Frequently Asked Questions

Visit the U of U Admissions Website here to learn more about the different application processes.

There are several different scenarios depending on if you’re a transfer student, incoming first-year student or if you’ve already taken classes at the University of Utah so please check our Future Student page for more details.

The Mechanical Engineering undergraduate academic advisors are here to support you throughout your experience at the U. They are available to answer questions regarding admission to our major, class scheduling/registration, degree requirements, academic success strategies, policies and procedures and deadlines. They are also available to discuss any challenges the student may be experiencing in their academic career and connect students with some of the many resources available on campus.

At certain points in every student’s academic career, they are required to meet with an advisor. Learn more about the required advising milestones here.  Students who do not complete their required advising will have an academic hold placed on their records, preventing them from registering for classes.

The Academic Calendar page has past, present and future calendars. These calendars include all important academic dates throughout the year including beginning and end dates for the semester.

For a listing of classes available by semester, see the Class Schedule.

Log in to CIS, click the “Registration” tile on your Student Homepage, click on the “Add Class” link, select your term (if needed), and then click “Schedule Builder” and create your own optimized, personalized class schedule. Instructions available here.

Summer schedules are always subject to change and never guaranteed, but the Mechanical Engineering department typically offers a few required courses. Look at the most recent summer course schedule here and consult with your academic advisor about options.

You will typically need a permission code if you took a prerequisite course out of state or are enrolled in a pre or co-requisite at another institution at the time of registration for a future semester. We do not give out permission codes to override class capacity but other departments might.

If you need a permission code/number for an undergraduate course fill out the permission code request form on the department’s website.  After the first week of classes students need a permission code to add any course. Each department distributes codes differently, contact the department or instructor to get a code.

To get a permission code for an ME EN graduate-level course (6000-level or higher), please contact Mark Fehlberg.

Log in to the Campus Information Services, click on the “Registration” tile on your Student Homepage,  click on the “Add Class” link, choose the term, and then enter the “class number” or find the class by using the “class search”. Select the class and enter the permission number/code in the permission number field. For more information visit the Registration webpage.

Campus Information Services limits registration to 19 credit hours until the open enrollment period begins. During the open enrollment period undergraduate students can register online for up to 24 credit hours. To register for more than 24 credit hours, contact the Registration Division.

To view the classes for which you are currently registered, log into the Campus Information Services and select “view your class schedule” under the registration menu; you will need to specify which term you wish to view.

The mission of General Education (GE) and Bachelor Degree (BD) requirements is to meet three kinds of learning outcomes. First, GE and BD courses should help students develop core competencies in critical thinking, quantitative literacy, visual fluency, and written and oral communication. Second, these courses should help students confront and understand significant issues pertaining to the world and human nature and learn to explore those issues through a breadth of perspectives. Finally, in addressing core competencies and significant issues through  knowledge discovery, application and dissemination, the GE and BD requirements prepare students to become creative and collaborative problem solvers and to have an impact on their communities.

You can check your general education requirements on your Degree Audit in CIS. Click on the Degree Audit tile and then click Run Audit. Scroll down to the general education and bachelor degree requirement sections (right below the “Residence Hour Requirement” section). If a section is red that indicates that one or more requirements in that section are not complete.  Keep in mind that the QA, QB, CW, and QI requirements are already covered by courses required by the major (Calculus I, ME EN 3400, 3220 and 3230 respectively). Also keep in mind that the DV and IR requirements can both double count with a HF, BF or FF (see next question).

The Diversity (DV) and International (IR) bachelor degree requirements can both double count with a Humanities (HF), Behavioral/Social Science (BF), or Fine Arts (FF) general education requirement.  The easiest way to find these is by going to the full class schedule for the semester you are registering for and clicking on the “general education” filter on the left.  Select DV or IR and then on the new filters that appear,  select  “Gen Ed & Bachelor Degree Courses” and check the boxes for HF, BF and/or FF, depending which requirements you are trying to fulfill.  It should now only show courses that count for two requirements. Look to the right by “class details” to see which requirements each class fulfills.

