Undergraduate Procedures & Requirements

A more detailed description of undergraduate academic policies and procedures can be found at http://www.stevens.edu/provost/academics/undergraduate/UGPolicyStart.html

Academic Standing

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 can be found on the Undergraduate Academics Web site at http://www.stevens.edu/provost/academics/undergraduate/UGPolicyStart.html. 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:

1. The semester GPA is determined from all courses taken at Stevens during a semester.
2. 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 course must be repeated. If a course is repeated outside of Stevens with a grade of C or better, the C grade is entered.
3. 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."

Grade Changes

A final grade in a course may be changed only if an error in grading or grade computation was made, or if an Inc./Abs. petition was approved and filed before the end of the semester in which the course was taken. If one of these circumstances applies, a grade may be changed within one regular (Spring or Fall) semester after the term in which the course was taken.

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.

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.

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 permitted for courses taken previously. The examination is taken prior to the start of a semester and must meet the approval of your 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 a failure "F" in your permanent record and you must enroll in the regular course.

Course by Application

If a particular course is not offered in the regular schedule during the desired term, 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.

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.

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 have demonstrated the ability to succeed in overload programs and have the approval of their Advisor and the Dean of Undergraduate Academics.

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 senior year.

Students enrolled for the Reduced Load Program are not eligible for extra courses.

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 a Change of Enrollment (Add/Drop) form with the Student Service Center before the Add/Drop 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 extra undergraduate course beyond the requirements for the undergraduate degree. 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.

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. Except for international students, 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. International students should consult with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services before withdrawing from a course.

Dean's List

The Dean's List is prepared at the end of each academic term by the Registrar's Office. To be eligible for a given semester, you must be in good standing, earn at least 12 credits, and have a 3.0 term GPA with no failures and no more than one course withdrawal.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Transitional/Reduced Load Program has two options:
   1. Freshman Transition Option (for majors other than Engineering) allows freshmen to take one fewer course in each term during the first year to provide a smoother transition to college course work load and rigor level. After the successful completion of the year, the students on this plan are permitted to take two courses free of charge during the summer, which puts them back on track for four-year program completion. Maximum benefit from this option results if chosen as early as possible in the first semester. This option is not open to Engineering majors, as the Engineering curriculum already offers a lighter load during the freshman year.
   2. Reduced Load Option allows students who opted for the Freshman Transition Option to continue with the reduced load for the remainder of their academic program and graduate in ten semesters of study rather than eight. There is no charge for the ninth and tenth terms' tuition if the student signs up for the program before the start of the second term of study. For Engineering students, the deadline for enrolling in the Reduced Load Option is prior to the start of the fourth term of study, as the first year of study in Engineering is already a lighter load.

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

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) or 83 (Internet) based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

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 College of Arts and Letters.

Online Graduate Courses for Undergraduates

Undergraduate students may, with junior standing, a 3.0 or higher GPA, and the permission of their advisor, enroll in up to two online graduate courses per semester. These classes are counted as part of the students' regular semester credit load for purposes of computing overload charges, if any apply. Students wishing to take more than two online 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.

Honor Board

The Honor Board is comprised of up to 20 student representatives who are responsible for interpreting the constitution of the Stevens Honor System, and for performing the functions of the System. The Board investigates reports of Honor System violations, conducts hearings, and recommends to the Dean of Undergraduate Academics penalties for students who have either confessed to or been convicted of an Honor System violation. The Honor Board strives to educate the Stevens community about the importance of academic integrity and the value that adherence to the Honor System brings to a Stevens degree.

Detailed information about the Honor Board can be reviewed by visiting their Web site at www.stevens.edu/honor_board/.

Non-matriculated Students

Students wishing to take a course at Stevens on a non-matriculated basis must obtain approval from the Office of Undergraduate Academics. A minimum 3.0 GPA at the student's current or previous college or university is required, in addition to completion of the equivalent of all pre-requisite courses for the desired Stevens course. 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 in good academic standing but wish to take time off from Stevens for personal reasons, you may obtain a Leave of Absence from the Office of Undergraduate Academics. 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 re-enter Stevens or do not apply for an additional year’s Leave of Absence, the leave is changed to a withdrawal from the Institute.

Withdrawal from Stevens

If you wish to withdraw from Stevens, please stop by the Office of Undergraduate Academics.