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Programs of study are well defined and structured. Although there is some latitude in the choice of electives, students must plan their schedules carefully to meet departmental, college, and university graduation requirements. Advising sessions focus on planning the sequence in which a student takes courses rather than selecting which courses are to be taken. The sequence is controlled largely by prerequisites. Due to the well-defined curricular patterns and limited choice of electives, advising sessions are typically brief. Some sessions may take longer due to more general discussions about careers and the overall university experience. Students are encouraged to make additional appointments for that purpose.
- Meeting with an Advisor
- New Student Advising
- Transferring Credits
- Choosing Electives
- Baccalaureate Core
Meeting with an advisor [Back]
Students meet with a faculty advisor at least three times a year, once each term before registration for the following term. The student's progress toward a degree and standing in the program are reviewed. Both student and advisor agree on a schedule of courses for the coming term. A personal identification number (PIN) is provided to the student to allow completion of telephone registration.
Students are expected to assume an active role in this process by preparing for the advising session. With curriculum guides provided by the department, they should track their progress and plan their course work before the advising session. Students who anticipate problems in scheduling courses should plan a special meeting with their advisor before the regular advising session.
New student advising [Back]
New engineering students complete advising in the same manner as students who have been enrolled previously at OSU, with special attention to placement in the appropriate level of mathematics. Most students begin mathematics with the study of calculus. However, students who have completed high school without adequate preparation for calculus, or students with low mathematics scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, are advised to study college algebra, or calculus preparation.
All students should attend an orientation program before the start of their first term. These sessions are designed to provide information necessary for a smooth transition to OSU, to the College of Engineering, and to the department offering the major. During these orientation sessions, students meet with an engineering advisor and register for classes for their first term. Most new students begin with Fall term and attend the summer advising and registration program (START) that is offered several times, normally during July. Newly admitted students are notified of orientation dates by the Office of New Student Programs.
Students who are not sure about an engineering major may enroll in the General Engineering program. This program's orientation course includes information about all engineering majors offered at OSU. Upon completion of this first year program, students may transfer to the major of their choice as sophomores.
Transferring credits[Back]
Students transferring to OSU have transcripts of previous work sent to the Office of Admissions, which issues an Advanced Standing Report. This report shows which of the student's completed courses are acceptable for transfer credit. Students then meet with an advisor from their department to find which of the acceptable credits satisfy requirements for their specific degree.
For students from other engineering schools or Oregon community colleges, the evaluation is relatively easy. For students from out-of-state community colleges, non-engineering schools or other countries, transferring credits correctly can be a difficult experience. To minimize the difficulty, students should bring descriptive material (preferably their previous college catalog) to the advising session. Students should schedule an additional meeting with an advisor for transfer course articulation.
Transfer students who are admitted late may not have an Advanced Standing Report in time for advising and registration for their first term. In such cases, courses are scheduled for the coming term without the benefit of past performance records. Because this increases the possibility of scheduling students into inappropriate courses, every effort should be made to provide all required application materials to the Office of Admissions early.
Choosing electives [Back]
There are two types of electives_free and restricted. For free electives, students may complete any course at OSU or any transferable course offered by another institution. The purpose of free electives is to bring a student's total completed credits to the minimum required for the degree.
Restricted electives are courses that must be taken to satisfy specific requirements. They are selected from a restricted set of possibilities. Departments provide information regarding restricted electives in their degree specific advising information.
Baccalaureate Core [Back]
Each student who receives a degree at OSU must complete a general education requirement known as the Baccalaureate Core. Baccalaureate Core requirements are described in the OSU General Catalog and in the Schedule of Classes.
Most degrees offered by the College of Engineering are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). These include: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering,
Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Engineering (Manufacturing option), Mechanical Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering.
Students who enroll in an ABET accredited degree must complete additional ABET requirements. Careful selection of restricted electives from the Baccalaureate Core allows those courses to be used to satisfy ABET requirements in communication skills, humanities, and social sciences. Courses that meet both OSU Baccalaureate Core and ABET requirements include:
Writing II - WR 327
Writing III/Speech - COMM 111 or COMM 114
Science, Technology and Society - PH 331 and PH 332 do NOT satisfy ABET requirements.
Departments may further restrict selection of courses used to meet the Baccalaureate Core. Students should review departmental advising materials before selecting courses to meet this degree requirement.
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