2009-10 Undergraduate Catalog
Admission to the College
Essential Preparation for Freshmen and Sophomores
The beginning engineering student should have a good understanding of the basic physical sciences, a demonstrated ability in mathematics and the competence to read rapidly with comprehension.
Minimum high school preparation should include the basics outlined below. Deficiencies may be overcome by completing appropriate math and chemistry courses before proceeding with the regular engineering curriculum.
Refer to freshman admission for complete information.
| Essentials | Years |
|---|---|
| Intermediate and advanced algebra | 1 |
| Plane geometry | 1 |
| Trigonometry | 1/2 |
| Chemistry | 1 |
| Physics | 1 |
| Calculus | 1 |
General Education
Students must complete 36 hours of general education and prescribed foundation course work in mathematics and the physical and biological sciences before pursuing junior/senior-level courses in the college.
| Composition | 3 hours |
| Mathematical sciences | 6 hours |
| Humanities | 6-9 hours |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 6-9 hours |
| Physical and biological sciences | 12 hours |
| TOTAL | 36 hours |
Note: Requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in general education are satisfied by the university’s general education requirements. All courses used to satisfy general education requirements must be taken for a letter grade, and a grade of C or better is also required.
Transfer from Community and Junior Colleges
Community or junior college students who have completed the Associate of Arts degree and the required technical foundation courses in calculus, differential equations, chemistry and physics with calculus are eligible to apply for transfer directly into the College of Engineering. Admission to the college is selective and is based on the total record. Students with excessive withdrawals from course work may not be eligible. The college has agreements with most Florida public community colleges to provide automatic admission to those who satisfy admission criteria. Information is available from the community college or the College of Engineering.
In particular, transfer students must meet the following requirements:
- Earn an Associate of Arts degree with a minimum GPA of 2.00.
- Satisfy the general education requirements of the community/junior college and comply with the general education requirements of UF and the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
- Complete two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school or 8-10 semester hours at the postsecondary level or document an equivalent level of proficiency.
- Satisfy tracking criteria in accordance with specific program requirements and overall grade point average.
- Satisfy requirements of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST).
- Complete critical-tracking courses in calculus, differential equations, chemistry and physics with calculus with a grade of C or better in each course and a GPA of 2.5 or better (as computed on the last of a maximum of two attempts allowed for each course including withdrawals). For certain majors, a higher grade is required in each course.
Transfer From Four-Year Institutions
All students who transfer from four-year institutions must meet the general admission requirements of the university, including completion of CLAST or its approved alternative. In addition, students must meet the college’s admission requirements to transfer directly into an engineering program.
All Transfer Students
All students transferring to UF must complete a minimum of 60 hours of acceptable 3000/4000- level course work at UF to receive a degree from this college.
Unless previous arrangements have been made for course certification by faculty of the College of Engineering, only engineering courses taken in programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology will be considered for transfer to this college. No student will be admitted with more than 90 hours of completed coursework.
Postbaccalaureate Admission
A student who has received a baccalaureate degree who wants to meet specific requirements for admission to graduate school may be admitted as a postbaccalaureate student. Students who seek postbaccalaureate status must meet transfer admission requirements for the intended major and should contact a faculty adviser in the prospective major before submitting an application. Space is limited for postbaccalaureate study, and only where space is available will admissions be made for second-degree postbaccalaureate studies.
Overseas Studies
A number of student-exchange agreements have been established with overseas institutions. Information about international programs and study abroad is available from the International Programs Office.
Academic Regulations
Correspondence Courses
An enrolled engineering student will not be permitted to register for correspondence courses unless the associate dean for student affairs and the registrar grant special permission. A student on probation must have permission of the associate dean to register for correspondence courses when not enrolled in the college. A student who has been dismissed cannot take correspondence courses for credit until the suspension is removed. A grade of C is required for credit in a correspondence course.
Credit for Special Work
- With department chair approval, a student can receive practical industry work experience under supervision. With a previously approved outline, a student can receive up to three college credits by submitting a satisfactory report and by passing an examination.
- Exceptional students can receive up to six credit hours of individual study in their chosen field by registering for department course number 4905.
- A student cannot apply more than eight credit hours of individual study, including high honors projects, co-op work experience, practical work experience and special problems or special topics, for credit toward a degree program.
College Honors Classifications
To be classified as an honors student in the College of Engineering, a student must have the following:
- A college grade point average of 3.30 or higher (college GPA is based on all work completed after being classified a junior),
- Completed at least 16 credit hours after being classified a junior, and
- Been recommended by the department via faculty review of the student’s record for satisfactory conduct and academic progress.
Special consideration is given to honors students who wish to substitute courses, provided they have maintained the conditions for an honors designation and have met all Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and college core requirements. Students must prepare a written petition, obtain the department’s recommendation and receive approval of the associate dean for student affairs.
