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Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering Policies

The Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering educates undergraduate and graduate engineering students, giving them the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need for success in technically-oriented careers. The school provides students with a range of educational opportunities by which they may achieve excellence in the major branches of engineering, computer science and construction management.

The Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering takes pride in its diversity, its economic and cultural heritage, and in the quality of its graduates. It strives to be an integral part of the community it serves and a lifelong presence in the lives of those within its compass. The school’s educational and research programs are built around the following principles: entrepreneurship; use-inspired research and scholarship; a focus on the individual; intellectual fusion of unique and distinct disciplines; social embeddedness in the local, national and international community; and global engagement.

For more information, see http://fulton.asu.edu/fulton/.

Fulton School of Engineering Aspirations

Graduates from any of the school’s programs will be technically sound. In addition to technical competency, the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering aspires to develop leaders who are aware of biological issues, well-read, well-spoken and knowledgeable about current business practices. To this end, the school offers enhanced curricula, special courses and extracurricular activities to enrich the student’s stay and to offer every student opportunities to achieve the school’s aspirations.

All the programs within the school are professional programs, and hence professionalism is an important component of all the curricula. The school strives to help students understand and value the various aspects of professionalism, including ethical behavior, a desire for life long learning, the ability to communicate with others, and an awareness of how the profession fits into and impacts society. As a first step in ethics, all students are expected to follow student code of conduct and rules of academic integrity defined by the university, as outlined at http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/srr/index.htm.

First-Year Compostion Requirement

Completion of the first-year composition requirement is required for graduation.

Graduation Requirements

To qualify for graduation, a student must have a minimum cumulative ASU GPA of 2.00 in addition to having a GPA of at least 2.00 for the courses in their major field.

University Graduation Requirements

In addition to department and school requirements, students must meet all university graduation requirements. A well-planned program of study enables students to meet all requirements in a timely fashion. Students are encouraged to consult with an academic advisor in planning a program to ensure that they comply with all necessary requirements.

Undergraduate Policies

Evaluation of Previous Course Work

Transferring from one institution to another or between programs can result in a net loss in credits that count toward the degree. Thus, it is important for students who contemplate transferring into the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering from another institution, whether a community college or four-year institution, to carefully study the catalog material pertaining to the particular program to get a sense of what courses may transfer.

Credit is granted for transferred courses deemed equivalent to corresponding courses in the selected program of study, subject to grade and ASU resident credit requirements. No grades lower than “C” (2.00) are accepted as transfer credit to meet the graduation requirements of the school. Credits transferred from a community college or two-year institution are applied only as lower-division credits. For a listing of the acceptable courses transferable to the various degree programs, prospective Arizona transfer students should consult their advisors and refer to the ASU transfer tools available at http://articulation.asu.edu/.

It should be noted that some courses taken in other ASU colleges or other universities may be acceptable for general university credit but may not be applicable toward the degree requirements of the school. Determination of those particular courses applicable to a specific degree program is made within the appropriate academic unit with approval of the dean.

Currency of Course Work

Courses taken more than five years before admission to degree programs in this school are not normally accepted for transfer credit, at the option of the department in which the applicant wishes to enroll. Courses completed within the five years preceding admission are judged for their applicability to the student’s curriculum.

General Education Development

Students admitted to the university after successful completion of the General Education Development (GED) examination are directly admitted to the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering (Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Bachelor of Science) program within their major, provided they meet the minimum ACT or SAT score required for admission as listed in the table for Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering admission requirements for freshmen and transfer students.

Readmission

Undergraduates who have been away from the university for one or more semesters and want to return to ASU in an Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering program, are required to apply for readmission through the university registrar’s office. Students who left ASU as ineligible or disqualified must first request reinstatement (see number four below). All other requests are processed as follows:

  1. School of engineering students seeking readmission to the same school program they left are readmitted directly to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Bachelor of Science degree program they left with the same academic standing (i.e., good academic standing or on probation) they had when they left ASU.
  2. School of engineering students and non-school of engineering students, who are seeking readmission to an Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering program other than the program they left, and who have an ASU GPA of 3.00 or higher, are readmitted directly to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Bachelor of Science degree program with the same academic standing (i.e., good academic standing or on probation) they had when they left ASU.
  3. School of engineering students and non-school of engineering students seeking readmission to an Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering program other than the program they were in when they left, and who have an ASU GPA less than 3.00 are subject to the admission by change of major process. These requests for readmission are reviewed on an individual basis. If the request for readmission is approved, the student is readmitted directly to the new Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Bachelor of Science degree program with the same academic standing (i.e., good academic standing or on probation) they had when they left ASU.
  4. School of engineering students and non-school of engineering students seeking readmission to an Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering program, who left ASU with either ineligible or disqualified status are subject to the school’s reinstatement process, which requires review by the school and program. Approval of reinstatement requires completion of at least 15 hours of appropriate non-school course work with a GPA of 3.00 or higher and a cumulative (ASU + transfer) GPA of at least 2.50. If the reinstatement request is approved and the readmission request involves a change of major, then the change of major review must be completed. All students who gain readmission through reinstatement will return on continued probation in the appropriate Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Bachelor of Science degree program.

