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Cross-Campus Students

Cross-campus admission to engineering

Cross-campus students are students who are currently enrolled in another school or college at UW-Madison who wish to transfer into the College of Engineering.

Eligibility

Students must meet a set of minimum requirements to be considered for admission to a degree program in the College of Engineering. Admission is competitive and dependent on program capacity. The admissions committee considers applicants’ grades and grade trends, academic rigor, and personal statement. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to an engineering degree program. The First Year Progression Requirements and GPA Benchmarks for Progression posted on the progression page only apply to current engineering undergraduates

  • A. 24 graded credits completed at UW-Madison, including at least one full-time (12 credit) semester. English as a Second Language course credits count toward the 24 credit minimum.
  • B. General Education Communications Part A (Comm A) requirement taken on a graded basis at UW-Madison. If the Comm A requirement has been satisfied through placement test, AP/IB, or transfer credit, then a liberal studies course of at least 3 credits (breadth designation of Humanities, Literature, or Social Sciences) must be taken on a graded basis at UW-Madison.
  • C. Math course sequence through Math 222.
  • D. Four Foundational Courses completed at UW-Madison, as defined in D.1. and D.2.:
    • 1. Math Foundation: A minimum of two math courses numbered 221 or above; one math course 300 level or above; or calculus sequence completed through Math 234. Excludes Math 228, Math 473, special topics, independent study, seminar, pass/fail, and credit/no credit courses.
    • 2. Engineering Foundation: A minimum of two courses as defined in the table below. If the math and engineering foundational requirements for the degree program are complete, then degree program engineering courses 200 level and above can be taken to complete the Four Foundational Courses requirement. Excludes EPD, InterEGR, special topics, independent study, seminar, pass/ fail, and credit/no credit courses.

 

Degree Programs (Majors) Engineering Foundation
Chemical Engineering (i) one course must be Chemistry 104 or higher

(ii) one course must be Physics 201/EMA 201 or higher

If above two requirements are completed, select from additional engineering foundation courses below.
Biomedical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Computer Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering

Geological Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Nuclear Engineering

 (i) one course must be either Chemistry 104 or higher OR Physics 201/EMA 201 or higher

(ii) one other engineering foundation course, from the following subject codes:

  • Chemistry
  • EMA 201,EMA 202, EMA 303
  • Physics 201 and above
  • Statistics, calculus-based
  • Computer Sciences 200, 220, 300 or above, excluding CS 304
  • excludes special topics, independent study, seminar, pass/fail, and credit/no credit courses.
  • E. Students who meet course/credit requirements and have a Core GPA below 2.500 would not be considered for admission in their selected engineering degree program (major) without an appeal process. All graded UW-Madison courses referenced in D.1. and D.2. above and any degree program engineering courses level 200 or above will be counted in the Core GPA (excludes EPD, InterEGR, special topics,independent study, and seminar courses). All graded UW-Madison courses count in the Overall GPA. For one and only one of these core courses that a student has repeated, the more recent of the two grades will be used in the calculation of Core and Overall GPAs for admission purposes. Students may not be considered for admission if on academic probation for GPA reasons at time of review.

  • Students not currently in the College of Engineering may apply a maximum of two times to the College of Engineering.
  • Effective as of the Fall 2026 application cycle, students who have earned more than 72 course credits at UW-Madison (as indicated on the UW-Madison transcript) at the time of application are not eligible to apply for admission to the College of Engineering. Course credits in progress at the time of application are not included in the COE Credit Limit.
  • If you have exceeded 72 course credits at UW-Madison and had planned to apply based on the College of Engineering’s previous 80 Credit Limit, please reach out to coeadvising@engr.wisc.edu.
  • Second degree students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree at UW-Madison or another university are not eligible to apply for admission to undergraduate programs in the College of Engineering.
  • Students may apply to only one engineering degree program per admissions cycle.
  • Cross-campus applicants must carefully select an engineering program they intend to pursue through graduation. Interdepartmental transfer within the College of Engineering is competitive and dependent on multiple factors, including program capacity.
  • Due to high student demand, several CoE majors have been especially selective and competitive in recent semesters: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering.

Next steps

Students can email coeadvising@engr.wisc.edu with questions and may also seek advising through the Cross-College Advising Service (CCAS).

The College of Engineering currently has two application periods – one for fall semester and one for spring semester. If you have satisfied all of the requirements, you can apply by submitting the EMAPS form (formerly known as TIED).

Learn more