Drop Policy
Students are allowed two drops in lower division (less than 60 hours completed at UF) and two drops in upper division (60 or more hours completed at UF).
A student with an initial course load of 15 credits or more will be permitted an extra drop if the drop is completed by the end of the seventh week of class and if the total credits remaining are 12 or more.
Petitions to drop courses beyond the allotted number will be approved only when circumstances beyond the student’s control prevented the satisfactory completion of a course. All such petitions must be submitted to the associate dean for student affairs, along with recommendation from the student's undergraduate coordinator
English Requirement
Each student in the college is required to complete with a grade of C or better a composition course (or place out of it) and an appropriate course in technical writing and business communication.
Any instructor in the college may require a student with a deficiency in English to complete additional course work beyond the curriculum requirements for the degree, with approval of the department chair.
Grievance Procedures
The college supports the university’s Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity program. Anyone who believes that he or she has been discriminated against should contact the associate dean for student affairs.
If a student feels that his or her performance in a course has not been evaluated accurately, the situation should be discussed with the instructor. If the disagreement is not resolved, the student can pursue the matter with the instructor’s department chair, the associate dean for student affairs and the university ombudsman.
Honors and Accelerated Courses
Honors and accelerated courses can be taken in place of their regular tracking counterparts. A prerequisite for any college course can be met by an honors or accelerated equivalent. Accelerated physics and honors chemistry courses are not restricted to students in the honors program, but honors calculus courses are controlled by the University Honors Program.
Currently approved substitutions are
- MAC 3472 instead of MAC 2311
- MAC 3473 or 2512 instead of MAC 2312
- MAC 3474 instead of MAC 2313
- CHM 2051 instead of CHM 2046
- PHY 2060 instead of PHY 2048
- PHY 2061 instead of PHY 2049
Independent Study
Under certain circumstances, credit toward graduation may be obtained through independent study by registering for a course carrying a department prefix. A student cannot apply more than eight credit hours of independent study toward a degree program, including magna cum laude or summa cum laude honors projects, co-op work experience, practical work experience and special problems or special topics. Registration for one to four hours of variable credit in a semester requires department approval.
Probation Policy and Dismissal
An undergraduate student who is off-track, or whose upper-division, university or department grade point average falls below 2.00, will be placed on academic probation. The student will be allowed two semesters in which to attain good academic standing. A student who fails to meet the conditions of probation must petition his/her major department to be allowed to continue in the program. Approval of this petition is at the discretion of the student’s department.
As a condition of probation, students must see a counselor on a monthly basis or at other designated intervals, to review progress towards meeting the conditions of probation. Failure to keep such appointments without valid reason will be considered a violation of probation terms and potentially results in dismissal from the program.
Students dismissed from the College of Engineering will no longer be allowed a single semester courtesy registration in the college, during which they can register for a prospective major. They should seek direct admission to another program by use of the ‘change major’ classification.
Students should acquaint themselves with their department’s probation and exclusion procedures and guidelines.
ROTC
Engineering students can enroll in the advanced ROTC programs offered by the Army, Navy and Air Force. Graduates will be commissioned as second lieutenants or ensigns. Advanced courses in military science are not normally acceptable credit as technical or nontechnical electives toward an engineering degree.
Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory Grade Option
All courses taken at the university to satisfy engineering degree requirements, General Education and the writing and math requirement must be taken for letter grade, unless the course is offered only on an S-U basis. Nontechnical electives in the junior and senior years can be taken S-U.
Students should check with their departments to determine policy. Physical education courses taken once a student has reached junior status must be taken S-U.
Student Responsibility
It is the student’s responsibility before enrolling to review and consider all pertinent information about the university and the college. Special attention must be paid to required documentation and deadlines.
Summer Attendance
Students who have completed two summer semesters of co-op, internship or other engineering- related work can petition to have this requirement waived. All petitions must be submitted through the student’s department with all appropriate supporting documentation.
Students with Bright Futures scholarships who have earned nine credit hours from AICE, AP, IB or approved dual-enrollment courses are exempt from the summer requirement. This exemption applies to students entering UF beginning Summer B 2002.
Transient Students
This category includes students who are admitted to the college who wish temporarily to pursue studies at another two- or four-year institution. Students who wish to transfer credits for course work completed at other institutions must first obtain department and college approval.
A transient student who is a degree-seeking candidate at another institution who wishes to transfer credit from the University of Florida must file a nondegree application with the Office of the University Registrar in Criser Hall.
Withdrawal from the University
Any undergraduate who withdraws from the university a second time will be placed on college probation automatically until graduation. Any student on college probation who withdraws from the university a third time may be, at the discretion of the associate dean for student affairs, ineligible for further registration in the college.