Undergraduate Engineering
Student Handbook
This page is intended to provide undergraduate students and their faculty advisors with information on the policies and regulations of the Engineering School and on resources available at the University to assist them. The page is maintained by the Office of the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs. Please contact us with questions or suggestions: A-122 Thornton Hall, (434)924-3164, mel2q@virginia.edu.
Students should see their advisors at least twice a semester. E-mail is suggested for making appointments.
The official source of rules and regulations for undergraduate students at the University of Virginia is the Undergraduate Record. Please consult that document and in particular the School of Engineering and Applied Science section for topics not covered here and for more detail on topics that are covered.
Academic Regulations and Procedures
Student Services
Appeal of Academic Regulations
In circumstances not covered by specific regulations, or in difficulties that cannot be resolved with the instructor concerned, the faculty advisor, or the student's major department, the student should consult the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in Thornton Hall A-122.
Students placed on suspension have the right to petition the Committee on Rules and Courses for exceptions. The action by the Committee on the petition is final inasmuch as it acts for the full faculty in these matters. Petitions should be submitted to the Undergraduate Office, Thornton Hall A-122.
The petition must be signed and dated by the student, and must contain the following:- A clear and concise statement of the variance requested.
- Adequate supporting evidence to enable the committee to render fair and proper judgment
- A signed acknowledgment by the student's academic advisor.
A petition should be submitted a minimum of one month prior to the date that a response is required. The petitioner is notified by letter of the action taken by the Committee.
Class Attendance and Excused Absences
Regular attendance in all classes is expected. Absences traditionally excused are those that occur because of death in a student's family, important religious holidays, or authorized University activities. Students who anticipate absence for cause should obtain permission from the instructor in advance of the absence. Unforeseen absences resulting from sickness, or from other circumstances considered to be emergencies, may be excused by the instructor and arrangements may be made with the instructor to complete the assignments missed. In all cases of excused or prolonged absence, students should notify Mary Lane in the Undergraduate Dean's Office, 924.3164, who will notify your instructors. It is the student's responsibility to arrange directly with instructors to make up missing work.
Course Enrollment
Students can make most schedule changes, i.e., add/drops, etc., via SIS. However, some changes may require use of the Course Action Form. These forms are available in Thornton Hall A-122.
Course Extension ("Incomplete")
After the withdrawal date (two weeks before the end of the semester), a student can no longer withdraw from a course. If there are extenuating circumstances, and if it is feasible, a student may petition for a course extension. If approved, all work should be completed by the beginning of the next academic term. Feasibility is determined after a review of the outstanding work, availability of the instructor, accessibility of laboratory facilities, and other practical considerations. A course extension requires approval of the instructor and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs.
Course Load Requirement "15 hour rule"
Every student is expected to take a minimum of 15 graded credit hours of course-work each semester. Students must secure the permission of their advisor and the Dean's office to register for fewer than 15 graded hours. Petitions are available in Thornton Hall A-122. NO courses taken on an Audit of Credit/No Credit basis can satisfy any degree requirement in the SEAS, nor can they satisfy the "15-hour minimum" rule.
An overload of 19 or 20 hours of course-work per semester can be approved by the advisor for students with cumulative GPAs exceeding 3.0. Course loads greater than 20 hours require Dean's office approval.
Degree Application and Elective Sheet
January and May graduates should submit a degree application and an elective sheet in September. These forms are available in Thornton Hall A-122.
Drop and Withdrawal
Add/Drop and Withdrawal Deadlines: See Academic Calendar
Students may drop courses before the DROP deadline at their discretion as long as it does not reduce their course load below 15 credit hours, for which they need the approval of their advisor and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs.
Withdrawal from a course after the drop date requires that a student petition the office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs. Petitions must be signed by the course instructor and the faculty advisor. Students may be granted one Withdrawal for personal reasons. Subsequent petitions to withdraw will be denied unless there are extenuating circumstances. A Withdrawn course will appear on your academic transcript with the notation W, but will not affect your GPA.
Final Examination Policy
Final examinations must be taken at the officially scheduled time. Exceptions will be made only in the case of extenuating circumstances and require prior approval of the instructor. Conflict with travel plans is NOT an acceptable reason to reschedule an exam.
Customarily, SEAS has allowed students faced with three consecutive exams (morning-afternoon-morning or afternoon-morning-afternoon) to take one of them at an alternative time. An evening exam may substitute for either the previous afternoon or the following morning in this sequence. If you are requesting relief from such a situation you should work out an alternative arrangement with one of the instructor's involved. Contact the Dean’s office (THN A 122, 924.3164) only if you have exhausted all possibilities of rescheduling with your instructors. Note that instructors of classes outside the engineering school are not bound by these rules, but may accommodate you nevertheless.
