AE ADVISING NOTES – Vol. 6 No. 3 17 January 2010
This instrument is intended for communications with all AE students and prospective AE students. Anyone
wishing to be added to or deleted from the listserv should notify Prof. Moses D. F. Ling mosesling@psu.edu. All AE and ENGAE students must remain on the listserv.
PETITIONS
Petitions are necessary if a student wishes to enroll in a course for graduation
requirements but the course is not specifically called by name in the AE 5-year program.
The petition serves two purposes: asking for permission and instruction for the
administrative staff to affect a change on your degree audit.
There are 2 petitions forms:
The College of Engineering General Form (white) - for petitions involving College
of Engineering and University requirements. http://www.engr.psu.edu/Forms/ A
typical use would be a general education requirement. This involves three level
of approval: the advisor, the Undergraduate Program Officer and the Assistant
Dean of Student Services. The table on the 2nd page must be completed for a
petition involving GH/GS/GA.
The AE Department petition (yellow) – for petitions involving AE Department
requirements. There are a number of reasons to use this form. When a
Department Elective is involved, the second page must be completed.
The students should secure the signatures of his/her advisor and turn the petition into
the Undergraduate Program Officer. The process will proceed from there without the
student’s involvement. It takes time for the system to catch up. If a petition is not
reflected on your degree audit in 3 or 4 weeks, the student should follow up with Mrs.
Kim Lyle at 104 Engineering A.
DEPARTMENT ELECTIVES (Technical Electives)
Department Electives are upper level courses specific to the option that students have a
choice in selecting. The number of credits of department electives differs for each option.
A list of the pre-approved courses is list on the department elective form. This form can
be located on the advising web page. http://www.engr.psu.edu/ae/advising/ This list may
change from time to time.
Students wishing to take a course as a substitute or alternate to the prescribed or preapproved
course should file a petition in advanced. This includes all AE496 and AE497
courses. Students risk the possibility of a course not being credited towards graduation
requirements if not approved in advance.
Students may not take more than 6 credits of non-department or non-technical courses
(e.g. Leadership) in the department elective category.
COURSES OFFERED ONCE A YEAR AND SWITCHED SEMESTERS
There are very few AE courses offered both fall and spring semesters. Several of these
courses have switched the semester they are offered. Students should pay particular
attention to this situation. It is possible to slip into a 6-year program unwittingly. There
may not be any solution around the situation. Student should also pay attention to how
some courses are developed as a sequence.
SUGGESTED SEMESTER SCHEDULE
An effort is made each semester to schedule all required courses without time conflicts.
Course schedules are coordinated for the published pattern for each semester, plus the
“new arrival” third year pattern. Students should refer to
http://www.engr.psu.edu/ae/advising/schedule.asp for “suggested schedules”. Student
should follow the published schedule as much as possible to avoid conflicts. It is the
responsibility of the out-of-sequence students to schedule the required courses around
conflicts.
MINORS
If you are getting a Minor, go to the department offering the minor and fill out the
necessary paper work. The AE faculty and staff do not process these requests.
Application of a minor must be completed before the last day of classes of the last
semester before graduation. Don’t wait till the last minute. Students have missed out on
this.
FIRST YEAR ENGR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN AE
First students interested in AE should pay particular attention to e-News (emailed very
Thursday afternoon) for the announcements to declare major preference. To declare the
AE as first choice on the e-Lion major preference is the official “application” into AE.
To be considered the major at the end of the first year, students must complete the four
entrance-to-major courses; Math 140, Math 141, Chem 110 and Phys 211 by the end of
spring semester with a C-grade or better. Students are selected in descending GPA
order up to 100 students. Please refer to the Engineering Program Guide for more
details and the alternate second-year window.
First-Year Seminar (FYS) is required in the first year. Take AE124s at University Park.
Take EDSGN 130 at University Park and EDSGN 100 at the Commonwealth Campuses.
Complete this course in the first year.
