Important Information and Resources for UVA Engineering's Summer Advising and Enrollment

Dear Students:

On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia, I offer you a warm welcome to our community.  We all look forward to working with you in the coming years.  This letter gives you important details about summer advising and enrollment.

Prepare for Summer Advising & Enrollment

Our first meeting with you will be at one of our summer orientation sessions.  Here is a preparation checklist. 

• Complete the Student IT Checklist.
• Register for a Summer Orientation Session
• Complete Calculus Background Survey and Register to Take Calculus Placement Survey no later than June 11.  The survey will ask you about your prior Calculus experience and will ask you to choose a test date.  You must take the Calculus Placement Test regardless of your prior Calculus experience.  Test dates are Monday through Friday, May 23 through June 24.  You must register at least one week prior to your desired test date. You may take the 90-minute test online at any time on that day.  The test covers pre-Calculus, Calculus I, and Calculus II.  The placement exam is required of all incoming engineering students.  If you have questions about the calculus survey or placement exam, please email APMA-Placement@virginia.edu. 
• Learn about common Engineering first-year courses.
• Have AP, IB, or dual-enrollment credits?
  • Request your AP and/or IB scores to be sent to UVA.  You may need to make a second request later this summer if you have pending scores.  You should have your score report available for reference during orientation. 
  • Review our accepted AP and IB scores. 
  • Mail your official dual enrollment transcripts to us (P.O. Box 400233, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4233) or have a certified electronic copy of the transcript emailed to jr7up@virginia.edu.
  • Your AP credit and dual enrollment credit can affect your calculus placement, so please send us your scores and transcripts as soon as you can.
  • Review Engineering transfer equivalencies and humanity and social science transfer equivalencies.

What to Expect during Summer Advising & Enrollment

Advising: Our staff will advise you on course selection, important information and dates, and other academic issues during day two of your summer orientation session. 

Scheduling: In late June we will be automatically enrolling all students in required fall courses. These courses include ENGER 1624 (or ENGR 1410 for Rodman Scholars), CHEM 1410 and 1411, APMA 1090, 1110, or 2120 depending on your Calculus Placement score, and STS 1500.

• Exceptions: If we have received AP, IB, or transfer credit for any of these classes prior to pre-enrollment, we will not enroll you in a class you have received credit for already (ex. You got a 4 or 5 on the AP Chemistry exam, you will not be enrolled in CHEM 1410)
• Only half of the incoming students take STS 1500 in the fall, the rest take it in the spring so not everyone will have that on their schedule.
• Students who have 15 or more credits are considered to have a full schedule and will not have to add other courses during their advising and registration session. Anyone with fewer than 15 credits will have to add one or more courses and will work with our staff to choose those courses.
• We will not be making any changes to the classes you were automatically placed into during your advising and registration session. Students wanting to make changes to these courses will be able to once Open Enrollment begins on August 3rd.

After your advising session on day two of your summer orientation session, you will have an assigned registration time to enroll in additional courses for the fall term.  We recommend bringing your laptop to orienation for the course enrollment period.  We will have limited PC's for students to use, and your smart phone is not ideal for course registration. 

Please be sure to keep checking your UVA email for important communications.

As you prepare to join us on Grounds, please also be aware that all Engineering students are expected to have their own laptop computers. We will soon be sending you an email specifically about that.

We look forward to meeting you this summer and to your matriculation this fall.  Best wishes for a wonderful summer!

Be well,

William H. Guilford

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Dear incoming engineering students,

Congratulations and welcome to UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (UVA Engineering) on behalf of the Engineering Undergraduate Programs Office.  Over the next few months, we will be working diligently to make you aware of opportunities to jump-start your undergraduate career at UVA and to help guide you in your decision-making for Fall course enrollment.  We share your excitement to start making plans and wanted to share with you the timeline for course transfer, declaring a major, academic advising, and ultimately enrollment.  Below are important steps you must take to make this a smooth process: 

Evaluating Course Transfer Credit (May/June)

• Submit your final transcript (and AP/IB scores, if applicable) to UVA Admission.
• Completed an Associate’s Degree?  Make sure your degree conferral date is posted on your final transcript before sending it to UVA. 
• Contact Undergraduate Admissions if you have questions about which documents you still need to submit.
• Jesse Rogers, Engineering Undergraduate Registrar, evaluates transfer credit for all incoming students.  Because of the number of incoming students, this process will likely take until Friday, June 24.  You can then go into your Student Information System (SIS) account to review your transfer credit evaluation report. 

