Orientation Resources

Welcome to the University of Utah Mechanical Engineering Department!

We are thrilled that you decided to pursue a degree at the University of Utah! We have created this page so that you can access any information you need for your first semester at the U. If you haven’t already, please make sure you have signed up for an University Orientation. You will be able to register as part of your orientation experience. As always, please reach out to your advisor if you have any questions.

  1. Pay Deposit to University of Utah
  2. Register for Orientation
  3. Attend Orientation and Register

Frequently Asked Questions

This information will be covered in your Mechanical Engineering Live Orientation Session as well, but we wanted to give you a heads up to get started. The first thing you will need to do to plan your first semester schedule is decide what is the best Math course for you to take. Because of COVID-19 many students were not able to take the ACT or SAT so the University of Utah has adjusted Math Placement protocols. You will now be able to select their math course based on which math course you think is the best option for you. . Use the resources below to find out your math placement. If you have any questions, please bring them to your Mechanical Engineering Live Orientation Session! If you’ve already completed your session and still have questions, schedule a meeting with your advisor by clicking here. 

If you did not take the ACT, SAT, Concurrent Enrollment, or Accuplacer (or don’t think they are a good representation of your knowledge):

  1.     Watch the videos on this webpage – we recommend you watch the intro video first to identify what videos A-D will be helpful for you. These videos walk through several Math problems to help you decide what Math course will be best for you. (http://www.math.utah.edu/undergraduate/placement.php)
  2.     Choose Math 980, Math 1010, Math 1050, Math 1060, Math 1080, Math 1210, Math 1215 or Math 1310, Math 1220, and Math 1320. (Any course outside this list will not complete prerequisites or requirements for an engineering degree.)

If you would prefer to take an Accuplacer exam to see what math you can place into, you can sign-up for a free exam here.

If you did take the ACT, SAT, AP, or IB, you can use these flowcharts as reference for placement:

For students ready to take Calculus 1, remember you can decide between Math 1210 – Traditional Calculus and Math 1310 – Engineering Calculus. Here is a helpful video to describe the difference between them: 

Building your Schedule

Flowcharts

If you are taking a math refresher course or Math 980, please watch this video on how to add a non-credit career.

Navigating CIS

Regardless of what major you choose, you must complete a set of University-wide Graduation Requirements before receiving your Bachelor’s degree. Your advisor can help you understand these requirements and how to select appropriate courses to complete them. We can also help you understand the specific requirements for both the major and the university as well as inform you if any transfer or concurrent courses will fulfill these requirements.

  • Finding General Education Course

  • AP Placement Gen Eds
  • IB Placement Gen Eds
  • AP Physics C Exam – Score Needed: 4 or higher
    • Mechanics – Waives PHYS 2210
    • Electricity & Magnetism – Waives PHYS 2220
    • Phys 1, 2, B – Will not fulfill any ME physics requirement
  • AP Chemistry – Score Needed: 4 or Higher
    • Chemistry – Waives CHEM 1210
    • Lab notebook – Waives CHEM 1215 (Talk to your advisor in First Year Advising)

Associates Degrees

Associates of Science from a State of Utah College or University

  • Clears all general education requirements

Associates of Pre-Engineering

  • Will not clear all of your general education requirements

Associates of Science or Bachelor’s degree from Out of State

  • May no clear the AI but should clear the rest of the general education requirements

Don’t have an associates degree but took general education courses? You will need to submit a General Education Exception form for each of these to be reviewed individually.

Concurrent Enrollment

If you took courses at a community college or university while in high school, some of those courses may transfer over as prerequisites or major courses. Below you will see a list of courses that will transfer directly to the major. If you have taken courses that aren’t on this chart, ask your advisor how those courses will transfer.

Course Equivalents at Out-of-State Institutions – Talk to Advisor

Accuplacer

If it has been more than 2 years since you took an AP exam or ACT/SAT you will need to take a math accuplacer to renew your math placement score. This will place you into a math class as high as Calculus I.

*You will not need to take the Accuplacer if you received a 5 on the AP Math BC exam within 4 years

You will need a permission code to enroll in a course for which you completed a prerequisite during Spring or Summer 2020 or at an out-of-state institution. A form should be submitted to each department matching the course you want to take.

Academic Skills Course

We designed this course to support our sophomores, juniors, and seniors if they are struggling or want to improve their learning strategies. If you are a transfer student, this would be a great course for you to enroll in to help you transition to the U. We offer the first session for those who need the motivation to start the semester and offer a second session if you feel like you will need a boost mid-semester.

Success in Mechanical Engineering

This course was created to help first year students in their transition to college life at the University of Utah. In this course students will learn a lot about themselves, learning strategies, the major, and resources at the University. We will have 2 sections this fall. One section will be reserved for students participating in the learning community and the second section is available to any student, including pre-mechanical students.

Learning Community

A Learning Community is a way for you to connect to an immediate group of students who are learning the same material and in the same classes. You will attend the same labs, lecture, and first year seminar with a group of Mechanical Engineering students by enrolling in the same sections of ME EN 1000, MATH 1310, and ME EN 1800. It is a great opportunity to learn about the major and create study groups right away. There are a limited number of students who can participate. You may only sign up for this learning community if you are eligible for Math 1310 – Engineering Calculus 1 (see above for qualifications needed for Calculus 1).

Are you interested? If you’ve already attended an orientation session, reach out to your advisor!

 

The University of Utah has so much to offer you and several resources to support you during your time here at the university.

Mechanical Engineering

Housing

  • Explore on campus housing options here, the priority deadlines are early March.
  • Explore off campus housing options (including finding a fellow student roommate!) here.

UCard

Your Ucard will give you access to public transportation (for free), building/lab access, and several other things while on campus. You won’t need your UCard until you are on campus, but this website will help you navigate the steps to receive your UCard when you come to campus.

Student Organizations

Student Organizations are a great way to meet people and get involved right away at the University of Utah. There are over 300 clubs at the U centered around anything from the outdoors, ethnicity, hobbies, and major and you can pick any club that interests you! Use this link to filter by interest and find a club that you want to join! When the semester starts, look for information on the engineering club rush and university club fair.

Campus Recreation

You can rent outdoor equipment, attend fitness courses, climb, and go to the gym all in one spot on campus!

Tutoring

There are many ways to get support in your coursework here at the U. Check out all the links below that you can use to help you transition into college life.

Supporting Office on Campus

The University of Utah has many offices that are purely here to help you be successful and guide you in your journey.

Parking at the U