You can use the semester schedules here to check what general education courses are offered. On the left hand side bar click “Gen Ed and Bachelor Degree Courses” and select the category you are looking for from the drop down. If you are looking for a course that double counts, from that page’s side bar click “Multiple Gen Ed and/or Bachelor Degree requirement codes” and check the box with the combination you are looking for.

If you think you took a course that might fulfill a general education requirement, you can fill out a gen ed exception form.  If you think you took a course that should fulfill a Mechanical Engineering major requirement, you can fill out our transfer course articulation form.

Grades are posted on your academic record approximately one week after the final examination period. Use any of the following options to obtain your grades:

• View your grades online by logging into Campus Information Services and clicking on “Academic Records” on your Student Homepage.
• View and print your unofficial transcripts online through Campus Information Services.
• Request an official transcript.

All technical classes required for the Mechanical Engineering major must be taken for a letter grade (except ME EN 5910 co-op) but students may take some general education classes for CR/NC. Here is the University’s policy on CR/NC classes:

• Students may elect a limited number of courses in which they will receive the grade “CR” in place of grades “A” through “C-” or the grade “NC” in place of “D+,” “D,” “D-,” “E” and “EU.” The “CR” grade shall carry credit toward graduation, but neither the “CR” nor “NC” grades will be included in computing grade point average.
• Students may exercise the option of CR/NC grading for a maximum of 15 hours while an undergraduate at the university.
• The CR/NC option is NOT permitted in Writing 1010, Writing 2010, any Honors course, or classes that meet requirements for an academic major.
• Graduate students may exercise the CR/NC option with approval from the student’s academic department and the dean of the Graduate School.
• Caution: “CR” grade may not be accepted or may be interpreted as a “C-” grade and the “NC” may be interpreted as an “E” grade when credit is transferred to another institution or when applying to graduate or professional schools.
• After the last day to drop classes, revoking the CR/NC option will continue to accrue towards the 15 hour maximum.

The mark ”I” (incomplete) shall be given and reported for work incomplete because of circumstances beyond the student’s control.  The grade of “I” should be used only for a student who is passing the course and who needs to complete 20% or less of the course. An “I” should not be used in a way that will permit a student to retake the course without paying tuition.  If the student attends the course during a subsequent semester as part of the effort required to complete the course, he/she must be registered in the semester he/she attends.

If a student has not finished incomplete work within one calendar year after the “I” was given, the “I” will be changed to an “E” by the Registrar’s office.  If the student graduates within one calendar year after receiving the “I,” but before completing the work, the “I” will remain in the record, but will not contribute to credit toward graduation or the grade point average.  An instructor may override the automatic change from an “I” to an “E” by submitting a grade change form. This is outlined in University Policy 6-100 Part II.G.2 (https://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-100.php)

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers an Incomplete Contract Template, which can be completed with the course instructor.

You may drop full semester length courses through the tenth calendar day of the term. After that point, you are allowed to withdraw from classes for circumstances beyond your control. A “W” does not affect your GPA. It signifies that you registered and then withdrew from the class.

Students facing compelling, non-academic emergencies may petition to withdraw from courses after the withdrawal deadline through the last day of class for the course.  The Petition for Consideration of Exception to the Withdrawal Policy is available through the appropriate dean’s office:

• Students with pre-majors and declared majors apply to the office of the dean of their academic college.
• Undeclared and non-matriculated students apply to the Academic Advising Center.

The Academic Advising Center website offers a GPA calculator.

Students must initiate requests to delete a “W” with their college dean or dean’s office designee. As such, a student may need to schedule an appointment and meet with the dean (or designee) before a petition to delete a “W” may be initiated. Requests to delete a “W” are not approved unless documentation is provided that demonstrates University administrative actions are the cause for the withdrawal. Requests to delete a “W” are only accepted from the dean or dean’s office designee of the college associated with the student’s major.

