Manufacturing Engineering Admissions

Admissions Information

Admission to the Manufacturing Engineering major is a two-phase process. After acceptance to WWU, students declare as a Manufacturing pre-major and then apply to the full major once requirements are met. 

What is a pre-major?

Manufacturing pre-majors must complete a set of foundational courses in math, physics, chemistry and engineering principles.  Depending on when students are able to begin calculus, these foundational courses take up to 5 quarters to complete at WWU.  Foundational coursework may also be taken at community colleges or other institutions.  See Transfer Students for more information.  These foundational courses are the minimum required courses (see below) to apply to the Manufacturing major.

When do students apply to the major?

The Manufacturing program accepts applications during winter quarter every year.  See below for details. Upper division coursework begins in spring quarter and is restricted to students who have been accepted into the full major.

What is used to determine acceptance to the major?

Admission to full major status is determined by academic performance in the courses listed below, required short answer questions, and other factors. Neither completion of the foundational courses nor attainment of any specific GPA guarantees admission. 

The short answer questions ask about the applicant's career goals, leadership experience, teamwork opportunities, overcoming challenges and adversity, and learning style. 

How many majors are accepted every year?

Twenty-four students are typically accepted into the program each year and they begin major courses spring quarter. While admission decisions are based primarily on cumulative GPA in the foundational courses, successful completion of other required major courses, GPA in the major, and overall GPA are also considerations.

Admissions Statistics

The Manufacturing Engineering program admits 24 students per year. The average GPA of admitted students usually varies between 2.9 and 3.3 in the prerequisite courses.  This is an average GPA that we have seen historically based on the applicant pools and is not a cut-off GPA. 

The Admissions committee also considers overall GPA, grades in any major course, and the required short answer questions. The overall competitiveness of admission depends on the total number of applications we receive, as well as the general strength of the applicant pool, and it can vary widely from year to year. Historically, the program has received anywhere from 24-45 applications per year. The committee encourages all eligible applicants to apply, and to also consider a backup plan as we can’t predict the future competitiveness of the applicant pool.  

Students may contact the Pre-major Advisor, Lisa Ochs lisa.ochs@wwu.edu to discuss admissions questions.

To Apply

The 2024 application is now closed.  The Manufacturing Engineering program will take applications again in winter quarter of 2025. 

 

Required courses to apply:

  • MATH 124 - Calculus I
  • MATH 125 - Calculus II
  • MATH 224 - Multivariable Calculus & Geometry
  • MATH 204 - Linear Algebra 
  • CHEM 161 - General Chemistry I
  • PHYS 161 - Physics w/ Calculus I
  • PHYS 162 - Physics w/ Calculus II 
  • ENGR 101 - Engineering, Design, & Society*
  • ENGR 115 or 104 or 197D - Intro to Engineering & Design
  • ENGR 170 - Intro to Materials Science & Engineering
  • ENGR 214 - Statics

*ENGR 101 may be waived for new transfer students.  Students must confirm this with the pre-major advisor. 

Students may be currently enrolled in no more than four of the required courses when they apply for major admission. A final decision on applications may be delayed until receipt of final grades for in-progress courses. Students must obtain at least a C- in the above courses and an overall GPA in them of 2.0 or higher to be considered. AP scores are converted to GPA as follows: 5 = A; 4 = B; 3 = C. While decisions are based primarily on cumulative GPA in the prerequisite courses, not counting PHYS 162, successful completion of other required major courses, GPA in the major, and overall GPA are also considerations. 

Recommended coursework, but not required to apply:

Students need to have no more than two of the following courses or equivalencies outstanding at the beginning of the Fall quarter of year three:

  • MATH 331 - Differential Equations
  • MATH 345 or 341 - Engineering Statistics
  • PHYS 163 - Physics w/ Calculus III
  • ENGR 225 - Mechanics of Materials

Applicants will be notified of decisions prior to spring quarter registration. 

Transfer Students

A student that will be transferring to Western Washington University will be designated as a pre-major and will need to apply to the major. Transfer students who believe they are ready to apply to the MFGE major should contact the Pre-major Advisor at lisa.ochs@wwu.edu or by phone 360.650.4132 to have the academic history reviewed and to discuss equivalencies. Go to our Transfer Students page to learn more about transferring into our department. 

Accepted Students

Students who are accepted must register for MFGE 231, MFGE 261, MFGE 250 and MATH 345 (or MATH 341) Spring quarter before the end of Phase II registration, unless the MATH 345 (341) course has already been completed. Students who do not register by the end of Phase II registration may lose their major status. Students need to have a plan to complete the following classes with no more than two left to take by fall quarter junior year: PHYS 163, MATH 331, and ENGR 225.