Declare Your Major and Get an Advisor (June)

• Please complete the Major Declaration Survey by Sunday, June 12.
• Need to talk to someone about this decision?  Consider scheduling time with Engineering Career Development or Blake Calhoun, Director of Undergraduate Success.
• New Student Programs will assign you a Transfer Student Peer Advisor and you will hear from them in June.
• After we update SIS with your major, we assign you an advisor in your major by the end of June.  You can see your assigned advisor in SIS. 
• Review your Academic Requirements Report in SIS and degree requirements before emailing your advisor.   
• Advising is a partnership, so please reach out to your advisor to schedule a meeting by providing your availability and the best way to connect. 
• After the meeting, your advisor can remove the hold on your SIS account so you can register.  

Summer 2022 (June-August)

Consider enrolling in UVA Summer online courses.  If you would like to enroll in a summer course, please email Jesse Rogers (jr7up@virginia.edu) as he can set you up for summer enrollment.  We recommend enrolling in STS 1500 during session 3 (July 18 – Aug 11) if you did not receive transfer credit for this course.  There are also a number of useful courses in session 2 (June 21 – July 15).  If you have financial constraints that limit your ability to take summer courses, please consult with Student Financial Services first (sfs@virginia.edu) and consider applying to our Engineering Hardship Request.

Summer Orientation & Fall Course Enrollment (July)

Register for Summer Orientation.  The transfer orientation session for the School of Engineering & Applied Science will take place during Session E (July 18 - 19).  You will meet with our staff and your advisor on the morning of July 19, and you will be able to enroll in your fall courses in the afternoon during your enrollment appointment.  Please bring your labtop to orientation for course enrollment.  After July 19, if you need to make additional schedule changes to your fall schedule, you will be able to do so during open enrollment beginning on August 3rd. 

We look forward to welcoming you to our great engineering community.  We encourage you to help us get to know you and encourage you to get to know us.  Please check out our Engineering Undergraduate website and continue to check your email.  Please note that email is our office’s official form of communication.  Please be sure to keep checking your UVA email for important communications.

Some FAQ’s

How do I send my transcripts (AP/IB scores if applicable) to UVA Admissions?

Answer:

You should submit final transcripts as soon as the spring semester grades are available, even if you are also in summer courses. You can submit them electronically to undergradadmission@virginia.edu or via physical mail by:

US MAIL

P.O. Box 400160

Charlottesville, VA 22904

OVERNIGHT/EXPRESS

190 McCormick Road

Peabody Hall

Charlottesville, VA 22903

Still have questions?  Call admissions with any questions - 434-982-3200.

Can I receive transfer credit for STS 1500?

Answer:  Yes...  if you received an associate’s degree prior to matriculating and completed a 2nd college-level English Composition course.

I am missing credits for ENGR 1624.  How can I fulfill the remaining credits?

Answer:  You can fulfill the missing credits by completing an additional Math, Science, or Technical Elective course beyond what is required for your major. 

I am missing 1 credit for an Applied Math (APMA) course (i.e. APMA 2120 because my Calculus III course was only 3 credits and/or APMA 2130 because my Ordinary Differential Equations course was only 3 credits).  How can I fulfill the remaining credits?

Answer:  You can fulfill the missing credits by completing an additional Math, Science, or Technical Elective course beyond what is required for your major. 

When do I enroll in fall 2022 courses?

Answer:  During Course Enrollment and Advising on July 19.  More details to follow…

By the end of spring semester, you should have credit for the core curriculum.

• Calculus I and II - APMA Calculus Placement
• Gen Chem & Lab (Chem 1410/1411)
• Intro to Engineering (ENGR 1624)
• Eng. Tech & Society (STS 1500)
• Intro to Programming (CS 1110, 1111, 1112, or 1113)
• General Physics I & Lab (PHYS 1425/1429)
• Math and Science Elective I
• Humanities and Social Science Elective

1. What course credit will you have?

• Learn about Advanced Placement Credits
• Learn about Transfer Credit Equivalents for transfer credit

2. How can I place out of a course? Note: no course credit.

• Computer Science place out tests are held the first week of classes.