Once readmitted, returning students are required to meet with a program advisor before enrolling in courses at ASU.

Advising

Successful completion of a program in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering requires careful planning. While final responsibility for becoming familiar with and understanding academic degree requirements lies with the student, each department employs professional academic advisors who work with students in setting academic and career goals, understanding school and university policies and procedures, meeting degree requirements and becoming familiar with the university’s and the school’s sources of academic support. Students may also work with a faculty advisor familiar with the chosen field of specialization. Students should consult with an advisor prior to registering each semester.

Students are encouraged to utilize the eAdvisor (https://webapp.asu.edu/eadvisor/) tool for academic planning. eAdvisor provides critical requirements and major maps (https://webapp.asu.edu/eadvisor/MajorMaps.html), which are individualized student reports that lay out a specific, clear and accurate path to timely completion of the intended degree.

Many students find it necessary to work while attending ASU. The working student should endeavor to create a careful balance of work and class responsibilities to avoid academic problems. Students should inform faculty and professional advisors of any outside work or activity so that course loads may be adjusted accordingly.

Advisors and staff in the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the school are available to assist individual students with many different types of advising issues. They work with students to answer general questions about policies and procedures; help with registration transactions; administer the probation, disqualification and readmission processes; oversee disciplinary actions; hear grade grievances and assist with other administrative matters. For more information, see http://www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton.

Registration

Students are required to register for courses using one of the university-provided processes. As part of the registration process, the school enforces the following registration restrictions.

Mandatory Advising

All first-year students, student athletes, and students who are found to be having academic difficulty are required to be advised before they can register for classes, including winter and summer sessions. Some programs relax the advising requirement after the first year, so students should consult their department to determine if advising is required.

Maximum Hours

Students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in this school may register for a maximum of 19 credit hours per semester. Any student wanting to register for more than the maximum must submit a college standards petition and have an approval on file prior to registering for the overload.

Probationary Status

Students who have been placed on academic probation must be advised by a faculty or professional advisor from within the academic unit of their major and complete the Student Self Assessment for Academic Success form at http://www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton/students/sas/academicstandards.php. The form in designed to assist students in identifying a path to academic success. Students on probation are limited to 13 credit hours.

Undergraduate Nondegree Status

Students who are enrolled in an undergraduate nondegree status in the school must obtain advising and approval to register from the Office of the Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs before registering each semester.

Course Prerequisites

Students should consult the schedule of classes and the catalog for course prerequisites. Students who register for courses without the designated prerequisites may be withdrawn without the student’s consent at any time before the final examination. Such withdrawal may be initiated by the instructor, the chair of the department offering the course, or the dean of the college. In such cases, students will not receive monetary reimbursement.

Pass/Fail Grades

Students enrolled in the school do not receive degree credit for pass/fail courses taken at this institution. In addition, no course in this school is offered for pass/fail credit. Students requesting credit for pass/fail courses taken at another institution must file a college standards petition to the department of their major. Each request is judged on its particular merits.

Non-Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering Students

Students who are not admissible to programs in this school and who enroll in another school at ASU, may not register for any 300- or 400-level courses in the school unless the course(s) are required in their degree program and the students have the proper course prerequisites.

Academic Standards

The school has developed and enforces a number of academic standards. These standards are designed to support students and ensure the quality of the school’s graduates.

Student Responsibilities

Students need to make many decisions as they complete their degrees. While the school and the university have a number of resources available (e.g., faculty, courses, advisors and tutors) to help in making the decisions, students are expected to take responsibility for their decisions.

Satisfactory Progress

Students are expected to select and successfully complete courses that lead to the timely completion of their degree. Students are said to be making satisfactory progress if they fulfill all of the following:

  1. Maintain an acceptable GPA.
  2. Enroll and complete critical tracking requirements.
  3. Complete courses each semester that are applicable to their degree.

Students who are making satisfactory progress are said to be in good standing.

