Student Frequently Asked Questions

What is your question regarding?

Academic Plan of Study	Grades
Advisors and Advising	Intern/Co-op experience
Curriculums	Registration Information
Degree Evaluation	Semester Hours
Elective Focus Areas	Seminars
Forms	Study Abroad
General Education Component	Transferring Courses

If your question is not addressed on this page, please contact the Student Development Center
(3124 SC) 319-335-5763 8:00am-5:00pm

Academic Plan of Study

Q: What is the academic plan of study form and what am I supposed to do with it?

A: The academic plan of study form is for students who have been placed or continued on academic probation. The plan of study form is required and intended to inform the student of the College of Engineering expectations to return to good standing and future performance. Students are required to work out their semester plan with their advisor during the first week of classes and submit the completed form with the advisors signature on it to the Student Development Center (3124 SC).

Academic Probation and Dismissal

Students who do not achieve or surpass the following University of Iowa cumulative and semester minimum grade-point averages are placed on academic probation.

First-year (0-29 s.h. earned toward B.S.E.), 1.80
Sophomore (30-59 s.h. earned toward B.S.E.), 1.90
Junior (60-89 s.h. earned toward B.S.E.), 1.95
Senior (90 or more s.h. earned toward B.S.E.), 2.00

Students on academic probation are restored to good standing when they successfully complete an additional 9 s.h. toward an engineering degree, either in one semester or cumulatively, and their University of Iowa cumulative and semester grade-point averages equal or exceed those designated above.

The college reviews academic records for all students at the end of the fall and spring semesters. There is no review at the end of the summer session. Students are placed on probation, dismissed for unsatisfactory progress (with or without previous probationary status), or restored to good standing only at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Students on academic probation are not permitted to continue their enrollment without written expectations for their future performance. Details of the procedure are available from the Student Development Center.

Students who do not make satisfactory progress may be dismissed from the College without an intervening probationary period. Students who are dismissed from the College for unsatisfactory academic progress due to circumstances beyond their control, such as a death in their immediate family or extended personal illness, may appeal for a revocation of the dismissal. A student dismissed in January must submit a written appeal by the second day of spring semester classes. A student dismissed in May must submit the written appeal by June 15.

Students dismissed from the College for poor scholarship may appeal to re-enroll after an interval of at least one calendar year. A written appeal for reinstatement must be submitted to the Appeals Committee at the Student Development Center. Appeals must be submitted before June 15 for reinstatement in a fall semester or before December 1 for reinstatement in a spring semester. Detailed information about the appeal procedure is available from the Student Development Center.

Advisors and Advising

Q:I am an undeclared engineering major, who is my advisor?

A: If you have not yet declared an engineering major and have questions regarding registration, credits, or schedules, you will meet with Megan Allen or Nancy Schneider in the Student Development Center (3124 SC). During early registration undeclared engineering students will sign up in the SDC to make an appoint with either Megan Allen or Nancy Schneider to work out a schedule for the next semester.

Q: I am a declared major, what do I do to sign up for advising?

A: Two weeks before early registration, your advisor will put a sign up sheet on their door. It is necessary that declared majors make an appointment in order to receive registrations codes. Emailing your advisor is always a good idea if there is a conflict between your availability and the availability of your advisor. Students should contact their major's department if there is a problem with signing up for an appointment with an advisor. Students cannot make appoints with their assigned advisors in the Student Development Center.

Curriculums

Q: How do I know which courses to take and when?

A: Each major's curriculum is available in the student development center under the glass counter top, or online. The curriculum is a guideline for students to follow but it is not the mandatory order in which some classes have to be taken. Students who wish to differ from the suggested curriculum should first speak with their advisor to make sure the appropriate courses can be completed on time.

Q: "Where do I find descriptions of the classes I want to take?"

A: Most UI course descriptions are found in the U niversity of Iowa Catalog or on ISIS. Descriptions of transfer courses can frequently found by finding the catalog link on their web site. Questions regarding degree requirements and Elective Focus Areas (EFA) for a specific engineering program can be found in the Engineering Curriculum Guides for each major.

Degree Evaluation

Q: My GEC is in my course pool, why?

A: Your GEC simply needs to be placed in your degree. To do this you need to email Megan Allen, provide your name, student ID#, and state the GEC course that needs to be placed in your degree.

Q: What about the degree Evaluation Clean-up? Check ISIS

A: If you have courses in your course pool that have not yet been approved or you have seminars that have not been completed, you should discuss these issues with your adviser and then submit the appropriate forms, with signatures, to the Student Development Center, 3124 SC. Note: Engineering students enrolled in the College after 2003 must have and EFA Plan of Study Form on file.

Q: A course that I took for a social science, humanities, or technical elective is in the course pool. What do I need to do?

A: If you took the course for social sciences or humanities, make sure that you have checked the requirements and approved course list in the General Education Guide. Any upper level course work you took for social science or humanities requirements must be in the same department as your low-level course work or CLEP/AP credit. If the course fits those requirements, but is not listed please fill out a Petition for Course Substitution Form and attach the course description.

