The University of Texas at Tyler
College of Engineering
Houston Engineering Center
Frequently Asked Questions
If you take courses at a community college and then want to study engineering at a university, do you
have to repeat many of the courses?
Not with appropriate planning. Several universities and community colleges have been working very hard
since 2009 to align pre-engineering coursework across the state so that the courses you complete at a community college can be applied to an engineering degree program. In particular, if you satisfactorily complete the
newly implemented Associate of Science in Engineering Science degree at a participating community college,
you can be admitted to and pursue an engineering completion curriculum at one of the participating universities in Texas. The University of Texas at Tyler is a participating university in the Associate of Science in Engineering Science program.
Is it expensive to attend schools in the University of Texas System?
Not necessarily. The tuition that a student pays varies from one university to another, even in the same system.
The tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Tyler are below the average for all public universities in
Texas. That makes The University of Texas at Tyler one of the more affordable public universities in Texas.
How long does it take to complete an engineering degree when you start at a community college ?
Students who attend a participating community college and complete the Texas Associate of Science in Engineering Science degree and then attend a participating university to complete an engineering degree can have
the same time to graduation as a student who begins at the university as a freshman, approximately eight semesters. Of course, the number of semester credit hours you pursue in a semester will affect the time to graduation. The fewer semester credit hours you take in a semester, the longer will be the time to graduation.
Is this an on-line degree program?
No, this is not an on-line degree program. Most courses will be offered in a traditional classroom and laboratory setting. You may have the option of taking some courses on-line if they are available, but this is definitely
not an on-line degree program. You will be interacting with UT Tyler faculty.
What schools offer ASES accepted by UT Tyler?
The University of Texas at Tyler currently accepts ASES from Houston Community College, San Jacinto College, TSTC-Harlingen, and South Texas College.
Can I attend part time or must I be a full-time student?
Yes, you can earn an engineering degree as a part-time student. However, because of prerequisite requirements, you
should be careful about what courses you take and talk to an advisor every semester so that you can earn the degree as
quickly as possible. If you attend as a part-time student, please understand that you will take a significant time to complete your degree.
What if I am an international student?
You will need to coordinate with both your engineering college advisor to discuss recommended classes and your international advisor regarding your international documents. Any coursework you have taken in the US will be handled the
same as for our domestic students. International coursework is more difficult to evaluate. Please click here for more
information on evaluating coursework taken abroad. Please also click here for information on the international admissions process, important deadlines and other important information.
How do I apply for the UT Tyler program?
When you are within a semester or so of being able to complete the ASES curriculum, apply to UT Tyler at
www.applytexas.org. You should also contact the UT Tyler offices on the Alief campus to let them know that you have
applied for the degree program and intend to study in Houston so that they can be looking for your application and get
you admitted, advised, and registered quicker.
Must students obtain the ASES degree prior to enrolling in courses at UT Tyler?
Earning the ASES degree and then enrolling at UT Tyler is the preferred pathway to obtain an engineering baccalaureate
degree when beginning academic study at a community college and these students will receive priority enrollment. However, other students who have completed the necessary prerequisite courses may be considered for admission into the
engineering programs, if they have a C in all required courses and an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 on previous coursework. These students will be treated as traditional transfer students and will need to be advised by a UT Tyler
advisor to evaluate their credits to determine the additional courses necessary to obtain a baccalaureate engineering degree from UT Tyler. Necessary lower division coursework can be completed at HCC or at any other community college
in the region.
What is the difference between direct and ASES transfers?
An ASES degree holder has a slightly different curriculum than a direct transfer. The student has to finish a Texas Associates of Science in Engineering Science, presently only offered in the Houston area by HCC and San Jacinto, and by a
few other Texas institutions not in the Houston area. (Not all degrees labeled as an ASES degree are the Texas ASES
degree, and associate’s degrees that are not in engineering science specifically generally do not have all necessary courses within them, such as a generic Associate’s of Science). When students have the Texas ASES degree they finish a
very specific set of courses to complete their BS degree with us. They must have a 2.5 overall in the courses in the
ASES degree, and no grade less than a C that applies to the ASES curriculum. A direct transfer is a student who did not
complete the ASES degree which must be officially conferred by the community college—or has less than a 2.0 or Ds in
the program that are not retaken. Many 2nd baccalaureate seekers, or students with courses from out of state or from a
composite of other four year institutions and community colleges fall within that group.
