Admission Requirements

Students for this degree may enter degree programs in the Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management as First-Year students or as transfer students.

First-Year Students 

Applicants entering as First-Year students must meet the general University admission requirements. See University Admission Requirements .

Transfers 

See University Admission Requirements .

Transfer admission into the department occurs in one of two situations:

1. Transfer applicants who do not have the Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree or its equivalent must meet general University admission requirements.
2. Transfer applicants with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree must:

• Hold an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in a field appropriate to the option they plan to enter.  Acceptable AAS degrees may include: Fire Protection, Fire Science, or similar title with curriculum acceptable to the department.  A minimum GPA of 2.50 (out of 4.00) in the AAS degree is required.
• Have completed satisfactorily the prerequisite background courses for the option they plan to enter. Missing background courses may be taken at UNC Charlotte.

Currently Enrolled Students

Current UNC Charlotte students who wish to change or declare their major to Fire and Safety Engineering Technology must first satisfy the following requirements in order to be considered eligible for admission:

• Complete MATH 1100  or higher with a grade of C or better.
• Earn a minimum 2.20 cumulative GPA.
• Pass all currently attempted required courses within three attempts including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W.
• Students currently enrolled in a required course for a second time must wait until grades are posted before declaring an ETCM major. A student will not be admitted to the major unless the course is passed within three attempts.
• Complete at least one ETFS course in the curriculum. This course will be selected by the Program Director and the Academic Advisor on a case-by-case basis. 

Upon satisfying all of the above requirements, students may request admission to an ETCM program by submitting the Change of Major Form. Completion of the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into a program.

Course Requirements

Course requirements correspond to the mode of admission for each student as outlined hereafter.

• Entering First-Year Students: Students admitted as First-Year students complete the appropriate four-year curriculum for the program into which they were admitted.
• Transfer students not holding an appropriate AAS degree: Transfer students not holding an appropriate AAS degree must complete the remaining coursework outlined for the respective four-year curriculum into which they were admitted after evaluation and application of any transfer credit.
• Transfer students holding an appropriate AAS degree: Transfer students with an appropriate Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree as defined previously under Admission Requirements may begin the program in the Junior year with up to 64 transfer credit hours awarded.  Prerequisites for students holding an AAS degree from a community or technical college are listed below.

Prerequisite Courses for AAS Transfers

Students transferring with an AAS degree must have satisfactorily completed the following subjects in their two-year program:

• English Composition, Technical Writing, and/or Public Speaking (3 credit hours)
• College Algebra (3 credit hours)
• Approved transfer science course with lab (4 hours)
• Approved transfer science course (3 credit hours)
• Introduction to Fire Prevention or equivalent (3 hours)
• Introduction to Fire Protection or equivalent (3 hours)
• Building Construction or equivalent (3 hours)
• Technical Courses in Major Area as listed below (up to 37 credit hours)
  • Introduction to Fire Protection and Prevention
  • Water Based Fire Suppression
  • Fire Protection and Safety Law
  • Fire Investigation
  • Building Construction
  • Introduction to Fire Behavior
  • State and Local Government
  • Introduction to Public Administration
  • Occupational Safety
  • Computer Literacy
  • Computer-Aided Drafting

Remediation of Academic Entrance Requirements for AAS Transfer Students

In addition to University and College of Engineering requirements, an AAS transfer student who is admitted to any BSET program without meeting ALL published admission requirements is expected to remove all admission deficiencies within one year.  Violators are subject to discontinuance and enrollment in Senior-level coursework is prohibited until all deficiencies are removed.

Degree Requirements (4-Year Program)

The BSET in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology with a Concentration in Fire Safety program consists of 120 credit hours. 

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours

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Degree Requirements (2+2-Year Program)

The BSET in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology with a Concentration in Fire Safety program consists of 120 credit hours. 

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours

Progression Requirements

First-Year Requirements

All new First-Year students, including early college and dual enrolled students that have college credit prior to high school graduation, are initially advised by a central office within the College of Engineering. Students must satisfy the following requirements in order to progress in the curriculum and matriculate to their major department.

• Follow the advice and recommendations of their faculty advisors.
• Follow all prerequisite, corequisite, and progression requirements of their program.
• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W.
• Complete the First-Year curriculum within four regular semesters.
• Earn a 2.00 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First-Year curriculum.

Sophomore Through Senior Year Requirements

• Maintain an overall GPA of 2.00 in the University.
• Maintain a major cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all courses in the departmental curriculum. Failure to meet this requirement for two consecutive semesters will result in not being permitted to enroll in College of Engineering courses.
• Take a course in their curriculum a maximum of three times to achieve a satisfactory grade, including withdrawing from the course with a grade of W.

An undergraduate student who fails to satisfy one or more of the progression requirements stated above, but who nonetheless meets the conditions for continued enrollment in the University, will be ineligible to re-enroll in the College of Engineering unless an appeal is accepted by the College of Engineering.  If an appeal is accepted, requirements for continued enrollment appropriate to the individual situation are specified in a “Continuation Agreement” that is mutually agreed upon and signed by the student and their appropriate advisor.

A student who has been suspended by the University must follow University guidelines for appeal. Re-admission to the College of Engineering after a University suspension is not automatic.  An application for re-admission must be made by the student and approved by the College/department.  Students who are re-admitted by the College of Engineering after suspension by the University must meet requirements for continued enrollment appropriate to their individual situation.  These requirements are specified in a “Continuation Agreement” that is mutually agreed upon and signed by the student and their appropriate advisor.  The consequences of failure to meet the requirements of the agreement may be articulated in the agreement itself.  However, if these consequences are not included in the agreement, failure to meet the requirements will automatically result in the student not being permitted to continue to enroll in College of Engineering courses.

Special Policies or Requirements

Acceptance of a completed AAS degree indicates the acceptance of up to 64 credit hours toward the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree program only.  These hours may not be valid toward other degree programs at UNC Charlotte.

Residence Requirements

A student must earn the last 30 credit hours toward the BSET degree and the last 12 credit hours in the major at UNC Charlotte to satisfy residence requirements.

Experiential Learning Requirements

All students must complete an experiential learning course.  Experiential courses are practice-oriented courses such as cooperative education, internships, Senior design projects, or undergraduate research.

Internships, or 49erships, involve paid or unpaid work in a career-related position for professional experience.  A minimum of 80 work hours and 5 weeks for one semester is required to complete the program.  Fall and Spring 49erships are part-time.  Summer 49erships may be full- or part-time.  Full-time students who are in good University standing, have completed 30 credit hours, and have a 2.00 minimum cumulative GPA are eligible.  Internships do not offer academic credit, but are noted on the student’s transcript; students pay a course registration fee.  Approval for enrollment must be arranged before the student begins a work experience.  Students may begin this program during their Sophomore year. Transfer students must complete 12 credit hours at UNC Charlotte before applying to the program.  For more information, contact the College of Engineering Office of Student Development and Success or the University Career Center.