First-Year Advising - Frequently Asked Questions
- Who do I see about certifying my AP credit?
Carolyn Frey, 434.924.6327 orMary Lane , 434. 924.6328 - Who do I see about certifying my transfer credit?
Mary Lane, 434. 924.6328 - Who do I see about certifying my Applied Mathematics AP/Transfer credit?
Professor Houston Woods, 434.924.6297 - I don't think I'm in the right calculus course. Who do I see for placement in a different course?
Professor Houston Wood, 434.924.6297 - I have advanced placement (AP), international baccalaureate (IB), or transfer credit for one of my courses. Can I take less than 15 hours?
No, the only students that may begin with less than a normal load are students who may be at risk due to inadequate preparation. These will normally NOT be students with AP credit. If you feel that you need a lighter load talk with your advisor. The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs must approve any schedule <15 hours. - When do I select a major?
Major selection takes place around April 1. Every major has a faculty contact available to talk with interested students. A list is available in THN 122. Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering may have caps on the number of majors they can accept. Admission will be based on academic performance in the first year. - What if I find that my load is too heavy or I'm over my head in a course?
See your faculty advisor immediately. Discuss your situation with your instructor(s). Utilize the faculty and GTA assistance available with the course. Tutoring is available. Contact 924.3310, or A-126 Thornton Hall. Requests to drop a course that will reduce your schedule to < 15 hours should be made to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs before the Drop date. After that date until the Withdrawal deadline, withdrawal from a course requires extenuating circumstances.
Humanities and Social Science (HSS) and Unrestricted Electives
Studies in the humanities and social sciences serve not only to meet the objectives of a broad education, but also to meet the objectives of the engineering profession. Required courses in STS provide a portion of this. In addition HSS courses are taken in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Such course work must meet the generally accepted definitions that the humanities are the branches of knowledge concerned with man and his culture, while the social sciences are the studies of society. Examples of traditional subjects in these areas are philosophy, religion, history, literature, fine arts, sociology, psychology, political science, anthropology, economics, and foreign languages other than a student's native language(s). Non-traditional subjects are exemplified by courses such as technology and human affairs, history of technology, and professional ethics and social responsibility.
With your advisor's approval, you may select your HSS electives from the list of courses presented below. Courses that instill cultural values are acceptable while skill development courses are not. Consequently, courses that involve performance must be accompanied by theory or history of the subject. Courses on communication in the student’s native language, regardless of their level, may not be used to satisfy this requirement.
Students may petition the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs for approval of other courses not on the approved list.
University seminars (USEM) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis upon request. A course description should accompany the request.
HSS ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS
a. Instructional categories generally acceptable for HSS elective credit. A student may normally take any course under any one of these categories, with the exception of those listed under b.
AAS
AMEL
AMST
AMTR
ANTH
ARH
ARAB
ARTH
ARTR
ASL
BULG
CCFA
CCIA
CCLT
CCSS
CHIN
CHTR
CLAS
CPLT
CZ
EAST
ECON
ENAM
ENCR
ENEC
ENGL
ENGN
ENLS
ENLT
ENMC
ENMD
ENNC
ENRN
ENSP
ENWR
ETP 2030
ETP 3870
ETP 4800
FREN
FRTR
GERM
GETR
GREE
HEBR
HIAF
HIEA
HIEU
HILA
HIME
HIND
HISA
HIST
HIUS
ITAL
ITTR
JAPN
JPTR
KOR
LATI
LING
LNGS
MDST
MEST
MSP
MUSI
PERS
PETR
PHIL
PLAD
PLAP
PLCP
PLIR
PLPT
POL
PORT
POTR
PSYC
RELA
RELB
RELC
RELG
RELH
RELI
RELJ
RELS
RUSS
RUTR
SANS
SATR
SCAN
SLAV
SLFK
SLTR
SOC
SPAN
SPTR
SRBC
STS
SWAG
SWAH
SWED
TBTN
TMP 3052
TURK
UKR
URDU
YIDD
b. Exceptions to a., (i.e., courses in the acceptable categories that are not suitable for HSS elective credit, generally because of their specialized nature for majors in that field or because they are predominantly skills courses):
ANTH 1090, 3810, 3820, 4991, 4993, 4998, 4999, 5080, 5800, 5870, 5880, 5989
ECON 3710, 3720, 4010, 4350, 4710, 5090, 5100
ENSP 1600
ENWR 1505, 1506, 1510, 2510, 2520
MDST 2010, 3702
MUSI 1310, 1993, 2993, 3310, 3320, 3360, 3390, 3993, 4575
PSYC 2200, 2210, 2220, 3005, 3006, 3210, 3870, 3590, 4111, 4125, 4200, 4290, 4330, 4500, 4910, 4970, 4930, 4940, 4980, 5200, 5210, 5260, 5330, 5350, 5401
SOC 4800, 4810, 4820, 4970, 5100, 5110, 5120, 5595, 5596
UNRESTRICTED ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS
Unrestricted Electives may be chosen from any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 1310,including STAT 1100 and 1120, and courses that substantially duplicate any others offered for the degree, including PHYS 2010, PHYS 2020, CS 1010, CS 1020, or any introductory programming course. Students in doubt as to what is acceptable to satisfy a degree requirement should obtain the approval of their adviser and the dean’s office, Thornton Hall, Room A122. APMA 1090 counts as a three credit unrestricted elective for students.
