ACADEMIC STANDING

A complete description of Academic Policies and Procedure is available at www.stevens.edu/ugrad_academics/newadvfaq.htm.

Academic grades are listed below and quality points per credit are indicated in parentheses:

Faculty regulations concerning the abbreviations "Abs." for absent and "Inc." for incomplete are in the Student Handbook at http://www.stevens.edu/student_life.

Stevens uses the Quality Points System to determine grade point averages (GPA). This means an "A" in a three semester-hour course is worth three times more than an "A" in a one semester-hour course. To determine the number of quality points for any course, the semester hours are multiplied by the value of the letter grade received for the course. To determine the weighted average, the sum of quality points is divided by the sum of quality hours.

Examinations
All students must take a written examination at the end of each term in all major-required core courses. Examinations in all technical, engineering, humanities and management electives are at the option of the specific department(s)..

Grade Point Averages (GPA)
The Office of the Registrar calculates three different GPAs for each student:

• The semester GPA is determined from all courses taken at Stevens during a semester.
• The graduating GPA is calculated from all courses taken at Stevens that are part of the degree requirement. If a course is repeated, only the last grade is used, even if the last grade is lower than previous grade(s). If the last grade is a withdrawal (W), the previous grade is included. If a course is repeated outside of Stevens, the grade is not included.
• The ranking GPA is calculated from all courses that are part of the degree requirement. In this case, all repeated courses are included and repeated courses taken outside of Stevens are calculated as a "C."

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Grade Changes
Grade changes for courses (except for changes from Inc.) taken in a particular semester are not permitted after the end of the following semester (excluding summers).

Promotion Requirements
To be promoted in good standing, you must have a "C" average (2.00 GPA) for all completed courses designated for degree requirements and a passing grade in each course for degree requirements at the end of the semester.

Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for graduation, you must have a "C" average (2.00 GPA) for eight terms of work and pass all required courses for your curriculum. Each course which is part of an undergraduate degree program must be passed within no more than three attempts. If you receive an "F" in a core course or a concentration elective, you will not be eligible for graduation. You must also maintain at least a 1.75 GPA for all courses taken during the senior year.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT

Stevens participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Entrance Examination Board. You may receive college credit toward your degree for the following examinations and corresponding grades.

AP Examination (Grade)	Stevens Equivalent	Credits
Art History (4,5)	HAR 398	3
Biology (4,5)	Ch 281 and Ch 282	4
Chemistry (4,5)	Ch 115, 116, 117 and 118	8
Computer Science A (4,5)	E 115	2
Computer Science AB (4,5)	E115	2
Economics - Macroeconomics (4,5)	Mgt 243	3
Economics - Microeconomics (4,5)	Mgt 244	3
English - Language & Composition (4,5)	Humanities course a	3
English - Literature & Composition (4,5)	Humanities course a	3
Government & Politics - Comparative (4,5)	Humanities course b	3
Government & Politics - U.S. (4,5)	Humanities course b	3
History - European (4,5)	Humanities course b	3
History - U.S. (4,5)	Humanities course b	3
History - World (4, 5)	Humanities course b	3
Latin - Literature (4, 5)	Humanities course a	3
Mathematics - Calculus AB (4,5)	Ma 115 or Ma 117	3
Mathematics - Calculus BC (4,5)	Ma 115 or Ma 117	3
Physics B (4,5) (for Humanities and Social Science students only)	PEP 121 and PEP 122	6
Physics C - Mechanics (4,5)	PEP 111	3
Physics C - E & M (4,5)	PEP 112	3
Psychology (4,5)	HSS 175	3
Statistics (4,5)	E 243 or EM 365	3 or 4

    a - You may receive credit for a spring semester freshman- or sophomore-level humanities
         course in Group A: Literature/Philosophy as a result of a successful AP exam in English.
    b - You may receive credit for a spring semester freshman- or sophomore-level humanities course in Group B: History/Social Science as a result of a successful AP exam in government and politics, or history.

COURSE OPTIONS

Course by Examination
This program is an option if you earned a grade point average of 3.0 in the previous semester, have an overall grade point average of 3.0 or are a freshman or transfer student entering Stevens for the first time. This program is limited to eight courses, one course per semester. Course by examination is not allowed for courses taken previously. The examination is taken prior to the start of a semester and must meet the approval of the Faculty Advisor and the department offering the course.

If you successfully complete the examination, the instructor who administered the examination issues a letter grade. If you do not pass the examination, the unsuccessful attempt is recorded as part of your permanent record and you must enroll in the course.

Course by Application
If a particular course is not offered through the regular schedule, you may take the course by application with the approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Academics and the involved department. Regular enrollment is required and arrangements are made for you to study the material and to be tested during the term. A letter grade is issued at the end of the term.

