Undergraduate Programs in the School of Engineering

The principal goals of the undergraduate engineering curriculum are to provide opportunities for intellectual growth in the context of an engineering discipline, for the attainment of professional competence, and for the development of a sense of the social context of technology. The curriculum is flexible, with many decisions on individual courses left to the student and the adviser. For a student with well-defined educational goals, there is often a great deal of latitude.

In addition to the special requirements for engineering majors described below, all undergraduate engineering students are subject to the University general education, writing, and foreign language requirements outlined in the first pages of this bulletin. Depending on the program chosen, students have the equivalent of from one to three quarters of free electives to bring the total number of units to 180.

The School of Engineering's Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs is the definitive reference for all undergraduate engineering programs. It is available online at http://ughb.stanford.edu and provides detailed descriptions of all undergraduate programs in the school, as well as additional information about extracurricular programs and services. A hard copy version is also available from the Office of Student Affairs in Terman Engineering Center, room 201. Because it is published in the summer, and updates are made to the web site on a continuing basis, the handbook reflects the most up-to-date information on School of Engineering programs for the academic year.

Accreditation—The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits college engineering programs nationwide using criteria and standards developed and accepted by U.S. engineering communities. At Stanford, the following undergraduate programs are accredited: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. In ABET-accredited programs, students must meet specific requirements for engineering science, engineering design, mathematics, and science course work. Students are urged to consult the School of Engineering Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs and their adviser.

Accreditation is important in certain areas of the engineering profession; students wishing more information about accreditation should consult their department office or the office of the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs in Terman 201.

Policy on Satisfactory/No Credit Grading and Minimum Grade Point Average—All courses taken to satisfy major requirements (including the requirements for mathematics, science, engineering fundamentals, Technology in Society, and engineering depth) for all engineering students (including both department and School of Engineering majors) must be taken for a letter grade if the instructor offers that option.

For departmental majors, the minimum combined GPA (grade point average) for all courses taken in fulfillment of the Engineering Fundamentals requirement and the Engineering Depth requirement is 2.0. For School of Engineering majors, the minimum GPA on all engineering courses taken in fulfillment of the major requirements is 2.0.

ADMISSION

Any students admitted to the University may declare an engineering major if they elect to do so; no additional courses or examinations are required for admission to the School of Engineering.

RECOMMENDED PREPARATION

FRESHMEN

Students who plan to enter Stanford as freshmen and intend to major in engineering should take the highest level of mathematics offered in high school. (See the "Mathematics" section of this bulletin for information on advanced placement in mathematics.) High school courses in physics and chemistry are strongly recommended, but not required. Additional elective course work in the humanities and social sciences is also recommended.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Students who do the early part of their college work elsewhere and then transfer to Stanford to complete their engineering programs should follow an engineering or pre-engineering program at the first school, selecting insofar as possible courses applicable to the requirements of the School of Engineering, that is, courses comparable to those described under "Undergraduate Programs." In addition, students should work toward completing the equivalent of Stanford's foreign language requirement and as many of the University's General Education Requirements (GERs) as possible before transferring. Some transfer students may require more than four years (in total) to obtain the B.S. degree. However, Stanford affords great flexibility in planning and scheduling individual programs, which makes it possible for transfer students, who have wide variations in preparation, to plan full programs for each quarter and to progress toward graduation without undue delay.

Transfer credit is given for courses taken elsewhere whenever the courses are equivalent or substantially similar to Stanford courses in scope and rigor. The policy of the School of Engineering is to study each transfer student's preparation and make a reasonable evaluation of the courses taken prior to transfer by means of a petition process. Inquiries may be addressed to the Office of Student Affairs in 201 Terman. For more information, see the transfer credit section of the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs at http://ughb.stanford.edu.

DEGREE PROGRAM OPTIONS

For more information about the requirements for the following options, see the "Undergraduate Degrees and Programs" section of this bulletin. Five years are usually required for a dual or coterminal program or for a combination of these two multiple degree programs. For further information, inquire with the School of Engineering's student affairs office, Terman 201, or with department contacts listed in the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs, available at http://ughb.stanford.edu.

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Stanford Bulletin, Archive 2008-09

Stanford Bulletin, Archive 2008-09

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