Q: I want to declare my minor, what do I need to do?

A: Most majors can now declare a minor on ISIS. We encourage students to declare math or business minors with Graduate Analysis at the Registrar's office located in Jessup Hall.

Elective Focus Areas (EFA)

Q: What is the EFA?

A: The Elective Focus Area (EFA) is a set of 21 semester hours (sh) of elective courses taken during the sophomore to senior years that provide undergraduate students a unique opportunity to acquire advanced education in an area of their choice. EFAs are not only intended to spark the interest of students in a specialty, but they can also make a student more attractive to future employers.

Q: Why is my EFA not on my degree evaluation?

A: You need to declare your elective focus area within your department. This form then needs to be returned to the appropriate department.

Q: Will this course work for my EFA?

A: If the course is not on the approved list of EFA courses (which can be found on your major's curriculum web site) you will need to fill out a petition and substitution form and get your advisors and the DEO signature. The form can then be returned to Megan Allen (3124 SC).

Q: My EFA courses are still in my course pool, why?

A: Have you filled out an EFA form? Make sure that it was actually approved. You may have not taken the courses listed on your EFA, if so you will need to make revisions to your schedule. If you still need to have your degree evaluation updated, send an email to Megan Allen, providing her with your name, ID#, and the course that needs to be moved out of the course pool.

Forms

Q: Where is the form I need?

A: Every form necessary in the college of engineering is located on our forms web site. If you still can't find what you are looking for please contact the student development center.

Q: When do I need to turn this form in?

A: Each form has a different deadline, some do not have deadlines at all. In order to understand which form has a deadline, go to important dates to remember.

General Education Component

Q: What course can I take for a humanities or social science?

A: Go to the approved humanities and social science courses web site. You may take any courses listed on the department web site. If the course you want to take as a humanities course is not listed on the web site, you need to bring the course syllabi to Megan Allen (3124 SC) and fill out a petition/substitution form and return it to Megan Allen.

Q: Is this course an upper-level course?

A:Generally any course that is numbered 100 and above is considered to be an upper-level course. There are a few exceptions to this rule, which are listed on the approved humanities and social science web site.

Grades

Q: What is my Major GPA? What are the differences between my major GPA and my UI GPA?

A: The College of Engineering does not calculate your exact Major GPA. The closest GPA to this is your GPA of courses applied towards your degree, which is found on page 1 of your degree evaluation. This is calculated from the grades in all courses you have taken for the BSE degree, i.e. calculus, social science/humanities, rhetoric, chemistry, and engineering courses. It does not include the courses in your course pool, i.e. Ballroom Dancing, Scuba Diving, Trigonometry, etc.

UI GPA includes only courses you have taken at the University of Iowa.

Transfer GPA includes only courses you have taken outside of the University of Iowa.
Cumulative GPA includes all college course work you have taken (UI and transfer)

GPA Calculator

Q: I do not like the grade I received in a class, what can I do?

A: Students have to option to retake a class for second grade option. Any student can have up to 3 second grade options. In order for you to receive a second grade option they need to complete the second grade option form, located in 3124 SC or online.

A student may elect to repeat a course with only the new grade being counted in his or her grade-point average. The option may be applied to no more than three courses, and it may be applied only once to a given course. Transfer students may apply the option on a prorated basis.
A course may not be repeated under the second-grade-only option once it has been used as a prerequisite for a more advanced course that the student has completed successfully.

Students who want to exercise this second-grade-only option should register as usual for the course that is to be repeated, then complete a second-grade option form at the Student Development Center. This form must be completed during the session in which the course is repeated--during the first 12 weeks of the fall or spring semester or the first six weeks of the summer session. (Unless the student follows the procedure stated above, both grades will be counted in the UI grade-point average.)

Under the provisions of this option, the registrar marks the permanent record to show that a particular course has been repeated. Both grades remain on the permanent record, but only the second one is used in calculating the grade-point average and hours earned. The course must be taken the second time under the same circumstances and with the same grade option as it was taken the first time.
The second-grade-only option cannot be used to remove a grade of incomplete, which must be removed in the usual manner. A student who holds a degree from The University of Iowa may not use the second-grade-only option on a course taken before the degree was conferred.

Q: I am Flunking a class, what can I do?

A: Speak to the professor to see what you could be doing differently. Talk to your advisor about your study habits, get some tips on how to change what you are doing wrong. Utilize tutoring programs, they really can improve your grade. Also, you can drop any individual course throughout the semester, but there is a deadline.

Q: What is the academic plan of study form and what am I supposed to do with it?

A: The academic plan of study form is for students who have been put on academic probation. The plan of study form is required to be filled out so the student can state their specific expectations for their future performance. Students are required to work out their semester plan with their advisor during the first week of classes and submit the completed form with the advisors signature on it to the Student Development Center (3124 SC).

