GENERAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The information on general requirements that apply to engineering students is presented in alphabetical order.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND/OR CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

See "Admissions," p. 13 of this catalog.

AUDITING COURSES

A student enrolling in a course as an auditor must satisfy the same corequisites and prerequisites required of students taking the course for credit.

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

To fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate degree awarded by the College of Engineering, a student must do the following: (a) successfully complete all courses specified in one of the degree programs; (b) complete on this campus at least one-half of the work required within the engineering discipline of the degree (i.e., AE courses for a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, CE courses for a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, etc.); (c) earn at least a "C" average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all work attempted; (d) earn at least a "C" average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all work attempted on this campus; (e) earn at least a "C" average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all work attempted in his or her professional courses; (f) earn at least a "C" average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) for all work attempted in his or her professional courses on this campus; (g) present evidence that the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination has been taken; and (h) meet all additional academic requirements of the department offering the degree. Computer science majors are exempt from item (g).

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE, SECOND

A student with a baccalaureate degree may earn a second baccalaureate degree, provided that all requirements for the second degree are met and that at least 32 semester hours applied to the second degree were not applied to the first degree. A student awarded a baccalaureate degree from another division of The University of Alabama who is seeking a second baccalaureate degree in the College of Engineering must comply with all policies and procedures described under "Student Responsibility" (p. 191). A student may simultaneously receive two baccalaureate degrees from the College of Engineering, provided that all requirements for both degrees are met and that at least 32 semester hours applied to one degree are not used to complete requirements of the other degree. Also see "Second Baccalaureate Degree" on p. 26 of this catalog.

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION

In order to transfer credit that was earned at another institution while the student was also enrolled at The University of Alabama, approval of the transfer credit must be secured from the Engineering Student Services office prior to enrolling at the other institution. Such transfer credit is subject to the following provisions:

• The student may not be on academic probation.
• The sum of the credit hours at both institutions may not exceed the maximum course-hour load permitted at the University.

COREQUISITES AND PREREQUISITES

The College of Engineering interprets a corequisite as a course that may be taken either prior to or concurrently with the course it serves as a corequisite. A prerequisite is interpreted as a course that must be taken prior to the course for which it serves as a prerequisite.

CORRESPONDENCE CREDIT

All engineering students must secure approval from the director of Engineering Student Services in order to take courses by correspondence; approval must be obtained prior to enrollment. The following are criteria for approval:

• Normally, approval is granted only if the student is not currently enrolled.
• Normally, approval is granted only if the student has at least a "C" average at The University of Alabama and at least a "C" average overall.
• The course taken by correspondence must be completed and a grade must be recorded prior to the beginning of the next term in residence.
• Approval will not be granted to take a course in which the student has previously received a grade of "D" or "F."

COURSE-HOUR LOAD

See "Student Records and General Academic Policies," p. 19 in this catalog.

DEGREE, APPLICATION FOR

An application for degree should be filed with the head of the department of the student's degree program one semester prior to the semester of graduation (see "Graduation" on p. 25-26).

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The College of Engineering reserves the right to modify its curricula and specific courses of instruction, to alter the requirements for graduation, and to change the degrees to be awarded at any time the College determines such action is appropriate. Such changes are applicable to both prospective and matriculated students.

ENGINEERING ALTERNATIVE TO THE STATEWIDE GENERAL STUDIES CURRICULUM

Act 94-202, enacted by the Alabama legislature in 1994, provided equivalency for first- and second-year courses taught by colleges in the state of Alabama. In 1995, engineering educators presented an engineering alternative to the general studies curriculum (GSC) that modified the Act to specific needs of engineering colleges statewide.

The engineering alternative was unanimously approved by the statewide Articulation and General Studies Committee in December 1995 and was made a part of GSC. The engineering alternative is shown in the chart below. See also the "College of Engineering Core Curriculum/General Education Requirements" listed on p. 25 of this catalog.