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Extra Courses
If your GPA for the preceding term is 3.0 or if your overall GPA is 3.0 and your Faculty Advisor approves, you may enroll during the following term in one extra course at no additional tuition charge, provided that you are enrolled full-time.

Upperclassmen with a GPA of at least 3.3 may take a second extra course without charge if their Advisor approves. Juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.6 in the preceding term may take a third course at no additional charge provided they show ability to succeed in overload programs and have the approval of their Advisor.

You may use the extra course for elective undergraduate credit; defer it for graduate credit if the course is a graduate offering; or use it as an extra undergraduate course if not used for the degree requirement. These choices are made when you file the application for candidacy during your last semester.

Auditing Courses
To audit a course is to attend classes without receiving credit for the course. You may do this with approval from the Dean of Undergraduate Academics. This course will count as an enrolled course for purposes of computing overload charges, should any be required. In order to change from credit to audit status or audit to credit status in a class, you must file an add/drop form with the Student Service Center before the deadline established by the Registrar.

Pass/Fail
If you are a Dean’s List student or have a 3.00 average, you may elect one course per semester under a pass-fail grading system, subject to your Advisor’s approval. The course must be an undergraduate course that fulfills the following: An extra course considered to be beyond the requirements for the undergraduate degree. In either case, the course must be clearly designated on your study plan or application for candidacy as either "extra" or "outside the area of concentration." No graduate course may be taken under the pass-fail grading system regardless of its status. You have until the mid-term date of the semester to designate a course as pass-fail. Freshman physical education students are evaluated on a pass-fail basis. Sophomores, juniors and seniors have the option of pass-fail (or a letter grade) for physical education courses.

Dropping/Withdrawing from Courses
Individual courses may be dropped during the Add/Drop Period in the first two weeks of each semester (one week in summer sessions) by submitting a Change of Enrollment Form to the Office of the Registrar. When a course is dropped, no record of the student’s enrollment in the course remains on the student transcript.

After the Add/Drop Period has passed, students may withdraw from a course up to one week before the last day of classes. When a student withdraws from a course, a grade of W is recorded on the student transcript for that course. The grade of W does not affect the student’s graduating GPA. Withdrawing from a course does not jeopardize full-time (at least twelve credits) student status; the total number of credits for which the student is enrolled does not change.

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DEAN'S LIST

To be eligible for Dean’s List, which is prepared by the Office of the Registrar at the end of each academic term, you must be in good standing, have earned at least 12 credits, have withdrawn from no more than one course and have an overall "B" (3.00) average for the courses completed during the term with no failures.

DEGREES

Stevens awards three baccalaureate degrees: the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).

Degree with Honor and High Honor
The undergraduate Degree with Honor is conferred if you achieve a grade point average of 3.2 for courses taken toward the undergraduate degree. The Degree with High Honor is conferred if you achieve a grade point average of 3.6 for courses taken toward the undergraduate degree.

Degree with Thesis
You may apply for candidacy for Degree with Thesis in either semester of the junior year or in the first semester of the senior year. A candidate for any Degree with Thesis must report the title of the thesis and the name of the directing professor in writing to the Dean of Undergraduate Academics no later than December 15 of the senior year.

Special Degree Programs
Five special programs are available if you are pursuing a degree in one of the sciences, including computer science, engineering or the liberal arts. If you plan to enter any of the following special degree programs, you should discuss your plans with your Faculty Advisor and the Dean of Undergraduate Academics.

• Simultaneous Degree Program permits you to complete the requirements for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in four years, where scheduling permits. You can also complete a B.A. degree in four years along with a B.S. or a B.E. degree.
  
• Accelerated Degree Program enables completion of all requirements for the bachelor’s degree in three years, where scheduling permits.
  
• Deferred Graduate Credit Program allows you to enroll in extra courses at no extra tuition charge, provided you have maintained an appropriate average. The extra credits may be applied toward the bachelor’s or master’s degree, but not both, and may not be applied toward make-up courses.
  
• Double B.E. Degree Program enables you to earn two B.E. degrees, but you must satisfy all of the requirements in both concentrations; this includes two Senior Design sequences. In addition, you must take at least 24 credits over and above the first B.E. degree.
  
• Transitional/Reduced Load Program has two options:
  
  • Freshman Transition Option allows freshmen to take one fewer course in each term during the first year to provide them with a smoother transition to college course work-load and rigor level. After the successful completion of the year, the students are permitted to take two courses free of charge during the summer, which puts them back on track for four-year completion. Maximum benefit from this option results if chosen as early as possible in the first semester.
    