Holds may be placed on your record for a variety of reasons including but not limited to: financial debt, missing immunization records, parking tickets, mandatory advising, or missing admissions credentials (transcripts).

You can view your hold(s) through the Campus Information Services by clicking on “Tasks” on your Student Homepage..

An emphasis, indicated on the student’s transcript, will indicate high academic achievement in the area of specialization. There are 13 emphases in the Mechanical Engineering major but a student may receive only one emphasis on his/her transcript.

Contact your Academic Advisor to declare an emphasis prior to applying for graduation.  After you’ve applied for graduation you will need to fill out a Notification of Graduation Change form and get an advisor’s signature to add, drop or change an emphasis anytime before your graduation.

You need 12 credits of technical electives and most classes are 3 credits so typically you need to take 4 technical electives.

Check our approved technical elective page or your degree audit technical elective section.

To get a course approved that is not on the list above, you may fill out this petition form by November 1st for Spring semester courses, and by April 1st for Summer and Fall semester courses.  Please talk to your advisor about the process before filling out the form.

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is generally your first step in the process to becoming a professional licensed engineer (P.E.). It is designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree from an EAC/ABET-accredited program. The FE exam is a computer-based exam administered year-round at NCEES-approved Pearson VUE test centers.

A mechanical engineering student should consider taking the FE (with an eye toward becoming a PE) if their career plans include work that requires the authority to prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or seal engineering work for public and private clients. Students should inquire with prospective employers to determine if becoming a PE is desired for possible positions and how the credential may affect upward (or lateral) mobility in a particular company/organization.

The individual decision to prepare for and take the FE will depend on a student’s desire to keep the option open to take the PE exam after gaining the required work experience.  The FE exam is not a degree requirement to graduate or an entrance exam for further education (i.e. it is not similar to the MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT, etc).

To apply on or before the due date simply click on the “Graduation” tile on your Student Homepage in Campus Information Services (CIS) and follow the instructions. Note: This link does not become active until you have a minimum of 90 credits completed.

*Applications received by March 1st will have names included in the Spring Convocation Programs.

Late Application/Reapplication:

A Late Application/Reapplication for Undergraduate Degree is required in the following cases:

• Applicants who missed the deadline to apply on time.
• Candidates who have been denied graduation in a previous semester.

• Candidates who have already renewed their applications to a future semester or failed to renew by the last day of classes for the current applied term.

Failure to reapply on time may delay your graduation.

Reapplications should be submitted no later than the beginning of the graduating term.

Reapplications will not be accepted more than one year in advance.

Renewal:

If plans change, students who have already applied for graduation may “renew” their application to a future expected graduation term one time for free before the last day of classes for the current applied term.  To “renew” your application, send an email from your Umail account to graduation@utah.edu requesting a change to your expected graduation term to the new term you plan to be completed.  All subsequent changes will require submission of a Late/Reapplication for Undergraduate Degree and payment of a $25 processing fee.

Other Changes to Submitted Applications: 

Once you have applied to graduate, subsequent changes can be made by submitting the Notification of Graduation Change form to graduation@utah.edu from your Umail account.

University Commencement ceremony is usually the Thursday of finals week of the Spring semester.  Check the Commencement website for details. The College of Engineering convocation ceremony is typically the Friday of finals week of the Spring semester. Check the Engineering Convocation website for details as times vary every year.  Currently there are no Summer or Fall semester ceremonies but students can walk in the ceremony before or after they official graduate.

No, but internships are good experience and students can substitute an internship for up to one technical elective (See next question).

Yes. Mechanical Engineering students enrolled in 3000-level or higher ME EN coursework may earn up to three technical elective credits for engineering co-op or internship experience.  Students working full time (40 hours per week) may earn 3 credits per semester.  Students working part time (minimum 20 hours/week) may earn 1.5 credits per semester.  Students must enroll in ME EN 5910 during the semester the work is being performed. The co-op application can be found here.

Handshake is the best and easiest place to find internships related to your interest, major, or industry. Through this online tool you have access to 5000+ employers that want to hire University of Utah students.  The College of Engineering also has an online job board.  The Fall and Spring STEM Career & Internship Fairs are excellent places to look for internships or jobs as well.

1. On your CIS homepage, click on “Degree Audit.”
2. Click “run audit”
3. If you want to run an audit for your declared major, click “run declared programs.”
4. If you’re not yet declared for a major or want to run an audit for another program, click “Not Declared? Exploring? Run a What-if Audit” and select the college, major, degree, program and catalog year.
5. Click “run selected what-if audit.”
6. You can also add an emphasis, minor or certificate to the degree program you select.More information can be found here.

A Leave of Absence allows degree-seeking undergraduate students who have registered for and completed university credit classes to request an extension of their enrollment eligibility for a maximum period of seven consecutive semesters (including summers). Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be granted for the following reasons: illness (personal or familial), military service, humanitarian or religious service, or participation in a University of Utah sponsored program.  More details are available here.

If you want to try to get financial aid or use veteran benefits or want to take more than 16 total credits at SLCC, you should apply as a degree-seeking student and send your official transcript from the University of Utah to the SLCC admission office and follow their standard admission procedures.  Students who don’t need financial aid or only want to take less than 16 credits may register as a guest student.  Guest Student Procedures: 1. Submit an Admissions Application 2. Ensure MySLCC portal and BruinMail account is active. BruinMail is the official college email and is the primary means of communication with the College. Students are expected to check the BruinMail frequently and read emails in a timely fashion, and to recognize time-critical communications. 3. Complete the Guest Student Registration Form and submit the form to gueststudent@slcc.edu. 4. Check BruinMail for updates on approval status for admissions and registration. 5. Register for classes on MySLCC portal. For registration help, review tutorials online at: https://www.slcc.edu/registrar/registration/tutorials.aspx. Note: ALL Guest Students will be placed in the Transfer/Non-Degree Seeking student registration group.  International students should follow the international guest student procedures.

Disclaimer: Since these are SLCC’s policy and procedure, this information is subject to change and we are not responsible if this information becomes out of date. Check www.SLCC.edu for the most up-to-date application procedures.

You will need to request that an official transcript be sent to the U of U admissions office from the school you attended for the classes to post to your official record (i.e. your degree audit) at the University of Utah. Most schools have an online request form and charge a fee.  State of Utah institutions should have the University of Utah option build into their request system. Others may require you to enter some or all of the following information:

Paper transcripts can be mailed directly from the college or university, or brought in an envelope sealed by the school to:

           The Office of Admissions
           201 S 1460 E, Rm 250 S
           Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Electronic transcripts can be requested through one of the following services:

Parchment/Naviance
National Student Clearinghouse
Credentials Solutions
eScrip-Safe
Scoir

If prompted for a recipient email address when ordering your transcript, please use admisstranscripts@utah.edu. Transcripts sent directly through email or fax will not be considered official.

1. An Associate of Science (AS) or an Associate of Arts (AA) degree (not an Associate of Applied Science) or an Interstate Passport or Certificate of Completion from an accredited Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) institution will waive your General Education requirements. U of U Bachelors Degree requirements are not cleared by these degrees and certifications (with the exception of the Diversity requirement from SLCC).
2. An Associate of Science (AS) or an Associate of Arts (AA) degree (not an Associate of Applied Science) from an out-of-state institution should clear the Writing and Intellectual Exploration requirements (Fine Arts, Humanities, Physical & Life Sciences, and Social Sciences). Students transferring from out-of-state may also clear the Quantitative Reasoning and American Institutions requirements if they are transferring in comparable classes.
3. An Associate of Pre-Engineering (APE) or an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree does not typically fulfill all of your general education requirements unless you also completed all of the requirements for a “certificate/letter of completion”, “interstate passport” or Associate of Science requirements in general studies or another discipline.