Probation and Suspension
Academic Probation: First-year students who receive a semester GPA below 1.8 are placed on academic probation. All other students who receive a semester GPA below 2.0 are placed on academic probation. Students who fail a required course twice are placed on academic probation.
Academic Suspension Students who have previously been on academic probation are suspended from the University following any semester in which both their current and cumulative GPA is below 2.0 (1.8 for first year students). Students who fail a required course they have failed at least twice before are suspended from the University. Application for readmission from suspension must be made by letter addressed to the assistant dean for undergraduate programs. In this letter the student should describe briefly his or her activities since suspension and his or her future academic goals. Academic credits taken elsewhere while on academic suspension are not accepted for transfer towards a UVA degree.The term of the first suspension is one year. A second suspension is final and the student is not allowed to return.
Scholarships
The Engineering School receives a number of industrial or foundation scholarships for which students may apply. These are usually one-time awards. Amounts and selection criteria vary. For more information contact A-126 Thornton Hall, 924.3310.
Study Abroad
With the growth of international trade and multinational industries, engineering students throughout the world are becoming more inclined to develop their cultural and social knowledge of other countries through exchange programs, research internships or graduate degree pursuits.
The University's International Studies Office offers students information on study abroad programs, exchange agreements, individual university and department programs, plus travel, visa, passport and other logistical assistance. The Engineering School Office of International Studie offers assistance to students who wish to have an international experience.
The majority of students who study abroad attend English speaking institutions in the United Kingdom or Australia or one of several European universities which offer engineering courses in English. The University has formal exchange agreements with Bath, Lancaster and Brunel Universities, all of which offer excellent engineering programs. Students may also apply to other universities, but there are financial advantages of the exchange agreements, wherein students pay their home school tuition or fees and register free at the host school. Students should expect to pay a premium to most non-exchange foreign institutions.
Engineering students with foreign language skills or the commitment to acquire them can prepare themselves for any number of worldwide university experiences. In addition to Europe and South America, several Pacific Rim countries are receiving North American engineering students through a variety of special programs, many of which involve language training as part of the experience. UVA has excellent language offerings and several special programs in the summer.
Undergraduates taking a semester's studies at another school do so at some risk of extra time and effort. Most cannot expect to find a replica of their SEAS courses. They can however usually pick up key building block courses to keep on track. This office works with the student and advisor, plus a host departmental advisor, to review the course equivalency and scheduling questions in advance. As always, students transferring credit must have prior approval and a grade equivalent of "C." Most students go abroad for a semester in their third year and allow about a year's lead-time to prepare.
Transfer Credit
Students should consult Mrs. Lane in Thornton Hall A-122 regarding approval of transfer credit. It is highly advisable to get approval before you take the course. Approval forms are available in Thornton Hall A-122. A minimum grade of C is required for transfer of a course. Courses transfer-grades do not. Grades obtained for courses taken elsewhere will not count towards your U.Va. GPA.
Transfer to CLAS
Transfer to other schools of the University is possible but not automatic. Consult the Arts and Sciences web for requirements and procedures to transfer to the College. The College does not accept midyear transfers. Students who are seeking to transfer should speak with their advisor. Additional information is available in Thornton Hall A122.
Transfer to SEAS from CLAS or another School of the University
Students seeking to transfer to SEAS from other schools of the University should contact the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in A-122 Thornton Hall. SEAS admits internal transfers in fall and spring semesters. Application forms are available in Thornton Hall A-122 or on the web.
Tutoring
Free tutorial assistance in all of the lower-level SEAS courses is available for all students. Arrangements for this service may be made in A-126 Thornton Hall, or by phone, 924-3310.