  • Reduced Load Option allows students to continue with the reduced load after the Freshman Transition Option for the remainder of their academic program and graduate in five years. There is no charge for the fifth year’s tuition if the student signs up in the program before the start of the second term of study.

If you wish to sign up for or discuss either option in more detail, contact the Office of Undergraduate Academics at (201) 216-5228.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT

Since communication skills are essential for today’s professional, Stevens requires that all undergraduates demonstrate writing proficiency before they graduate. Currently, there are two ways in which you can fulfill this graduation requirement:

1. Develop and present an acceptable writing portfolio to the Writing Program Coordinator(s).
2. Pass the Stevens English Competence Exam (SECE).

Written competence is shown with a passing grade for Hum 100 (either an A or a P). You are encouraged to fulfill this requirement within your first two years (60 credit hours) at Stevens. Those students who have not received a grade for Hum 100 by the beginning of their junior year should contact the Writing Program Coordinator(s) and arrange for a portfolio evaluation.

Since portfolio evaluations work best with a series of essays developed over time, students should be encouraged to keep writing assignments from their first- and second-year courses. These documents can be used as the foundation for building their complete portfolio during their junior year. A faculty review of the assessment and enhancement of communication skills is underway, which may lead to changes in the manner by which the proficiency requirements described above are met.

English Language Requirement for International Students
Proficiency in the English language is a graduation requirement, thus all international students must successfully complete humanities studies, which are required each semester of the four undergraduate years. English language competence is also generally indicated by a score of at least 213 (computer) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of at least 5 on all parts of the language examination administered at the American Language Institute of New York University.

Failure to meet an acceptable level of competency may require attendance at non-credit remedial courses during the summer, the academic semesters or during the intersession period. These classes may be taken at Stevens or at nearby colleges that have specialized English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Such study may require payments beyond those charged for tuition associated with credit courses at Stevens. In some cases, you may not be allowed to enroll in humanities classes or in other classes at Stevens until you have achieved a satisfactory level of English language ability. You are advised to seek early clarification of these requirements, preferably no later than May 1 if enrollment is planned for the fall semester.

Students with questions in this regard should seek written clarification from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.

ONLINE WEB CLASSES FOR UNDERGRADUATES

Undergraduate students may, with junior standing and the permission of their advisor, enroll in up to two online Web courses per semester. These classes are counted as part of the student’s regular semester credit load for purposes of computing overload charges, if any apply. Students wishing to take more than two online Web courses require the permission of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Academics, and will incur additional charges at the undergraduate per-credit tuition rate for these classes regardless of whether or not they exceed the credit-load limit.

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HONOR BOARD

The term "honor," when used in the context of the Stevens Honor System, connotes the desire to see that students do not shortchange themselves or their classmates by receiving credit for work that is not the student’s own or for work that is not fairly produced. To this purpose the Honor Board was established in 1908.

The Honor Board is composed of a group of students elected by their classmates. They investigate a situation when a student’s honor is questioned and present the evidence to the accused student. This can result in a confession or a presentation of the evidence and its rebuttal by the accused student to the panel of students.

If a student confesses or is found guilty, the Honor Board recommends a penalty to the Dean of Undergraduate Academics. The accused student can appeal the decision of the Honor Board. Appeals are directed to the Faculty Committee on Appeals by submitting a letter to the Dean of Undergraduate Academics up to 14 days after the penalty decision of the Honor Board.

The constitution and by-laws of the Honor Board can be reviewed by visiting their web site at http://www.stevens.edu/honor_board/.


NON-MATRICULATED STUDENTS

If you want to attend Stevens on a non-matriculated basis, you must have approval by the Dean of Undergraduate Academics. Tuition is charged on a per-credit basis. For details regarding course offerings, visit the Office of the Registrar’s web site at www.stevens.edu/registrar.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

If you are promoted, but wish to voluntarily leave Stevens for personal reasons, you may obtain a Leave of Absence from the Office of Undergraduate Academics, which becomes effective at the end of either the fall or the spring semester. Leave of Absence status provides for unconditional readmission up to the end of one calendar year. At the conclusion of that period of time, if you do not reenter Stevens or do not apply for an additional year’s Leave of Absence, the leave is changed to "Withdrawal."

WITHDRAWAL FROM STEVENS

If you wish to withdraw from Stevens you may do so until one week before the last class day of each semester, provided that you properly complete a withdrawal form and file it with the Office of Undergraduate Academics. If you file the withdrawal form after the end of a semester, your academic standing is reviewed by the Faculty Committee on Advanced Standing and Promotions to see if the withdrawal should be recorded.

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Advanced Placement

Course Options

Dean's List

Degrees

English Language Proficiency Requirement

Online Web Classes For Undergraduates

Honor Board

Non-Matriculated Students

Leave of Absence

Withdrawal From Stevens