<p>Hi! I'm having a really difficult time picking between UCD and UCSD because of majors. So I'm going in as a Biotech major in Davis and switching to BioEngineering (possibly another engineering) and going into SD as my alternate major of BioChem however, I wanted to know HOW DIFFICULT it is to switch to an engineering major at SD. All SD engineering majors are impacted. This is the determining factor of my choice, I don't want to risk going to SD (although that is where I want to go) if I will not be able to switch into the engineering department.</p>
<p>I’ve read it’s hard to switch to engineer major. Somehow UCSD has become very popular lately. I would suggest for you to go to UCD.</p>
<p>You can switch in if you take the prerequisites and do well. My friend got into bioengineering easily with no worries. He just got a 3.5 gpa or something like that</p>
<p>similar answer as above</p>
<p>my friend came in as undeclared but she had to work her way to get into bioengineering which was possible since her GPA was high (not sure how high but I heard she just gets A’s no matter what)
basically she had to take required lower div courses for bioengineering during freshmen year then in the Fall quarter of her second year, she got into the major she wanted</p>
Good news/Bad News.
Good news: DD was admitted today
Bad news: Admitted to Sixth as “Undeclared” because requested ME and ME/Environmental as 1st and 2nd choice, and both are impacted.
After reading many threads, sounds like chances of her getting ME later are pretty tough. See last answer in the FAQ below.
My DD was admitted to the ME program at Georgia Tech with a Provost scholarship too so with no guarantee of UCSD granting her admission to the ME program, UCSD is pretty much out of the consideration set right now.
Finally found the FAQ for impacted majors–I am OOS so this impacted stuff is new to me.
http://maeweb.ucsd.edu/sites/mae.ucsd.edu/files/FAQs%20MAE%20Impaction.pdf
MAE Impacted Majors FAQ
I am a freshman who wasn’t admitted to Mechanical, Aerospace or Environmental Engineering (MAE). How do I switch?
We have application periods every spring. You have two chances over two years to apply to the impacted major. To be eligible to apply, you need to have taken certain “criterion” courses. After your 3rd quarter at UCSD, you need to have completed MATH 20A-C; PHYS 2A and 2B; and CHEM 6A. After your 6th quarter you need to have completed MATH 20A-F; PHYS 2A, 2B, 2C and 2CL; CHEM 6A; and MAE 8.
How do I apply to the impacted major?
The link to the online application will be emailed to all students and posted on the MAE website. The application is straight-forward and should take less than 5 minutes to complete. The grades of your “criterion” courses will be shown on your application, as well as your UCSD cumulative GPA. Applicants are ranked based on grades only. If you are transferring in some of the criterion courses, the grade will be a “pass” and will not count for or against your ranking.
Do honors courses count for the criterion courses? Yes, the honors versions of the criterion courses will count but they will not have a higher weight in the application. Taking the honors courses will probably not be in your favor because you are competing against students taking easier classes. We only look at grades and do not consider if the course is honors.
I am undeclared. Should I declare a non-impacted major even though I want to switch to MAE?
Yes, you need to declare a second choice major and follow that major’s curriculum. Should I follow the MAE curriculum even though I’m not in the major yet? No! This will not help you get into the major and will delay your graduation if you are not admitted. Declare your second choice major and follow that major’s curriculum. If you get admitted, the MAE advisors will work with you to develop your academic plan.
I only want to be an MAE major. I won’t be happy graduating without a degree in MAE (Mechanical, Aerospace, or Environmental). What should I do?
If you prioritize being in MAE over staying at UCSD, then look into transferring to another university. If you prioritize staying at UCSD, there are some MAE courses that you can are eligible to take if you are not in the major. You can get hands-on experience working in the lab of an MAE faculty even if you are not an MAE major. You can minor in Engineering Mechanics if you are not majoring in engineering. Finally, you can pursue an MAE graduate degree after your undergraduate degree, even if you didn’t major in MAE.
@mittel Switching into an engineering major is difficult but not impossible. My best advice would be to come to Triton Day if you can and speak to the department advisers to get specifics. Her offer from Georgia Tech sounds solid but if she’s interested in UCSD (which I assume she is), getting a feel for the campus and talking to people in the department or administration could help her out. Whatever happens, your daughter has some awesome choices available.
@Mira3296 I can’t give better advice than what everyone else said. Congrats on your acceptance and I hope to see you repping the Triton next year!