School of Engineering Policies

Contacting School of Engineering (SoE) Advisors

Email is the preferred method of communication in SoE. Students contacting SoE advisors via their UC Merced email or voicemail should expect responses within 24 hours Monday through Friday. During peak advising periods, response times might be longer. Include your Student ID in all correspondence.

SoE Laptop Policy

In order to support student success, the School of Engineering (SOE) is communicating minimum hardware specifications for student laptops effective August 2019. Procurement of a computer that meets these specifications will improve a student’s success by facilitating connectivity to the University’s network, which enables the execution of tasks assigned in most engineering classes, thereby cultivating the skill development necessary for acclimation into today’s workplace. Read the whole policy here.

Major Change

Please see https://engr-advising.ucmerced.edu/policies/declaration-major

Appointments

Every student (except transfer students) must bring a copy of his or her Audit to every meeting with an academic advisor in the School of Engineering. No exceptions.
Students who are five or more minutes late to a scheduled appointment with their advisor will be asked to reschedule.

Independent Research

The first step in registering for Independent Research (195) is having a discussion with the faculty member (not lecturer or TA) with whom you wish to work. Independent Research can be 1-4 units, depending on the amount of lab/research contact. The rule of thumb is one unit for every three hours per week of contact. Up to 4 units of Independent Research can be used for technical elective credit in engineering majors. Depending on the area of research and the faculty member involved, the prefix for Independent Research may include BIOE, CSE, ENVE, ME or MSE. You will need to download and complete the Independent Study form. Once you have filled out the form with your faculty advisor, bring the form to the SoE reception desk (SE2, room 315) to obtain the dean designee's signature. You will then be contacted to pick up your form for you to submit to the Students First Center.

Education Abroad Program (EAP)

Students interested in studying abroad should contact UC Merced Study Abroad. Academic advisors will need at least two weeks to review and complete academic planning forms from the EAP office.

Courses Taken Outside UC Merced

Each student who takes an engineering course at an institution outside UC Merced and wants it to count toward his or her major is required to complete the School of Engineering Course Approval Web form. Once a syllabus has been submitted, it may take up to four weeks to be reviewed before a student receives a decision. Contact your academic advisor for more information.
For courses that would fall under the School of Natural Sciences (BIO, CHEM, ESS, MATH, PHYS), you will need to complete the School of Natural Sciences Course Approval form online. For courses offered in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA), you will need to complete the SSHA Course Approval form online.

Undergraduate Graduation Application

You should meet with your academic advisor at least one semester before you plan to complete your degree requirements. Please visit the registrar's website for the most up-to-date information regarding the Undergraduate Graduation Application.

Residency Requirement - A minimum of 24 of the last 36 units in academic residence is required prior to the award of the bachelor’s degree. Under certain circumstances, the appropriate dean or Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education may grant exceptions, such as when a student attends classes at another UC campus as an approved visitor or participates in one of the following: UC Education Abroad, UC Washington Center Program, or UC Sacramento Center.

Scholarship Requirement - To receive a bachelor’s degree, a candidate must have a cumulative 2.0 grade point average for all courses attempted in the University.

Degree Check - The Office of the Registrar will check all pertinent records to ensure that the student has completed a minimum of 120 units and appropriate institutional requirements. The student’s School will check for the fulfillment of major and School requirements.

Enrollment in Excess Units

Students must apply for enrollment in excess units each semester. Approval for enrollment in more than 18 units is conditional and determined by the student’s academic advisor.
Students must have a previous term and cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered for enrollment in more than 18 units in a single semester. GPA requirements might be higher for first-year students.

Complete the School of Engineering General Petition to request enrollment in over 18 units.

Computer Science Department Policy on Academic Honesty

As stated in the campus-wide Academic Honesty Policy (AHP)1, "academic integrity is the foundation of an academic community". Accordingly, the CSE faculty takes this matter very seriously and has embraced a zero tolerance on this matter. The process described in the following establishes the minimum consequences for violations of the AHP in CSE courses, but repercussions may be more severe for egregious violations.

The Computer Science Department Policy on Academic Honesty (''CSE Policy'' from now onwards), does not substitute the AHP, but rather specifies how it will be implemented when students enrolled in classes offered by the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department2 are found in violation of the AHP. In particular, the CSE Policy defines how the CSE faculty implements the ''Instructor-Led Process'' described in AHP 802.00.A.

This policy and the associated processes have been developed in collaboration with the Office of Student Conduct and the School of Engineering and is jointly implemented by the CSE Faculty, the School of Engineering, and the Office of Student Conduct. The CSE Policy becomes effective starting from the Fall 2019 term.

Policies

School of Engineering Policies