Intern/Co-op Experience

Q: How do I take advantage of my Co-Op experience?

A: If you have been involved in the Co-Op program and wish to receive credit, you have to contact Phil Jordan in 3124 SC, 319-335-5774.

Q: I am interested in an Internship or a Co-Op but how will it affect my semesters?

A: Each case is different and so students will be directed to go to their advisors for a meeting to discuss what their remainder time will look like here at the university after the internship or Co-op has been approved.

Registration Information

Q: How many hours can I register for?

A: Any student can register for 16 hours during early registration and 18 hours after early registration.

Q: What do I do if I want to register for more than 18 hours?

A: In order to do this you do not need an advisors permission but you do need to fill out a form and request special permission for additional hours. Nancy Schneider or Megan Allen will consider the following things to determine if you will be able to take more that 18 hours: Past course load, grades, additional courses you will be taking, and whether or not you are on probation.

Q: How do I drop or add a class?

A:Courses may be added with permission of the adviser and the instructor during the first three weeks of the semester or first one and one-half weeks of the summer session.

Courses may be dropped with permission of the adviser and the instructor at any time during the first 10 weeks of the semester. Only under compelling circumstances may courses be dropped after the 10th week, in which case special approval must be granted by the adviser, the course instructor, and the dean's office. Under no circumstance are students permitted to drop after the beginning of the scheduled final examination period.

Undergraduates receive the mark of W for any course dropped after the third week of the semester or the first one-and-one-half weeks of the summer session. Students may not drop the same course with a mark of W more than twice. Special courses that may be repeated are exempt from this rule.
Students admitted as degree candidates to the College of Engineering fall 1991 and after are limited to a total of five Ws while enrolled in the College of Engineering. First-year students entering the University directly from high school with no prior full-time college experience are permitted to exclude Ws they receive during their first two sessions of enrollment.
Students who have a legitimate reason for dropping a course (e.g., disabling illness, death of an immediate family member) and can document that reason are permitted to exclude that drop from the maximum, but the W is not removed from the record. Requests for such exclusions are made in the Student Development Center.

Q: How many semester hours does it take to be a sophomore? A junior? A senior?

A: Students in the College of Engineering are classified by the number of semester hours of credit they have earned toward the Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

First-year: 0-29 s.h. earned toward the B.S.E.
Sophomore: 30-59 s.h. earned toward the B.S.E.
Junior: 60-89 s.h. earned toward the B.S.E.
Senior: 90 s.h. or more earned toward the B.S.E.

Seminars

Q: How many seminars do I need to take?

A: All students have to complete first year seminar, transfer students may appeal to have it waived. Industrial Engineering students have 2 their second year. Civil and Mechanical Engineering students have 1. There are also professional seminars that have to be completed. Biomedical Engineering =5 (including 51:092), Chemical Engineering =5(including 52:092), Civil Engineering = 4, Electrical Engineering =1, Industrial Engineering = 3, Mechanical Engineering = 2.

Study Abroad

Q: I am thinking about studying abroad, what is my first step?

A: Phil Jordan in Engineering Career Services is an excellent resource for you to find out about engineering schools abroad. You can make an appointment with him by calling 335-5763. The Office for Study Abroad, located in 120 International Center, will also be an integral part of your study abroad experience. You will need to visit the Study Abroad Office to get paperwork, advice, and course descriptions. The College of Engineering has outlined steps to help you plan your educational experience abroad.

Q: How do I know what courses I can take studying abroad?

A: After you have chosen the institution to go to, you need to do a little research into what courses are offered and if any are similar to the courses offered at the College of Engineering. Go to our study abroad course equivalency site to see which course have previously been approved for transfer. After looking through which courses you might like to take you need to make an appointment with Megan Allen at 3124 SC to have your study abroad courses approved.

Q: I am interested in studying abroad but how will it affect my semesters?

A: Each case is different and so students will be directed to go to their advisors for a meeting to discuss what their remainder time will look like here at the university after their study aboard courses have been approved.

Transferring Courses

Q: I am coming from a community college to the University of Iowa, will all of my courses transfer?

A: Our transfer guide is a great way to compare courses from surrounding community colleges and the College of Engineering's courses. You can also use ISIS to check out their lists of courses that will transfer for all of the University of Iowa.

By policy of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, a student may apply a maximum of 64 S.H. of transfer credit earned at a two-year college toward the 128 S.H. required for the B.S.E. However, transfer credit from a two-year school in excess of 64 s.h. is used in computing grade-point average and may be used to satisfy course requirements, even though the semester hours cannot be counted toward the total required for graduation. A grade of C- or higher is required in order for transfer credit to be applied toward a degree requirement.

Q: I want to take a course at a community college, what can I take?

A: Refer to our transfer guide to see which courses are transferable. You can also refer to ISIS to check out courses transferring outside of the College of Engineering.

Q: My question is not listed here. What should I do?

A: Contact the Student Development Center. Please include your student ID # with your email question.