Any student transferring to the University of Alabama College of Engineering from any institution in the state of Alabama should consult the transfer auditor in the Office of Engineering Student Services, Box 870200, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0200; (205) 348-1600 or toll-free 1-800-369-ENGR.

ENGLISH AND FRESHMAN COMPOSITION

The requirements for native speakers of English are as follows:

First-semester freshmen and first-semester transfer students must enroll for the appropriate composition course (EN 101, EN 102, or EN 103) based on placement tests or transferred credit. They must then be continuously enrolled in composition courses until 6 hours of credit in composition are earned. Students placed in EN 103 who complete EN 103 with grades of "C" or higher also receive 3 hours of credit for EN 101. EN 099 is, for some students, a prerequisite for EN 101. Students who are placed in EN 099 as a result of placement testing must earn grades of "C" or higher in EN 099 before they will be allowed to enroll in EN 101.

The requirements for non-native speakers of English are as follows:

A non-native speaker of English must be able to demonstrate an ability to communicate orally and in writing in English to the extent necessary to complete all coursework successfully without special consideration. All non-native speakers of English take an English language proficiency examination before they enroll at the University. Based on the examination results, students must enroll in the appropriate course(s) in the English Language Institute, in EN 120, or in EN 121. They must then be continuously enrolled in appropriate courses until 6 semester hours of credit for college-level English composition have been earned. Credit in English will not be transferred for students who place in courses in the English Language Institute or in EN 120. Students who place and enroll in EN 121 may be able to transfer credit for courses equivalent to EN 120 or EN 101; the transfer is dependent on the equivalency of the completed courses and on the recommendation of the Department of English. Credit in excess of 6 semester hours for English composition is considered duplication; therefore, no more than 6 hours of such credit may count toward a degree.

FREE ELECTIVES

Most college courses may be counted as free electives. Some exceptions for College of Engineering students are the mathematics courses below MATH 125; duplication of subject matter; and English composition in excess of 6 semester hours. The number of hours of ROTC credit that may be applied to degree requirements may not exceed 4 hours for the Basic Course and 12 hours for the Advanced Course.

GRADES

Students should be familiar with the material under "Academic Suspension," p. 23 of this catalog; and "Student Responsibility," "Degree Requirements," and "Repeating Courses" in the College of Engineering section.

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Approval to take a course by independent study (i.e., correspondence) must be secured from the director of Engineering Student Services prior to registration for the course.

INTERIM SESSION COURSES

Students should see the departmental information throughout this section of the catalog to determine the applicability of Interim session courses toward their particular engineering degrees.

MATHEMATICS

An entering student must enroll in the mathematics course determined by the student's score on the mathematics placement test. A grade of "C" or higher must be earned in each mathematics course that leads to another course in the sequence that prepares the student to enroll in calculus (also see "Repeating Courses," below).

MINORS FOR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS

A student majoring in an engineering program may earn a minor in engineering or another division of the University. Examples are chemistry, mathematics, and physics, which are offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, and the general business minor offered by the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. Required courses and electives needed for an engineering or computer science degree may also count toward the minor. Minor forms are available in departmental offices. For additional information about minors and the courses required in them, see the appropriate sections of this catalog.

MINORS IN ENGINEERING FOR OTHER STUDENTS

Two types of minors in the College of Engineering are available to students enrolled in other divisions of the University. The minors require a minimum of 18 hours in engineering courses. The Type 1 minor is a specialized program in any of the College's engineering disciplines. Course requirements and advising are available from the appropriate department head, who will appoint an adviser for a student desiring this type of minor. The Type 2 minor is a general minor in engineering. The associate dean of engineering appoints an adviser for a student pursuing a Type 2 minor, which requires a minimum of 18 hours in courses chosen from a list available from the associate dean for academic programs.

PASS/FAIL OPTION

The pass/fail option cannot be exercised for courses that are to be applied to the requirements of an engineering or computer science degree or certificate, but it can be used for other courses. See "Student Records and General Academic Policies" on p. 19 of this catalog.

PREREQUISITES

A grade of "C" or better must be earned in each course that serves as a prerequisite to any course that will be applied toward the student's degree requirements (see "Student Responsibility," p. 191; and "Corequisites and Prerequisites," p. 195).

PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL ADMISSION

Undergraduate students in the College of Engineering may plan programs of study that satisfy the requirements for admission to professional schools of dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, etc. For further information, contact The University of Alabama, Dean of the College of Engineering, Box 870200, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0200.

REGISTRATION

Schedules for faculty advising and other registration information are posted throughout the College of Engineering just prior to and during the registration period for each semester or term. Additional information is available from the director of Engineering Student Services in 112 Mineral Industries Building and from the departmental offices. All schedules and drop/add forms must be approved by the student's adviser.

REPEATING COURSES

The repetition of courses is governed by the following restrictions:

• In computing the GPA, a grade of "I" (Incomplete) is included as hours attempted with zero grade points earned. A student on probation must remove "I" grades within two weeks of the beginning of classes during his or her next term in residence. Students not on probation must remove "I" grades within four weeks of the beginning of classes during the next term. If the "I" grade was earned in a required course and is not removed, the course must be repeated.
• A record of original and repeat enrollments appears on the student's transcript.
• Each enrollment in a course is included in the cumulative hours attempted and in the computation of grade point averages. However, only the final enrollment may count as credit toward the degree.
• Courses completed with grades of "A," "B," or "C" may not be repeated except on an audit basis.
• Enrollment for credit in a course that is at a lower level than a course the student has already completed for credit with a grade of "A," "B," or "C" is prohibited. For example, a student with credit for MATH 125 with a grade of "A," "B," or "C" may not enroll for credit in MATH 100, MATH 110, MATH 112, MATH 113, MATH 115, MATH 121, or similar courses. This policy also prohibits repeating a course for credit if equivalent transfer credit with a grade of "Pass" has already been awarded.

  Enrollment for credit in a course is not prohibited simply because credit was earned in a higher-numbered course. For example, a student with credit for GES 411 or GES 451 may enroll for credit in GES 255 or GES 257. If students have questions about the interpretation of this policy, they should consult the associate dean for academic programs or the director of Engineering Student Services prior to enrollment.

• Only two repeat attempts, for a total of three attempts, in any course are permitted, unless continuance is authorized by the associate dean for academic programs. Some departments may have more restrictive policies concerning the number of repeat attempts allowed.

TRANSFER CREDIT, ADVANCED PLACEMENT, AND CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

The following policies apply to the transfer of credit by entering transfer students, the transfer of credit that was earned while concurrently enrolled at The University of Alabama, the transfer of credit earned as a transient student at another institution, and the transfer of credit from other divisions of The University of Alabama.

• In order for credit to be transferred, courses completed at other institutions must be equivalent as nearly as possible to courses taught at The University of Alabama.
• In the College of Engineering, grades of "D" will not be admissible if the grade was earned in a course that is a prerequisite to another course required for the student's degree program.
• The maximum amount of credit transferable from two-year institutions is 64 semester hours.

TRANSIENT ENROLLMENT AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION

A University of Alabama student who plans to enroll at another institution for one or more terms and to transfer the credit earned at that institution to The University of Alabama must secure approval from the director of Engineering Student Services prior to enrolling at the new institution. The maximum amount of credit transferable from a two-year institution is 64 semester hours. If, at the time of initial enrollment at The University of Alabama, a student transfers fewer than 64 semester hours, additional credit may be transferred from a two-year institution. However, once a student has accumulated 64 semester hours of credit from all sources, no more than 12 semester hours of 100- or 200-level courses may be transferred from a two-year institution. Credit will not be removed from an earlier transfer evaluation to permit students to transfer courses from two-year institutions.

TRANSFERS FROM OTHER UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA DIVISIONS

Credit that another division of the University previously accepted for transfer from another institution will be reevaluated by the College of Engineering when a student transfers into the College from within the University.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN GRADUATE COURSES

Undergraduate students may be permitted to enroll in graduate courses if they have senior standing and "B" or higher averages for work attempted at The University of Alabama.

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