Dwight Look College of Engineering
Entrance and Enrollment Requirements
The minimum requirements for entrance to the University are listed in the earlier pages of this catalog. Because of the importance of science and mathematics to engineering, high school students who aspire to a career in engineering are encouraged to take as many of these courses as possible. In particular, high school preparation should include four years of mathematics and four years of science emphasizing algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, chemistry, physics and biology.
A critical step in an engineering education is proper individual placement in the first courses undertaken. The College strongly recommends the following guidelines to students participating in the math advanced placement examinations in high school. Incoming engineering students can earn advanced placement (AP) credits for MATH 151 with a score of 4 on the Calculus AB exam or 3 on the BC exam, and for MATH 151 and 152 by a score of 4 on the BC exam. While the student can accept these AP credits and enroll in the next course in the engineering mathematics sequence, we recommend a more conservative decision about accepting advanced placement credits in math. As a general rule, we recommend engineering students accept one less AP math credit than entitled to by these scores, and in some cases we may make a more conservative recommendation. Students should discuss this choice with their departmental undergraduate advisor before registering for mathematics classes. New Student Conferences and associated Credit by Examination tests provide information to advisors so that students are started at a level which may differ from the printed curriculum but which is appropriate to their aptitudes and background. All freshmen admitted into engineering take a mathematics assessment test before the New Student Conferences and should review algebra, trigonometry and geometry prior to taking the test. Because of the importance of computers to engineers, the Look College of Engineering encourages incoming freshmen to purchase a personal computer.
Students who meet the University and college entrance requirements enter the Look College of Engineering with a lower-division classification. Enrollment in sophomore-, junior- and senior-level engineering courses will be restricted to those students who have been moved from that lower division to a major degree sequence within the Look College of Engineering. As noted below, students enrolled in engineering technology will take a limited number of sophomore-level engineering technology courses while in the lower-division classification. Admission to a major degree sequence may be limited by the availability of instructional resources. To be considered for admission to a major degree sequence a student must be in good academic standing and have received credit for specific courses referred to as the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) courses.
Students seeking major degree sequence admission to Computer Science must have credit for CPSC 121, 181 and 221, ENGL 104, MATH 151, 512 and 302, and 8 hours of basic science or equivalent. Students seeking admission to a major degree sequence in Engineering Technology (ET), Electronics or Telecommunications ET option, must have credit for CHEM 107; CPSC 206; ENGL 104; ENTC 210, 219 and 250; MATH 151 and 152; and PHYS 218. Students seeking admission to a major degree sequence in Engineering Technology, Manufacturing and Mechanical ET option, must have credit for CHEM 107; ENGL 104; ENGR 111 and 112; ENTC 181, ENTC 206 or 207; MATH 151 and 152; and PHYS 218. Students seeking admission to a major degree sequence in industrial distribution must have credit for CHEM 107, ENGL 104, IDIS 240, MATH 141 and 151, and PHYS 201. All other students seeking admission to a major degree sequence in engineering must have credit for CHEM 107, ENGL 104, ENGR 111 and 112, MATH 151 and 152, and PHYS 218 and 208 or equivalent.
For most programs acceptance into the upper division of a degree sequence depends on (1) completing all CBK courses with a grade of C or better; (2) achieving the program’s desired grade average for the CBK courses; and (3) achieving the program’s desired cumulative grade point average for courses taken at Texas A&M University. For most majors, grades of C or better are required in the CBK courses. For complete details concerning policies for repeating courses and admission to a major degree sequence in the Look College of Engineering, students should contact the Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs Office or the departmental advisor in their major department. Students may be allowed to remain as a lower-division student up to 60 hours, provided that they are in good standing and making progress as defined by their major department. At the 60-hour limit, students may be blocked from further registration in that department if the CBK and overall GPR requirements for upper division have not been achieved.
Transfer students, regardless of transfer hours, are admitted with a lower-division classification and must meet the same standards and criteria for admission to a major degree sequence as described above.
Although students are required to declare an intended major, many students enter engineering without a firm choice of major. As an aid to making a decision, the freshman courses ENGR 111 and 112, Foundations of Engineering, introduce students to engineering problems from the various disciplines. In addition, students may participate in career counseling sessions and attend presentations, career fairs and other activities sponsored by student engineering professional societies. Departmental advisors at New Student Conferences will help students select courses to fit their objectives.