If you are scheduling Gen Ed (AHS) courses, keep in mind the (US) and (IL)
requirements. Generally, take a (US) course in the first year. The (IL) may be satisfied
by studying abroad, if you are considering this option. ARCH210 and ART H 202 are the
designated (GA) courses. See the AHS web page for more details.
http://www.engr.psu.edu/ae/advising/ae_gen_eds.asp ART H 202 is listed as US/IL,
which means it may apply to either category. A total of 6 credits of cultural/diversity
courses must be taken.
If you are unable to schedule a GHA (Health and activities) course you like, take a
second AHS course and postpone the GHA course till a later semester.
Students in Commonwealth Campus planning to enter AE after the first year should
apply for on-campus housing at University Park and make contingent plans for housing
at the Commonwealth Campus. Discuss with Housing and Food Services the possibility
of moving to University Park when all the requirements are met.
SECOND YEAR ENGAE STUDENTS
Second year students will be asked to indicate their major during the spring semester.
This is necessary for ALL second year students wishing to enter or continue in the AE
major, even ENGAE students. This is a formality for all ENGAE students. Failure to
complete this step may result in the student being expelled from the major..
Second year students should schedule EMCH 13 in the spring semester of the 2nd year.
Both EMCH11 and EMCH13 are prerequisites for AE308, a course offered only in the
fall and required in the 5th semester. If necessary, use the summer to complete
EMCH213. (CE340 is not an acceptable substitute for AE308.) It is critical to take AE308
in the 5th semester.
ENGAE students should schedule 3 credits of ARCH130A in both fall and spring
semesters of the second year. ARCH130A must be taken as a fall-spring sequence.
Spring Semester afternoon section is reserved for students needing third year AE
classes (AE310 and AE311).
AE221 and AE222 must be scheduled concurrently.
Do not schedule any course that conflicts with ARCH130A without consulting with Prof.
Ling.
For students ahead of schedule, AE309, AE310, AE311 and/or AE372 may be taken by
second year ENGAE students. Consult Prof. Ling regarding the pre-requisites not yet
taken.
THIRD YEAR STUDENTS – NEW ARRIVALS
Take AE309, 310, 311 and 372 in the spring semester (if not taken already). You will be
selecting an option in the spring of your third year. These courses are designed to give
you an understanding of each option.
The Architecture Department has added section 003 of ARCH130A MWF between 11:00
and 2:15 for third year students. Please sign up for this section early before it fills up.
ARCH130A must be taken as a fall-spring sequence. Do not postpone taking
ARCH130A till the fourth year.
THIRD YEAR STUDENTS
Third year students should complete AE308, AE309, AE310, AE311 and AE372 in the
third year. AE308, AE310, AE311 and AE372 are C-required courses. This year the four
spring courses are coordinated. Taking all 4 concurrently is highly recommended.
FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS
If you expect to have a time conflict with ARCH442, you must inform Prof. Ling or Prof.
Holland. The architecture faculty are expecting student to not conflict with studio time.
Stud will review your graduation status only if the intent to graduate is activated.
If you have any petitions, you must file them one semester prior to your graduation.
Petitions filed in your final semester will not be considered. Don’t wait. Check your
degree audit. See your advisor for advice. Department petition forms (yellow) are
available from Mrs. Kimberly Lyle in the AE ”window”. The College of Engineering
petition form is available on-line. http://www.engr.psu.edu/Forms/
MAE/BAE STUDENTS
If you are expecting to graduate in the spring semester, you must activate your “intent to
graduate” status on e-Lion in January.
You must follow your program of study filed when you applied for the program.
Alterations to course selections and proposed schedule must be approved in advance.
Please keep track of your progress using information provided on the MAE/BAE web
page. The MAE degree audit is not yet available.
See the following faculty for MAE advice.
Dr. Hanagan– Graduate Program Officer
Dr. Hanagan - Structural Option
Dr. Srebric - Mechanical Option
Dr. Mistrick - Lighting /Electrical Option
Dr. Riley – Construction Option