Mayra Escobedo / Roundup
Transfer requirements and program details is what engineering department representatives from UCLA, CSUN and USC spoke to students about on yesterday in the Career and Transfer Center.
The transfer panel was the third of the “Engineering in April” events that are being hosted by the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math initiative and the Career and Transfer Center this month and approximately 15 students attended the event.
The representatives spoke to students about transfer requirements.
Erkki Corpuz, undergraduate student advisor for UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, told students that transfer students are only admitted at the junior level and must have a minimum of 60 transferable units and two English courses. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is also required for admission and is mostly looked at in required preparation courses.
Corpuz also told students to finish major requirements that are listed on www.assist.org and to pay attention to listed requirements as they vary for each major.
Reza Sayed, retention coordinator for the student services center for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at CSUN, told students for upper division transfers 60 units are needed, a GPA of 2.0 or better and have taken speech, freshmen English, college level math.
Sayed, told students that it was easier to transfer with calculus 1 and that if they transfer with trigonometry they will have to take a math placement test.
He also told students that “if you can forget about general education requirements because you can go back and to them later instead take as many math and science classes as you can” for the 60 required units.
Christine Hsieh, assistant director for undergraduate admissions for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, said that they didn’t have requirements only recommended courses and that they don’t require a specific GPA.
The recommended courses are: calculus II, two terms of a lab-based science, USC’s writing requirement and 30 transferable courses.
Students were given advice on being successful after they have transferred.
Corpuz told students to “develop good study habits, because getting by doesn’t work at the university level.” and to “get used to not saving things for the last minute even if it worked for you in high school or college.”
Hsieh said that “the key thing to have is time management skills” and “if you need help with time management we offer workshops.”
Students were also told to take advantage of the resources that will be available to them.
Hsieh told students “we throw you into the deep end but we give you floaters” so to take advantage of resources like free tutoring given by upperclassmen.
She also said that they want people to be involved so they have events for transfer students to get to know each other so when they need help they have someone to ask.
Corpuz also told students to take advantage of resource available to them like tutoring and that there is nothing wrong with going to tutoring because it doesn’t mean that you are a bad student.
Corpuz told students that there was nothing wrong with going to tutoring, that it doesn’t mean that they are bad students so they should take advantage of the resources that are available to them.
Representatives also spoke about internship an job opportunities.
Corpuz said that their career center handles a lot of internship opportunities and they also do mock interviews to prepare students for interviews.
Corpuz also said that technical job fairs are held every quarter, companies contact student organizations directly with job opportunities and that they have “Bruinview” which provides students with the opportunity to meet with employers and access to a list of internship and employment opportunities.
Hsieh said that they had a career center only for engineering which screens internship opportunities for paid internships.
Hsieh also said that they have career fairs and career conferences where students are able to talk to recruiters and that there are year round opportunities.
She said to “get in there as soon as possible” and to not wait until senior year to see what opportunities are available.
Sayed said that they have a Tech Fest every two years where students can talk to representatives from different companies to see what job requirements they have.
Sayed also said that faculty is connected to companies so internship opportunities may be available.
Engineering programs offered:
UCLA offers bioengineering, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer science, electrical, mechanical, aerospace and material science programs.
CSUN offers mechanical, electrical, manufacturing systems, civil, computer and computer science programs.
USC offers aerospace, astronautical, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, computer science, electrical, environmental, mechanical, and industrial and systems programs.
For information on upcoming events go to http://piercecollege.edu/webapps/calendar/
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