If a student does not qualify for a major in the College of Engineering by the end of his or her
pool semester, the spring semester of the second year, it is highly likely that
an engineering major is not in his or her best interests. Experience has shown that a major in another college
would be more in keeping with the student's strengths and interests.
In some cases, however, the College of Engineering will consider requests for one extra semester
to complete the entrance-to-major requirements. Since the granting of an extra semester to qualify for a major is
an exception to the College's policy, all such requests are handled individually and consideration does not imply
a guarantee of approval. Approval or lack of approval will be based on each student's record and unique
circumstances. No extensions will be considered for majors that are under enrollment control. In addition,
effective July 1, 2006, no extensions will be considered for civil engineering.
The circumstances under which an extension of one semester will be considered are as follows.
If, after the pool semester is over, a student is lacking only one of the entrance-to-major requirements, he or
she may request an extension. For example, if the student's GPA is greater than 2.0 but he or she failed to
complete just one of the entrance-to-major courses with a minimum grade of "C" a request for an extension
can be made. If the entrance-to-major courses were completed with a minimum grade of "C" but the student's
GPA is less than 2.0, a request for an extension can also be made.
To request an extension, a student must complete the request form that is available from the
Office of Student Services at University Park, from the College Representative at every location, or by visiting
the Forms page. The student must contact the major department
to which they wish to be admitted and ask for support. The department, often represented by the
undergraduate coordinator,
will determine whether support will be given and under what conditions. In other words, in addition to the
unmet entrance-to-major requirements, the department is likely to ask the student to meet other academic
requirements as an assurance that the extension is justified. Any additional academic requirements will depend
on the department, the student's unique situation, and the semester for which the extension is being requested.
Requests for a summer extension must be made by June 1 and requests for a fall semester extension
must be made by July 1 following the student's pool semester. Students will be notified by the Office of Student
Services whether their request for an extension was approved and if so, under what conditions.
In some cases, students know during the pool semester that they cannot possibly qualify for a
major on time. If they know that they will only lack one requirement, they may make a request for an extension
before the end of the pool semester. Students who fail to qualify for a major on time and are not granted an
extension by the deadline must leave the College of Engineering. Any student who does not change to another
college will have a "hold" placed on his or her registration.