term of the freshman year, i.e., Math 0220, Physics 0174, Engineering 0011, and Chemistry 0960, plus a humanities or social science elective.
• Complete or are currently enrolled in the second term of the freshman year, i.e., Math 0230, Physics 0175, Engineering 0012, and Chemistry 0960, plus a humanities or social science elective.
• Maintain a cumulative QPA of at least 2.00/4.00.

Note that the number of students admitted under these criteria is limited by the availability of space within the department.

Students from other segments of the University of Pittsburgh, including but not limited to the School of Arts and Sciences, the College of General Studies, the regional campuses, and other engineering departments, will be considered for admission into the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering if they satisfy the following criteria:

• Essentially complete the freshman year, i.e., two calculus courses, two calculus-based physics courses, two chemistry courses, and one "C"-based computer programming course, all of which must be completed at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Maintain a cumulative QPA of at least 2.50/4.00.

Students who have completed part of their work at a community college or other college will be considered under the criteria for students from schools outside of the University of Pittsburgh as explained below.

Other students, including those from community colleges and other schools outside of the University of Pittsburgh, will be considered for admission into the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering if they satisfy the following criteria:

• Essentially complete the freshman year, i.e., two calculus courses, two calculus-based physics courses, two chemistry courses, and one "C"-based computer programming course, plus any liberal arts courses that are acceptable.
• Maintain a cumulative QPA of at least 2.50/4.00.
• Are transferring from a program that has been certified for accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Students seeking a second degree will be considered for admission into the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering under these criteria for transfer, as is appropriate for the school or program of record of the first degree.

Admission Dates

Dates for submission of applications for admission to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are:

• July 15 for the fall term
• November 15 for the spring term
• March 15 for the summer term

Transfer Credits

Transfer of credit from other institutions to the University of Pittsburgh involves at least the following three considerations:

1. The educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers.
2. The comparability of the nature, content, and level of the credits earned to those offered by the University of Pittsburgh.
3. The appropriateness and applicability of the credits earned to the programs offered by the University of Pittsburgh, in light of the student's educational goals.

Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards. On this basis, transfer credits will be given for courses taken at other ABET-accredited engineering programs according to the following criteria. Note that only the credits transfer. The grades do not transfer and are not included in the computation of the student's QPA at the University of Pittsburgh.

1. Non-EE courses with a C grade or better from accredited institutions that are applicable to the EE curriculum may be transferred.
2. EE courses with a C grade or better from ABET-accredited electrical engineering programs may be transferred.
3. EE or EET courses taken in electrical engineering technology programs are not transferable.
4. Courses taken as a part of ABET-accredited non-electrical engineering or technology programs may be transferable as technical, engineering science, or open electives on a case-by-case basis.

The student must request a transfer of credits in writing and include a course syllabus, a copy of the catalog course description and description of prerequisites, and an official transcript from the school where the course was completed. All requests should be forwarded to the EE undergraduate administrator.

Special Student Status

Special student status is a category that will allow individuals who are not students in any school in the University to take courses within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Although there can be a number of reasons why such cases might exist, the primary use of this status is for students who are enrolled in engineering programs at other universities who may wish to complete one or two courses at Pitt. Applications for Special Student Enrollment are available in the Office of Administration, 253 Benedum Hall. Each of these applications is individually evaluated relative to course prerequisites, QPA, and the requirements of the student's home institution. The EE undergraduate coordinator will evaluate all such applications.

Administration

Find how Quality Point Average is calculated, how cross registration works, grading options, and other administrative matters.

Resources

Swanson School of Engineering admissions

SSOE Approved Hum/SS Electives

Pitt Schedule of Classes

A&S Course Descriptions

EE Undergraduate Handbook