Once I complete the ASES, do I need to complete a separate admission application to UT Tyler?
When you are ready to transfer to UT Tyler, you will need to complete an application for admission. Information about
UT Tyler admissions policies and procedures for students with previous academic credit and degrees.
Does being admitted to UT Tyler mean I am ready to start at the Houston Engineering Center?
Not necessarily. You can be admitted to UT Tyler and not be quite ready to start at the Houston Engineering Center.
Our Tyler campus, which you can attend starting at any point in the degree program, offers coursework from freshman to
senior year. The Houston Engineering Center only offers junior and senior level engineering and math courses. You
basically have to have completed course content equivalent to those in the Texas statewide ASES degree to start with us,
especially the fundamental Calculus, Physics, and early engineering courses. If you have not, you will need to take some
additional courses at a community college or another four year institution to be able to start at the HEC. Please contact
our advisor to review your courses to see if you are ready to start with us, or need to complete additional work elsewhere
first.
Do I need to submit official transcripts from HCC to UT Tyler to study on the campus in Alief once I'm ready to
attend UT Tyler?
Yes, official transcripts from all previously attended colleges need to be submitted to UT Tyler. They may be submitted
to UT Tyler at the Alief campus, or directly to the main campus in Tyler.
What if I have a 1st baccalaureate degree in another area?
We will evaluate your courses on a case by case basis for transfer. Generally, many elements of your general studies
( “Texas core curriculum”) can be accepted. However, if you did not take Hist 1301, 1302 and Pols 2305 and 2306 or
their equivalents you must take them for degree completion. Depending on what undergraduate degree you completed,
you may have to take community college coursework to prepare to start with us. You will need something very close in
content to the Texas ASES degree curriculum offered at Houston Community College (click here for courses in that degree) to be ready to start at the Houston Engineering Center.
Can I get a 2nd B.S. from UT Tyler if I already have a 1st BS in that discipline from another institution, either foreign or domestic?
No, you cannot get a degree in the same discipline, although you can in another. For example, a BS in Mechanical Engineering cannot get another BSME from us, but can get a BS in Civil Engineering. A person with a degree in Technology
can get an engineering degree, but may need community college work. Also, depending on your transferable courses,
you may need leveling courses from a community college if you have an engineering degree in another discipline.
Please discuss with an advisor.
If I'm receiving financial aid at my current college do I need to complete another financial aid application for UT
Tyler?
You need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year. The FAFSA application
for the upcoming academic year becomes available in January each year. If you have already completed a FAFSA for the
academic year that you plan attendance at UT Tyler, you will not need to complete another one. You will, however, need
to add UT Tyler's school code to that FAFSA so that UT Tyler can receive it electronically and process aid for your attendance there. You can make corrections to your existing Financial Aid application by adding UT Tyler's school code
(011163) and resubmitting it online. Your PIN will be required when adding a new school code. You may need to cancel
funds with your other college depending on when the transfer to UT Tyler is done. If this is needed, contact their Financial Aid representative.
What programs of study does UT Tyler offer on the campus in Alief ?
UT Tyler offer upper division coursework in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering on the campus in Alief that
culminates in the award of a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, or
a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. The upper division coursework in all programs builds on the lower
division coursework completed at participating community colleges.
When are UT Tyler classes offered?
Classes are scheduled to accommodate the needs of as many students as possible considering the resources available.
Are all classes offered in Houston, or will we have to commute to Tyler for some?
All classes in the completion curriculum in engineering BS degree are offered in Houston. A few may be offered online.
Some general studies can be taken online or at a local community college if not needed for prerequisites in engineering
studies, such as Phil 2306, Ethics.
Are minors available?
No, because most minors require courses with content from classes outside those in the engineering degree programs.
Other Colleges within UT Tyler generally do not offer the courses in Houston you need to take to complete a minor,
such as Mathematics, Physics, etc. We do have an option in some degree programs such as Controls Engineering within
the BS Mech. Engr.
Will the textbooks needed when attending UT Tyler on the campus in Alief be available at an HCC bookstore?
Yes, all of the needed textbooks will be available in the bookstore on the Alief campus.
Who do I contact for more information?
For more information about The University of Texas at Tyler engineering programs in Houston, please contact:
Christine Smith, HEC Administrative Assistant ([email protected]) or
Tyler Armstrong, Engineering Advisor ([email protected])
College of Engineering
The University of Texas at Tyler
Phone: 903.565.6570