School of Engineering Policies

Contacting School of Engineering (SoE) Advisors

Email is the preferred method of communication in the School of Engineering. Students contacting advisors via their UC Merced email or voicemail should expect a response within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
Please note that response times may be longer during peak academic advising periods. Always include your Student ID number in all correspondence.

School of Engineering Laptop Policy

To support student success, the School of Engineering outlines minimum hardware specifications for student laptops. Procuring a computer that meets these specifications improves connectivity to the university network, ensures you can execute tasks assigned in engineering classes, and builds the technical skills necessary for today's workplace.
Review the complete technical requirements on the School of Engineering Lab Top Policy PDF.

Major Change

To learn how to declare or change your major, please review the UC Merced General Criteria for Major Declaration

Academic Advising Appointments

Degree Audit Required: Every student (except incoming transfer students) must bring a copy of their current Graduation Pathway Archive (Audit) to every scheduled meeting with a School of Engineering academic advisor. No exceptions will be made.Every student (except transfer students) must bring a copy of his or her to every meeting with an academic advisor in the School of Engineering. No exceptions.
Lateness Policy: Students who arrive five or more minutes late to a scheduled appointment will be asked to reschedule.

Independent Research (Course 195)

If you wish to register for Independent Research (195), follow these steps:

Consult Faculty: Discuss your research goals with the faculty member (not a lecturer or Teaching Assistant) with whom you wish to work.
Determine Units: Independent Research can be taken for 1 to 4 units, based on a rule of thumb of one unit for every three hours of lab/research contact per week. A maximum of 4 units can be applied toward technical elective credit for engineering majors.
Check the Course Prefix: Depending on the research area, the course prefix may be BIOE, CSE, ENVE, ME, or MSE.
Complete the Form: Download and complete the School of Engineering Independent Study form alongside your faculty advisor.
Submit for Signatures: Bring the completed form to the SoE reception desk (Science and Engineering Building 2, Room 315) to obtain the Dean designee's signature.
Final Submission: You will be contacted to pick up the approved form, which you must then submit directly to the Students First Center.

Education Abroad Program (EAP)

Students interested in studying abroad should coordinate through UC Merced Study Abroad. Please note that School of Engineering academic advisors require a minimum of two weeks to review and complete academic planning forms issued by the EAP office.

Courses Taken Outside UC Merced

If you take an engineering course at an outside institution and want it to count toward your major requirements, you must complete the online School of Engineering Course Approval Form. Once you submit the course syllabus, the evaluation process can take up to four weeks. Contact your academic advisor for additional guidance.
For foundational prerequisite courses offered by other schools, use the appropriate form below:
- For Biology, Chemistry, ESS, Math, or Physics courses, complete the School of Natural Sciences Course Approval form..
- For Social Sciences, Humanities, or Arts courses, complete the SSHA Course Approval form.

Undergraduate Graduation Application

You should meet with your academic advisor at least one semester before your planned graduation term. For deadline updates and instructions, visit the Office of the Registrars website for the most up to date infromation regarding the Undergraduate Graduation Application.

Summery of Degree Requirements

Residency Requirement: A minimum of 24 of your final 36 units must be completed in academic residence prior to the award of a bachelor’s degree. Exceptions may be granted by the appropriate Dean or the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education for approved visitor programs, such as UC Education Abroad, the UC Washington Center Program (UCDC), or the UC Sacramento Center.
Scholarship Requirement: Candidates must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for all courses attempted at the University of California.
Degree Check: The Office of the Registrar verifies all pertinent records to ensure students have completed a minimum of 120 units alongside institutional requirements. The School of Engineering verifies the fulfillment of all specific major and school-level track requirements.

Enrollment in Excess Units

Students must apply for permission to enroll in excess units each semester. Approval to take more than 18 units is conditional and determined by your academic advisor.

Eligibility: Students must have a previous term GPA and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered for an excess unit limit increase. GPA thresholds may be higher for first-year students.
How to Apply: Complete and submit the School of Engineering General Form to formally request an exception to the 18-unit limit.

Computer Science Department Policy on Academic Honesty

As stated in the campus-wide UC Merced Academic Honesty Policy (AHP), "academic integrity is the foundation of an academic community." The Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) faculty enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding academic violations.

The departmental guidelines specify how the campus policy is executed for classes offered by the CSE department:

This policy establishes the baseline consequences for violations of the AHP in CSE courses, though repercussions may be more severe for egregious violations.
The policy clarifies how the CSE faculty implements the "Instructor-Led Process" described in section 802.00.A of the campus policy.
This code was developed in collaboration with the Office of Student Conduct and the School of Engineering.
To review the complete code and disciplinary procedures, read the full CSE Department Policy on Academic Honesty.

School of Engineering Policies