3. Which Applied Math (APMA) course will I take?

• We strongly advise students to follow the recommendation of the APMA Placement Test. If you have questions about the APMA Placement Test, please email APMA-PLACEMENT@VIRGINIA.EDU.  

4. When will I take Science, Technology and Society (STS) – Fall or Spring?

• Half take the course in fall, half in spring. The semester you do not take STS, you will take a Humanities or Social Science Elective.

UVA Engineering requires students to come to UVA with their own laptops.

We recommend that you begin your studies at UVA with a laptop that you currently own rather than purchasing a new one. You can then upgrade your computer as necessary after your first year when you have chosen your major. The reason is that different engineering majors have their own culture of expectations when it comes to computers (for example, Windows versus OSX) and you will not join your major until next year.

**If you are a transfer student, please check with your advisor for major-specific expectations before purchasing a computer.**

If you know your current computer to be inadequate and need to buy a new one before coming to UVA, then we recommend searching for a combination of readable screen size, lightweight, long battery life, and state-of-the-art CPU. A touch screen is nice but not absolutely necessary. You can find good, expert-selected computer packages with damage and loss coverage through the Cav Program of Cavalier Computers. 

Please note that if you intend to purchase a new Apple laptop before coming to UVA, we strongly recommend purchasing one with Intel chips rather than the new Apple M1 chip. The reason is that the Intel-based Macs can be made to run Windows software, while the M1-based Macs currently cannot.

Information on Computers for Incoming First-Year Students

Recommendations

Computer models with a combination of readable screen size, light weight, strong battery life, reasonable CPU power and quality graphics are advised.  Beginning your studies at UVA Engineering with a laptop that you currently own is a viable option.  UVA Engineering also advises students to acquire computers with excellent hardware repair plans that include rapid repair turnaround times. Also, regularly backing up data is critical, and keeping systems secure is an on-going and essential task.

Since students carry their personal computers with them constantly, UVA Engineering recommends coverage for accidental damage and loss. At a minimum, students are advised to develop plans for sudden needs to replace a computer due to damage or loss.

Operating Systems

Windows 10 or Windows 11 are the recommended operating systems for UVA Engineering students since most software used in the Engineering School curriculum is generally available in editions that run on Microsoft Windows. A 64-bit edition is required. UVA provides a free upgrade to the Windows Education edition.

macOS and Linux operating systems do not have the same general compatibility.

The UVA Engineering curriculum includes the use of modeling and simulation software, interactive applications, and animations. When purchasing a new laptop, the hardware recommendations are:

CPU, RAM & STORAGE

• The latest generations (minimum 10th, preferably 11th or 12th) of the Intel i7 or higher processors are recommended.
• Minimum 16 GB or larger RAM.
• Minimum 500 GB or larger Solid State Drive (SSD).

Graphics

• A discrete/dedicated graphic card such as NVIDIA (or AMD).
• Screens should be at least 13 inches.

Other Devices

• Devices such as tablets (running Android or iOS) or other systems like Chromebook are not required for the curriculum.

Software

A copy of Microsoft Office 365 is provided through the MICROSOFT OFFICE AND WINDOWS FOR UVA STUDENTS PROGRAM.  Please also see: ENGINEERING SCHOOL SOFTWARE INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS for additional information.

Laptop Program

For those who qualify, Student Financial Services provides a laptop program and will directly communicate with you.  If you hear from them and have questions, please contact them directly at LAPTOP@VIRGINIA.EDU.  If you did not hear from them and would like to apply based on financial need, please contact them quickly as the deadline is June 3, 2022.  Our school also has a HARDSHIP APPLICATION to support students with unexpected financial hardships.

Student Information System (SIS)

SIS Help

Lou's List

The incoming School of Engineering and Applied Science first-year students and UVA Engineering faculty come together in small groups at the start of every year for the Common Reading Experience (CRE) to enjoy a lively discussion about a book selected by the CRE committee. Through the CRE, you will meet your fellow first-year students and will share professional and personal views and experiences, and discuss engineering careers and their connections and impacts to everyday life in the context of the selected reading.

Our office will provide more information about this years Common Reading Experience as we get closer to the start of the fall term.