As of the spring of 2007, approximately 112 students have transferred through the UNCW Pre-Engineering Transfer Program.  Of these, approximately 90% have either graduated or are in progress towards a degree.  The average GPA for those graduated is approximately 2.8. One of our former students was the validictorian of Fall 2003 NCSU graduating class. Another is the oldest person to have graduated from the NCSU Civil Engineering Department.

As with any transfer program, things are never ideal.  The paragraphs below will tell you some things you should know and consider about our program before you decide it is for you.  Also be sure to carefully read the transfer requirements.

Costs: At the present time, all sophomore-level (numbered 200 and above) engineering courses are distance education courses, video-conferenced to UNCW by N. C. State.  These are usually live, two-way, interactive courses.  They are recorded in case there are technical difficulties.  Students have 24/7 access to these recordings. Occasionally a course is offered via recording if the video conferencing classroom is unavailable.  To enroll in these courses, students must register with and pay tuition to NCSU.  This tuition is over and above that paid to UNCW. For 2007, the cost will be $131 per credit or $393 for a three credit course.  An in-state UNCW student currently pays $1040 for 6 to 8 credits, $1751 for 9 to 11 credits, and $2080 for 12 or more credits (full-time rate).  If a UNCW student takes 9 to 11 credits at UNCW and two courses distance education courses, the student will pay more ($2537) than the UNCW full-time rate of $2080.  If a UNCW student takes 8 credits or less and six credits of distance education course work, the student will pay less ($1826) than the UNCW full-time rate of $2080.  The full-time tuition rate at NCSU at $2559.

Extra paperwork is needed for UNCW to claim as full-time, those students who take less than 12 credits at UNCW.  But our office takes care of most of this.  This is important only if the student has financial aid and insurance issues that require full-time status. These distance education courses are taken only in the sophomore year, and two per semester at most. While not ideal, it is the cost for having the benefit of being able to take engineering courses from accredited engineering schools, at UNCW.

Four years, or more?: The critical course sequences for most engineering curriculums and those offered in our program are the first two calculus courses, MATH 161 and 162, and the first physics course, PHY 201.  For electrical and computer engineering, add PHY 202.  These courses must be completed before the sophomore year, if a student intends to stay on schedule to graduate in four years.  Normally, MATH 161 is taken in the fall semester of the freshman year and MATH 162 and PHY 201 are taken in the spring of the freshman year.  MATH 161 must be taken before PHY 201. Unfortunately, PHY 201 is only offered in the fall and first summer session at UNCW.  Therefore, most of our students must take PHY 201 in the the first summer session after their freshman year.  Also, those interested in electrical and computer engineering must take PHY 202 in the second summer session after their freshman year. Therefore, a summer school, either at UNCW or at the school to which a student transfers, will be needed regardless of curriculum.

All UNCW students are given a math placement test during freshman orientation.  A student who is able to place into MATH 161 will be disadvantaged by the lack of physics course offerings.  However, most students who enter UNCW do not place into MATH 161, so they will have to go to summer school anyway.  Students who do not place into MATH 112 or 115, either being prerequisites for MATH 161, will be further handicapped because they will not be able to take PHY 201 until the fall of the sophomore year.  Our sophomore-level engineering courses are offered only once a year, and both MATH 162 and PHY 201 are prerequisites for the engineering courses.  Thus none of the engineering courses will be available to students in this situation until the following fall.  If graduating in four years is a prime consideration, students in this situation should consider transferring after one and one-half years and making up courses in summer school at the engineering school to which they transfer.  In some curriculums that have small enrollments where courses are offered only once a year (aerospace engineering is one example), it may be impossible to graduate in four years if a student is not able to place in at least MATH 112 or 115.

AP credits: If you have AP credit, do not expect to get the same credits at all schools.  Each has its own rules about what will be awarded based on the test scores.  What each school awards, if available at their web site, can be found below: