Incoming first-year students
Welcome to the College of Engineering! We're thrilled you're here. To get you started on the right foot, here are some tips for before you arrive.
Before attending the University of Nevada, Reno
We recommend the following high school courses for engineering majors:
- Four units of mathematics (including trigonometry and precalculus)
- Three units of science, including physics and chemistry
- A half year of computer programming
- Advanced placement classes in calculus and science are particularly valuable
All engineering degrees start with MATH 181 (Calculus 1) in the fall semester of the first year.
Engineering students must be enrolled in calculus (MATH 181) before they can declare a specific engineering major. If you are not enrolled in calculus (MATH 181) and you choose engineering, you will be classified as an undeclared engineering major. All incoming engineering students come in as undeclared engineering with a "sub-plan" in the major they would like to pursue.
You are eligible to enroll in calculus if you:
- have an ACT score of 28 or higher OR
- have an SAT math score of 650 or higher OR
- have an ALEKS score of 76 or higher OR
- took AP calculus in high school and scored a 3, 4 or 5 on either the AB or BC test OR
- took IB HL Math in high school and scored a 5 or higher.
Contact an engineering advisor at coenadvising@unr.edu or (775) 682-7721 to discuss your placement.
Once you've contacted an advisor, you can do the following over the summer:
- Study for the ALEKS and earn a 76 or higher. Visit the University Testing Center website for ALEKS information. OR
- Take the math prerequisites over the summer. Visit our Summer Session website for scheduling information about summer classes.
Find more information on our prospective students page.
Once you're admitted
Once accepted, you should review your class placement information and take the ALEKS, if necessary, for placement into the correct math sequence.
You must be enrolled in calculus (MATH 181) before you can declare a specific engineering major. If you are not ready for calculus (MATH 181) and you choose engineering, you will be classified as an undeclared engineering major.
Once you pay the fully refundable advanced registration deposit and complete the Advanced Registration questionnaire, you will be enrolled in your first semester courses prior to orientation as long as you have no other holds. Once you attend orientation and meet with an academic advisor, your advising hold will be removed. After your hold is removed, you will be able to access and modify your first semester course enrollment using MyNEVADA. In all other semesters, you will be responsible for enrolling in your own courses.
You will receive an email from a College of Engineering advisor with instructions on enrolling in our Pre-Orientation WebCampus course. Completing our Pre-Orientation course is a necessary step to ensure you are getting all the important information necessary for your academic success. You are required to complete the Pre-Orientation course to get your advising hold removed.
Attending an orientation is mandatory. Orientation before classes start will give you an introduction to campus life, academic programs and services.
E-FIT is the College of Engineering's version of NevadaFIT, which is designed to help incoming students make a successful transition from high school to college. The program kicks off the fall semester and provides an opportunity for students to meet their peers and learn the necessary skills for successful completion of an engineering degree at the University of Nevada, Reno.
All College of Engineering freshman are required to participate in E-FIT and will be enrolled in the E-FIT course ENGR 109 (1 credit, S/U) as part of the advanced registration process.
My engineering major
The College of Engineering doesn't offer a general engineering degree. That means you'll need to select one of our nine engineering majors to begin making progress toward graduation. The sooner you declare a major, the sooner you can start taking the classes required to graduate.
That's what we're here for! It's OK if you don't know which engineering major is right for you -- and it's OK if you decide to switch your major. Changing majors often means it will take you longer to graduate, but finding an engineering major that excites you can help lay the foundation for a fulfilling and satisfying career as an engineer.
You can explore engineering majors online at TryEngineering.org or The College Board.
Have questions?
You can find our FAQs here.