Probation

Some students do not make satisfactory progress and these students generally need extra attention and resources to help them get back to academic good standing. Such students are placed on probation to help ensure that they get the necessary help. There are many reasons why students fail to make satisfactory progress. Working with an academic advisor to plan a strategy for success is crucial. Students may be required to reduce their course load (13 credit hours maximum), retake courses or even take courses outside of the program, if the advisor judges these measures will help bring the student back to academic good standing. To return to academic good standing in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, students with probation status need to earn a minimum semester GPA of 2.25 and earn a minimum cumulative ASU GPA of 2.00 at the end of the probation semester. If enrolled in only one course a grade of "C+" (2.33) or better and a minimum cumulative ASU GPA of 2.00 is required to obtain academic good standing.

Conditions for Probation

A student is placed on probation when specific academic expectations are not met. Some conditions trigger an automatic placement on probation whereas others trigger an automatic review of the student’s case to determine if probation is warranted. When a probation review is triggered, the final decision is made by the student’s department, which also determines any conditions of probation.

Automatic probation is triggered by any of the following:

  • A semester or summer session with a GPA less than or equal to 1.50.
  • Two successive semesters with GPAs less than 2.00.
  • An ASU cumulative GPA less than 2.00 (for more than 55 credit hours).

Automatic review is triggered by any one of the following:

  • An ASU cumulative GPA less than 2.00 (0 to 55 credit hours).
  • A cumulative GPA in the major of less than 2.00.
  • A failure to complete any courses appropriate for the degree during each semester.

Courses completed during winter session are not used to reevaluate a student's spring semester probationary status.  Courses completed during summer sessions are not used to reevaluate a student’s fall semester probationary status.

Ineligibility

Students who are on academic probation and fail to meet the school’s retention standards become ineligible to continue working toward a degree within the school. Ineligible students who cannot transfer to another program within ASU are designated as disqualified.

Ineligibility occurs if the probationary student does any of the following:

  • Does not attain a semester GPA of 2.25 or higher.
  • Has a cumulative GPA below 2.00 at the end of the probationary semester.
  • Has already been on probation for two consecutive semesters.
  • Failed to complete any courses appropriate for the degree during each semester.

Ineligible students are subject to the following limitations:

  1. Students who change colleges may not register for courses in engineering unless the courses are required by their new major.
  2. Students who register for courses in the school may be withdrawn from these courses any time during the semester they are registered.

Ineligible students are encouraged to consider these options:

  1. Student may be eligible to change their major to another college if they have an acceptable cumulative GPA. The acceptable GPA level depends on the number of hours of completed course work. Students should check with an advisor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs to determine if they are eligible.
  2. Student may take nonengineering courses during summer and winter sessions.
  3. Student may request a review of their status by contacting the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

Reinstatement Process

Students who were ineligible or disqualified when they left the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and ASU must request reinstatement as part of the readmission process.

Reinstatement:

  1. Is only considered after a student has remained out of the school for a minimum of 12 months.
  2. Requires a student to supply proof that he or she is now capable of successfully completing courses in the discipline (e.g., completing at least 15 hours of appropriate course work at another postsecondary institution at a GPA of 3.00 or higher).
  3. Requires a combined ASU plus transfer GPA of 2.50 or higher.

If the reinstatement request is approved and the readmission request involves a change of major, then the change of major review must be completed. All students who gain readmission through reinstatement return on probation in the program to which the student is being readmitted.

Graduate Policies

policy for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress

A student who has been admitted to a graduate degree program in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, with either regular or provisional admission status, must maintain a 3.00 or higher GPA in all of the following:

  1. All work taken for graduate credit (courses numbered 500 or higher).
  2. Course work in the student’s approved plan of study.
  3. All course work taken at ASU (overall GPA) post-baccalaureate.

A. A student will be placed on academic probation if one or more of the student's GPAs listed above falls below 3.00. Students will be notified by mail when placed on academic probation.

B. A student will earn academic good standing by obtaining a 3.00 or better in the GPAs listed above by the time the next nine hours are completed. Course work such as research and dissertation registration that are for "Z" (in progress) or "Y" (satisfactory) grade cannot be included in these nine hours.

C. A student may be recommended for withdrawal from a graduate program if the student fails to increase all of the GPAs listed above to 3.00 or better by the time he/she completes at least nine credit hours as defined in section B.

A student may appeal actions concerning withdrawal by petitioning the departmental unit in which they are enrolled.

Academic units in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering can expand this policy statement to include additional policy governing the satisfactory academic progress of the students in their graduate programs.

Additional Graduate Policies

Full details of policies related to graduate students in the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering can be found on each department's Web page. For a list of departments, visit http://fulton.asu.edu/fulton. University policies related to graduate students can be found at http://graduate.asu.edu.