Enrollment Policy

Enrollment management policy for first-year engineering (FYE) students transitioning to professional engineering schools/programs

Selecting a professional engineering school is a critical step in the career development of every FYE student. Students will make this selection with careful and thoughtful career exploration. This policy is intended to facilitate this selection and to provide every student who completes the FYE requirements with a home in a Professional School or Program in the College of Engineering. This enrollment management policy is in effect since Spring 2018:

Category	Admission into professional school or major
Guaranteed first choice acceptance (available May only)	1) Admission requirement — Eligible students must be directly admitted into first-year engineering (FYE), pre-agricultural and biological engineering (PABE) or Exploratory Studies in Purdue University West Lafayette as first-time, full-time students in the fall semester and must enroll in ENGR 13000, ENGR 13100, ENGR 13300, ENGR 16100 in the first semester on campus. 2) Course load requirement — Eligible students must take two consecutive semesters as full-time students (defined as at least 12 credits) and must complete a total of at least 20 credits of graded West Lafayette or Purdue University in Indianapolis coursework from the College of Engineering, the College of Science or MEFT 16300 or CM 16400.* (Up to two credits of pass/no pass from first-year engineering seminars count toward the 20-credit requirement but do not factor into GPA or EAI calculations.) 3) Completion requirement* — Eligible students must complete FYE at the conclusion of the 16th week of classes in May. No repeated graded courses in the FYE curriculum. (Repeating courses with a W grade or to replace pre-college credit is acceptable.) Taking a course in West Lafayette for which the student has AP or other exam credit is acceptable and will not exclude the student from the guarantee. 4) Grade requirement — Eligible students must earn at least a 3.20 EAI and a 3.20 cumulative GPA in West Lafayette.
Competitive first choice acceptance (available May, December and August)	All FYE students who successfully complete FYE requirements are guaranteed entrance into their professional degree program of choice as long as space is available. If demand exceeds capacity, students will be individually and holistically reviewed and admitted up to the capacity of the professional school/major. Factors that may be used for evaluation may include GPA, EAI, performance in select classes (like MA and PHYS), credit load, grade trends, performance in any advanced courses completed and course repeat history.

Category

Admission into professional school or major

Guaranteed first choice acceptance
(available May only)

1) Admission requirement — Eligible students must be directly admitted into first-year engineering (FYE), pre-agricultural and biological engineering (PABE) or Exploratory Studies in Purdue University West Lafayette as first-time, full-time students in the fall semester and must enroll in ENGR 13000, ENGR 13100, ENGR 13300, ENGR 16100 in the first semester on campus.
2) Course load requirement — Eligible students must take two consecutive semesters as full-time students (defined as at least 12 credits) and must complete a total of at least 20 credits of graded West Lafayette or Purdue University in Indianapolis coursework from the College of Engineering, the College of Science or MEFT 16300 or CM 16400.* (*Up to two credits of pass/no pass from first-year engineering seminars count toward the 20-credit requirement but do not factor into GPA or EAI calculations.)
3) Completion requirement — Eligible students must complete FYE at the conclusion of the 16th week of classes in May. No repeated graded courses in the FYE curriculum. (Repeating courses with a W grade or to replace pre-college credit is acceptable.) Taking a course in West Lafayette for which the student has AP or other exam credit is acceptable and will not exclude the student from the guarantee.
4) Grade requirement — Eligible students must earn at least a 3.20 EAI and a 3.20 cumulative GPA in West Lafayette.

Competitive first choice acceptance
(available May, December and August)

All FYE students who successfully complete FYE requirements are guaranteed entrance into their professional degree program of choice as long as space is available. If demand exceeds capacity, students will be individually and holistically reviewed and admitted up to the capacity of the professional school/major. Factors that may be used for evaluation may include GPA, EAI, performance in select classes (like MA and PHYS), credit load, grade trends, performance in any advanced courses completed and course repeat history.

Policy approved 4/2/2026

Updated 5/27/2026

Definitions

EAI (Engineering Admissions Index): A weighted GPA calculation that emphasizes performance in specific engineering-related courses. Used alongside cumulative GPA to determine guarantee eligibility.

FYE (first-year engineering): All engineering students complete before transitioning to professional engineering major.

PABE (pre-agricultural and biological engineering): An alternative entry pathway for students interested in agricultural and biological engineering.

Graded coursework: Courses completed with a letter grade (A, B, C, D, F). Pass/no pass (P/NP) courses are not considered graded coursework except as specifically noted for ENGR 10301 seminars.

Full-time student: A student enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester..

Frequently asked questions

Q: Do AP, IB or transfer credits count toward the 20-credit requirement?

A: No. Pre-college credits (AP, IB, transfer, etc.) may fulfill FYE course requirements but do not count toward the 20 graded credits required for the guarantee. Only graded coursework completed in West Lafayette or Indianapolis counts.

Q: Do summer ("Think Summer") credits count toward the 20-credit requirement?

A: Yes, graded credits earned during summer sessions in West Lafayette or Indianapolis count toward the 20-credit requirement.

Q: What happens if I take a course at Purdue that I already have credit for from AP, IB or transfer?

A: The Purdue credits take precedence and will be used for your guarantee eligibility. Taking a course in West Lafayette for which you already have pre-college credit is acceptable and will not disqualify you.

Q: Does withdrawing from a course (W grade) count as repeating a course?

A: No. A W grade is not considered a repeat for purposes of this policy. If you withdraw from a course and later take it again, this does not disqualify you from the guarantee.

Q: How do P/NP seminars affect my guarantee eligibility?

A: Pass (P) credits from ENGR 10301 seminars count toward the 20-credit requirement but do not factor into your GPA or EAI calculations.

Q: Can I be on academic notice and still leave FYE?

A: Yes. Students may complete FYE and transition to their major while on academic notice. However, meeting the GPA/EAI requirements for the guarantee would be necessary for guaranteed first choice admission.

Q: What if I don't meet all the guarantee requirements?

A: You may still be admitted through Competitive First Choice, which is available in May, December and August. Students are holistically reviewed and admitted based on space availability..