ACCEND Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifies a student for ACCEND?

The ACCEND programs admit students who have excellent academic records. In general applicants are in the top 10% of their graduating class and have an unweighted gpa of over 3.0. For incoming students, the average standardized test scores were ACT composite 29; SAT Verbal and Math 1310.

Are there high school course work requirements?

Admission to the College of Engineering does require certain coursework in high school (see requirements). ACCEND programs do not require other coursework. However it is extremely helpful for students to come to UC having taken AP courses and the tests so that they can be ahead in the curriculum. Typical advanced credit of incoming ACCEND students comes from Calculus, English, and courses such as World History or Psychology.

Does admission into ACCEND guarantee me a spot in the graduate program?

Just as admission into traditional engineering programs does not guarantee a degree from that program, admission into ACCEND does not guarantee acceptance into a graduate program. Students who meet the academic requirements will be admitted into the graduate programs. The ACCEND programs provide the coursework and advising that makes that transition easier and allow students to earn a graduate degree earlier.

Once admitted, are there requirements for staying in an ACCEND program?

Yes. To remain in the ACCEND programs, students need to be on schedule with their academic coursework (you can't fall behind) and students need to maintain a 3.2 cumulative gpa. These requirements are there so students will be prepared for the graduate portion of the program. If students do not meet these requirements, they are simply transitioned to the traditional degree program.

Are the ACCEND programs harder than a traditional degree?

Students have the same undergraduate coursework and about the same course load, so the programs are not really harder. However, ACCEND students often take higher level courses earlier in their academic careers so students must be "on task" and motivated to succeed. ACCEND students may also be required to take a course while on co-op; a requirement that traditional students do not have.

How can ACCEND students complete 2 degrees in essentially the same time it takes a traditional student to earn just the undergraduate degree?

It doesn't take magic but it does take preparation and diligence. There are three primary characteristics of the ACCEND programs that make this possible:

1. To complete the program on schedule, students need to be about 15 credit hours ahead of the normal curriculum by the time they start the sophomore year. Most students accomplish this through participation in AP courses in high school. By sitting for 3 - 4 AP tests (and scoring well!) incoming students can be 15 - 20 credit hours ahead. Other students meet his requirement through participation in Post Secondary Enrollment Option courses. Still others take courses the summer before coming to UC and / or the summer between their first and second years.
2. Traditional students are on co-operative work assignments for 6 quarters; ACCEND students have 5 co-op quarters and are in class the additional quarter.
3. Some students in some programs take distance learning courses while on co-op; traditional students do not. This allows for earning additional credits.
4. These three items put ACCEND students ahead in the curriculum compared to traditional students. This permits enrolling in graduate courses during the 5th year.

Do ACCEND programs cost more than traditional programs?

Good question. It varies by type of program, particularly between those that offer a graduate degree in engineering and those that offer the Master of Business Administration. Traditional programs include 12 academic quarters and 6 co-op quarters. ACCEND programs take 13 - 14 academic quarters and 5 co-op quarters. For the first 12 academic quarters, ACCEND students pay the same tuition and fees as a traditional student. If an ACCEND student needs to take a distance learning course while on co-op the student will pay the part-time fee associated with that course. That is a cost a traditional student does not have. After the 12th academic quarter there are differences in the programs.

1. For students in programs that offer a graduate degree in engineering, if the student has maintained good grades (generally > 3.2), the student will normally receive a tuition scholarship for the remaining academic quarters. The student may need to pay fees but not tuition.
2. For students in the Engineering - MBA programs the student will be charged tuition for the MBA program for the remaining academic quarters (1-2 quarters.) At this time, there are no tuition scholarships available for the MBA program.

So, in general, the Engineering ACCEND programs cost a little bit more (because of paying for distance learning courses) than a traditional degree and Engineering - MBA programs are more expensive (by 1 - 2 quarters of MBA tuition) than a traditional program.

Remember though that the cost of the ACCEND programs are substantially less (by tens of thousands of dollars) than if a student was to get the two degrees in the traditional manner.

Have other questions?

Contact the Manager of ACCEND, Eugene Rutz at 513-556-1096 or via email - eugene.rutz@uc.edu.