Undergraduate Advising: Frequently Asked Questions

All undergraduate students in Engineering will have a mandatory advising block placed on their registration every fall and spring. This is done to ensure that engineering students are making satisfactory progress towards their degree.

► How do I remove a registration block so that I can register on my given date and time?

First, are you in a declared major? If so, then contact the department's main faculty advisor for advising. If you are undecided, see an advisor from the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support office, 1131S GLMH.

If you are on academic probation due to poor academic performance and have a block, you must visit your departmental advisor to discuss courses for the upcoming semester and then visit the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support office, 1131S GLMH to make sure that all necessary stamps are given.

► Who do I see for advising?

Undecided students may come in to meet with an advisor in the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support office.
Students in a declared major should meet with their departmental advisor.
Transfer students should be seeking the expertise from their department advisor.

Changing Majors

► How do I change my major to engineering?

Current UM students seeking admission into the A. James Clark School of Engineering will need to submit an online application, but before submitting the application, please take a few minutes to review the LEP Application Instruction. These instructions will give students a better understanding of what the Admissions Office will be looking for when reviewing applications. Once the LEP Application-ENGR is submitted, the Undergraduate Admissions Office will review your record for the admission criteria.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will send you a confirmation notice indicating that they have received your application. A decision will be sent to your email account about two weeks after the application due date (5th business day of January and June) with instructions of your next step.

► How do I change/declare my major within engineering?

Engineering students are encouraged to select their major or engineering specialization as soon as possible but must choose no later than the end of their third semester.

Engineering students can change their major within the School of Engineering by simply submitting an online Major Change form found on this website under Forms.

► What happens when I am notified that I must change my major out of engineering?

Students asked to "Change Out" due to no academic progress will need to declare another major as soon as possible. If assistance is needed students should come in to speak with an advisor in the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support Office, 1131S GLMH.

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College Regulations

In accordance with University policy, the A. James Clark School of Engineering has been designated a Limited Enrollment Program (LEP). Newly admitted freshmen to the Clark School of Engineering will need to complete specified requirements by the end of the semester in which they reach their 45th University of Maryland credit in order to remain in the Clark School.

The requirements are as follows:

ENGL 101
ENES 100 with a grade of C- or better
MATH 141 with a grade of C- or better, or AP credit
PHYS 161 with a grade of C- or better, or AP credit
CHEM 135 or CHEM 113 with a grade of C- or better, or AP credit
At least one Distributive Studies CORE course from the Humanities or Social Sciences
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00
Bioengineering students must also complete BIOE 120 with a minimum grade of C-

* Only one repeat of any one single course from the above list allowed.

► When would I fill out a special exception form?

If a student needs to do any of the following a Petition for an Exception to Policy form will be required:

Enroll for more than 18 credits
Register for a time conflict
Enroll in a course for the third time
Repeat more than the maximum allowed 18 credits
Drop more than 4 credits in one semester
Late Add of a course
Late Drop of a course
Taking a course off campus within the student's last 30 credits

Academic Probation

► What does being on Academic Probation mean?

You have achieved less than a 2.0 cumulative University of Maryland GPA and you must complete CARE, which includes at least one meeting with your departmental academic advisor and one meeting with UA&AS.

► What do I do if I am on Academic Probation?

Complete the CARE Program in its entirety
Meet with my academic advisor(s)
Adjust your registration

► What is the CARE Program?

CARE is a module based system which:

Allows you to review University & Engineering policies
Helps clarify the meaning of being on academic probation
Provides tools for understanding the benefits of repeating courses
Points you in the direction of becoming academically successful

► What Must I Do To Complete this Program?

Complete the quizzes after each module
Complete and print the Self-Assessment at the end of CARE
If you haven’t already, adjust your Four Year Plan
Meet with your departmental academic advisor
Meet with an UA&AS advisor (ECE students do not need to schedule this meeting)
Finalize your Academic Plan with your advisors

► What do I need to do in order to have the Administrative Hold removed?

You must complete the following steps:

Access the CARE program in the "My Organizations" section of ELMS
Review all modules and complete all of the quizzes
Complete & print the self-assessment found at the end of the program
Schedule an appointment and meet with your departmental advisor* to update your Four Year Plan
(if you are Undecided within engineering, you can skip this step and update your Four Year Plan in step 5)
Schedule an appointment and meet with an advisor from Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support
(bring your updated Four Year Plan and your printed self-assessment)**

* Undecided Engineering Students only need to meet with UA&AS.
** Electrical and Computer Engineering Students only need to meet with their Departmental Advisor (and not UA&AS).

All steps must be completed in order for the hold to be removed from your account.

► How does Academic Probation affect me?

You are not able to change your schedule in any way until you have received permission from an advisor in UA&AS.

This includes registering for and/or dropping any course(s)
This registration block will stay on your account until you have achieved a 2.0 or better cumulative UM GPA (good academic standing) and have been removed from academic probation

Note: Students may only be removed from probation at the conclusion of Fall or Spring semesters.

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Admissions

► What are the requirements to transfer into an engineering major from another major?

Both external (outside UMCP) and internal transfers (meaning current UMCP students whose major is NOT engineering) will be admitted to the Clark School if they meet the following admission requirements:

    Completion of the Fundamental Studies English 101-Introduction to Writing requirement*
    Completion of MATH 141 with minimum grade of C- or better (Applicants for Spring 2014 and forward will be required to have a B- or better.)*
    Completion of PHYS 161 with a minimum grade of C- or better (Applicants for Spring 2014 and forward will be required to have a B- or better.)*
    Completion of CHEM 135, CHEM 113, OR CHEM271 with a minimum grade of C- or better*
    A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all college level coursework
    Completion of at least one Distributive Studies course from the humanities or social sciences.(Must have one of the following codes: HA, HL, HO, SB, SH, DSHS, or DSHU)
    Students in other Engineering majors or Engineering undecided who wish to be a BIOE major must complete BIOE 120 with a grade of B-.
    Please note that for students applying for the Spring 2014 semester and forward, a minimum grade of B- will be required for MATH141 and PHYS161.

* Only one 'gateway' or performance review course may be repeated to earn the required grade and that course may only be repeated once. A "W" counts as a repeat.

Course Information

► I am a non-engineering student and would like permission to take an engineering course. Where do I go?

Contact the specific department offering the course to obtain permission. For ENES 100, 102, 220, or 201 please see the
ENES/Keystone. Seats are available on a first come first serve basis and all pre and co requisites must be met.

► How do I change an "I" or "NG" on my transcript?

The student will need to contact the instructor for the course and discuss with her/him when and how you will complete the coursework necessary to change the "I" or "NG" to a letter grade. An Incomplete Contract should be filled out stating the date as to when the work is to be completed.

► What should I do if I want to take a course at another institution?

Before enrolling to take a course at another institution a student must first get permission from their college. All requests to take courses at another institution are reviewed by process of a Permission to Enroll Form. These forms are available online.

► I'm not sure I received the right grade. Who do I talk to?

Questions concerning a student's grade should be directed to the instructor of the course.

Graduation

► What do I need to do to graduate?

In the semester a student will complete all of the degree requirements they will need to apply online via Testudo, complete a graduation worksheet, and complete the on-line senior survey. Visit the graduation timeline for a complete step by step guide.

Math Placement

► Can I retake the math placement test if I am not satisfied with my placement? If so, how and when?
Is there a limit to how many times I can take it?

A student may retake the placement test only once during an academic year semester and is allowed to retake it only once during the summer. To find out the schedule and register to retake the Math Placement Exam (MPE) please call the Math department at (301)405-5053. In addition you can check the orientation website for more information about the MPE.

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