Systems Engineering, B.S.S.E.

Admission Requirements

First-Year Students

First-year admission is competitive, based upon an overall evaluation of the high school record, with particular emphasis on advanced courses in math and science. See University Admission Requirements  ​for a detailed description of the criteria.

First-Year students may either select a major at the time of their application or may choose to be Engineering-undeclared. All First-Year College of Engineering students will take a common set of courses called the Common First Year. Towards the end of their first year, having completed all progression requirements, students will declare or confirm their Engineering Major for the second through fourth years.  This selection may be the major they initially indicated or any other engineering major for which they meet the progression requirements.

Transfers

All transfer students will be evaluated for placement into a departmental Program or the Common First Year program based on the evaluation of their transfer credits (consistent with the North Carolina articulation agreements).  

• See University Admission Requirements ​  
• Minimum GPA:  2.50 (2.80 for Mechanical Engineering)
• Pre-Major/Prerequisite Courses:  
  • Engineering Programs: Calculus I course (equivalent to MATH 1241 ), with a grade of C or above
  • Engineering Technology Programs: Pre-calculus course (equivalent to MATH 1103 ) or higher, with a grade of C or above
• Transferable Credit Hours: Minimum of 24

Transfers from an ABET-accredited engineering program who do not meet the GPA requirement may be admitted upon the recommendation of the chair of the major department.

Currently Enrolled Students

Internal Change of Major

Internal change of majors within the College of Engineering must have a minimum GPA of 2.50 (2.80 for Mechanical Engineering). Students who do not meet the GPA requirement may be admitted upon the recommendation of the chair of the major department.

Change of Major Into a Program in the College of Engineering

First-time college students who seek eligibility for a change of major from a non-engineering major into an engineering program are required to:

• Complete the Common First-Year Curriculum.
• Have no more than two attempts per course, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W.
• Achieve an overall GPA of 2.50 (2.80 for Mechanical Engineering).

Students Seeking Eligibility for a Change of Major

• Should continue to be advised by their current advisor.
• Should focus on successfully completing courses that count towards the program of interest and not rely on grades in unrelated courses to elevate the GPA.
• Are not permitted to enroll in Sophomore engineering courses.
• May request authorization to enroll in ENGR 1300 , ENGR 1301 , ENGR 1302  or ENGR 1303  via a request to the College of Engineering Advising department at osds-advising@charlotte.edu.

Transfers Seeking Eligibility for a Change of Major

Students who transfer to Charlotte into a non-engineering major and have not met the Transfer Requirements for a given engineering program are not guaranteed to be considered for a change of major. Representatives of the program of interest make decisions on a student’s eligibility to pursue a change of major based on a holistic review of a student’s entire academic record, including grades earned at other institutions. A record of unsuccessful attempts in courses will weigh negatively on such decisions. If transfer students are allowed to pursue eligibility for a change of major to a given program, they will be required to:

• Complete the Common First-Year Curriculum.
• Have no more than two attempts per course including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W.
• Achieve an overall GPA of 2.50 (2.80 for Mechanical Engineering).
• Complete at least 12 credits of courses at Charlotte, including at least four courses in math, science and/or engineering.

Common First-Year Curriculum (CFY)

The College of Engineering uses a Common First-Year Curriculum (CFY) for all Engineering students in order to:

• Provide a strong academic base of foundational knowledge and skills
• Facilitate changing majors within the first year
• Support students with lower math placement and increase access to all majors
• Allow students to explore different majors before committing
• Enhance learning with innovative pedagogies and activities

Common First-Year Courses

All new first year students are initially advised by a central office within the W.S. Lee College of Engineering. Students must complete the following classes that are common to all majors of the college (except Construction Management and Fire and Safety Engineering Technology) in order to progress and matriculate to their major department. All First-Year Curriculum courses require a grade of C or better.

• ENGR 1300 Exploring Engineering & Technology with Success  (2)
• ENGR 1301 Foundations of Math and Science for Engineering  (3)
• ENGR 1302 Logic and Computational Problem Solving  (3)
• ENGR 1303 Engineering Visualization and Graphical Communication  (3)
• PHYS 2101  (3)
• PHYS 2101L  (1)
• Two MATH courses: MATH 1103 * or MATH 1241 * or MATH 1242 * (3 each) 
  See Notes 1 and 2 below

* All students should consult their advisor to select the math courses that match their planned major.

Note 1

Progression into Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Systems Engineering Major Courses after completing the Common First Year Curriculum requires that students also complete MATH 1241 , MATH 1242 ,  PHYS 2101 , and PHYS 2101L . 

Note 2

Progression into Civil Engineering Technology, Electromechanical Engineering Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology Major Courses after completing the Common First Year Curriculum requires that students complete MATH 1241 , PHYS 2101 , and PHYS 2101L  with a C or better (except for Electromechanical Engineering Technology).  

Note 3

Students must earn at least a 2.0 GPA in the first semester to continue into the second semester.

Degree Requirements

A Major in Systems Engineering leading to the BSSE degree consists of 120 credit hours. 

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours

Progression Requirements

After completing the Common First Year Curriculum (CFY) courses, students will decide on their engineering major for their second through fourth years, which may be the major they initially indicated or any other engineering major.  Students must meet the following requirements in order to register for major courses: 

Engineering Majors

Engineering majors must complete all of the below requirements before enrolling in W.S. Lee College of Engineering sophomore-year engineering courses.

• Pass all courses within two attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum, including MATH 1242 , with grades of C or above
• Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.5 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year Curriculum courses (2.8 for Mechanical Engineering majors)

Engineering Technology and Construction Management Majors

Civil Engineering Technology  

• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum, including MATH 1241 , PHYS 2101 , and PHYS 2101L , with grades of C or above
• Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year courses

Electromechanical Engineering Technology

• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum including MATH 1241  with grade of C or above and PHYS 2101  and PHYS 2101L  
• Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year courses

Mechanical Engineering Technology 

• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete all courses in the Common First Year Curriculum including MATH 1241 , PHYS 2101 , and PHYS 2101L , with grades of C or above
• Complete the Common First Year Curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.2 cumulative GPA upon completion of the Common First Year courses

Construction Management 

• Complete CMET 1400 , ETCE 1222 , ETCE 1211L , and MATH 1103  
• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete the Common First Year curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First Year core courses

Fire & Safety Engineering Technology (Fire & Safety)

• Complete ETFS 1152 , ETFS 1201 , ETFS 1220 , ETFS 1244 , and MATH 1100  
• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete the Common First Year curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First Year core courses

Fire & Safety Engineering Technology (Occupational Safety)

• Complete BIOL 1110 , ETFS 1201 , ETFS 1220 , ETGR 2230 , MATH 1103 , PSYC 1101  and STAT 1220  
• Pass all courses within three attempts, including withdrawing from a course with a grade of W
• Complete the Common First Year curriculum within four semesters
• Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA upon completion of the First Year core courses