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Undergraduate Programs

The College of Engineering offers the following undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees:

• Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Science
• Construction Engineering Management
• Electrical Engineering
• Engineering Innovation and Leadership
• Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

All undergraduate programs require between 120 and 128 semester credit hours of approved course work, which can be completed in four to five years. The following Bachelor of Science programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET: Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Admission

Admission into the College of Engineering follows general university guidelines described in the Undergraduate Admission section above. All prospective students are encouraged to apply on line through . Students must declare a major on their application. Declaring a minor is optional.

Prospective students should have a strong background in high school science and mathematics. Upon admission, only students with advanced-placement (AP) or early-college calculus credit may enroll in introductory engineering and computer science courses in their first semester. Otherwise, students must take a math placement examination. Students who place into Calculus may also enroll in introductory courses. Students who are transferring from El Paso Community College (EPCC) or other institutions must submit transcripts for evaluation by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Students may not enroll in engineering or computer science courses until the transcript evaluation is complete.

Engineering Edge Center

The College of Engineering recognizes that all students deserve quality orientation, advising, registration and other services. For this reason, the College established the Engineering Edge Center (EEC), a one-stop shop for all freshman, transfer, continuing and graduating students that houses the academic advising team and other dedicated staff. The EEC is located on the second floor of the engineering building (Engineering Room E-201).

Orientation and Initial Advising

All students admitted into engineering or computer science programs must attend orientation prior to the start of the semester. Orientation sessions are available throughout the summer as well as in the fall and spring semesters. To register for orientation, visit . During orientation, new students will connect with an EEC professional advisor, learn about university services and resources, and register for classes.

Academic Advising

Students are assigned an academic advisor located in the EEC. Academic advisors will be the primary advisors of engineering students. Some students transition from their EEC academic advisor to a departmental advisor. In addition to the academic advising, students are encouraged to talk with their home departments and their faculty to get advice on career choice and work opportunities.

Transfer Credit

A student can transfer a maximum of 66 semester credit hours from EPCC or other community colleges toward a degree. The maximum number of semester credit hours transferable from accredited U.S. colleges and universities depends on the number of credit hours required to complete a specific degree program, and may be calculated as described in the ACADEMIC REGULATIONS section of this catalog. Transfer credit for engineering courses is restricted to ABET-accredited curricula or is awarded based on departmental recommendation. Transfer students might be required to take competency exams and/or take specified courses that the department feels they must have to establish the quality of their degree. Credit for upper-division engineering courses is based on departmental recommendation. All transfer credit that is to be applied toward undergraduate engineering degree requirements must be approved by the Dean of Engineering. Transferred credit is not included in the GPA calculation.

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate engineering and computer science students must complete all required course work in their degree plan and maintain an overall and major GPA of 2.0 or higher in order to graduate. If a student has declared a minor, the minor GPA must also be 2.0 or higher and all degree requirements for the minor must also be completed. A student with a minor may not graduate until conditions for the major and the minor are satisfied. In preparation for graduation, students in their penultimate semester of studies are required to submit a graduation packet to the EEC. The packet, which will be made available electronically to the student by his or her home department, includes an application for the bachelor’s degree, a verification of eligibility that must be signed by the academic advisor, and a degree plan checklist or degree evaluation summary. Packets must be submitted in full to the EEC administrative coordinator. All transfer courses needed for graduation must be included in the transcript and all incomplete grades must be resolved before the student is eligible for graduation.

Graduation

Graduation time is a special moment for all Â鶹·ÖÐÐ students. The College of Engineering holds the Assembly of the Engineers during final examination week in fall and spring. As part of the Assembly of Engineers, graduating seniors will be inducted to the and receive a stainless steel ring as a visible sign identifying them as engineers. Upon completion of all degree requirements, the Dean of Engineering will certify undergraduate degrees. Students who are certified for graduation may request a letter of completion through the EEC. Students who are otherwise unable to complete all degree requirements will be notified by e-mail and urged to meet with their academic advisor.

Fast Track to Graduate School

Several academic departments in the College of Engineering allow students with an exceptional academic record to take a limited number of approved graduate courses in lieu of senior electives. Graduate credit earned this way will count toward the undergraduate degree. Should a student enrolled in the fast track program be admitted into a graduate program in the same department, the student would then receive credit toward the corresponding master’s degree. Interested students are encouraged to discuss the fast track program with their academic advisors.

Policies and Procedures

Change of major. Any engineering or computer science student may choose to change majors within or outside the College if the student has a minimum overall GPA of 2.0. A Change of Major form is required and must be submitted to the EEC. Approval is at the discretion of the Dean of Engineering.

Course repeat limit. The maximum number of times an engineering or computer science course can be taken is three (3). All enrollments in a course, regardless of grade received, will be counted. The only exception is if the student drops before Census Day. Census Day for any semester can be found from the official academic calendar. Once a student has obtained a C or better in an engineering or computer science course, that course cannot be repeated for credit. Exceptions may be considered by the Dean of Engineering on a case-by-case basis but are rarely approved. A Course Waiver Form is required and must be submitted to the EEC.

Course substitutions. Engineering and computer science students are expected to closely follow their degree plans, which list all required and elective courses. Under exceptional circumstances, students may seek substitution for required or elective courses. Each substitution must have a justification and the total substitution credit hours must be equal to or greater than substituted courses. A Course Substitution Petition form is required and must be submitted to the EEC.

GPA recalculation. A student who is required to repeat a junior or senior level course to meet the minimum grade requirement may file a Course Repeat Petition for GPA Recalculation with the EEC upon passing the course. The petition must be accompanied by a well-documented justification. Approval of the petition is at the discretion of the Dean of Engineering. Note that all grades will remain in the transcript. Letter grades excluded from GPA calculation will be annotated with the letter “E” (for exclude). GPA recalculations will not be made after graduation.

Minor option. Students wishing to minor in biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering or in computer science must submit a Request for a Minor form to the EEC. Approval is at the discretion of the Dean of Engineering. Enrollment in nearly all engineering and computer science courses is restricted to students with the appropriate prerequisites. Consult your academic advisor and professors before you elect to earn a minor.

Reinstatement, suspension, and dismissal. Students are required to maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher to be in good standing. A student whose overall GPA falls below 2.0 at the end of a term will be placed on probation immediately and must seek approval from the department’s academic advisor to be reinstated. The advisor may impose conditions for reinstatement such as enrolling for a specific number of credit hours or in approved courses only. If at the end of the second term, the student fails to achieve a 2.0 term GPA and meet any of the imposed conditions, the student will be placed on suspension and may remain out of school for one term, one year or two years. If upon return, the student is suspended a second time, the student may be dismissed permanently from the program.

Total credit hours per term. Maximum enrollment is limited to 21 credit hours in a regular semester and 12 hours in the summer. Students are strongly discouraged from course overloading as it may adversely affect academic performance. Under exceptional circumstances, the Dean of Engineering may waive the maximum enrollment limit. A Course Waiver Form must be submitted to the EEC, accompanied by a justification and a referral from the departmental academic advisor for consideration.