Academic Regulations and Policies

The regulations and policies of MSOE include only those that are necessary to the proper organization and operation of the university. MSOE reserves the right to change the rules governing admission, tuition and the granting of degrees, or any other regulation affecting its students. Such changes shall take effect whenever the administration deems it necessary. MSOE also reserves the right to exclude, at any time, students whose conduct or standing is regarded as undesirable.

Student Integrity

As an institution of higher learning, MSOE is committed above all to the educational development of its students as responsible and principled human beings. As such, MSOE is accountable to all whom it serves and by whom it is scrutinized. The university has a priority interest in promoting personal integrity and in ensuring the authenticity of its graduates’ credentials.

The university is similarly mindful that the professions, business and industry are concerned with ethical behavior no less than the professional practice of their members and employees. Therefore, MSOE students preparing for professional careers and leadership roles that are founded on responsibility and trust, must observe and be guided by the highest standards of personal integrity both in and out of the classroom.

The expectations of the university with respect to academic and classroom integrity are reflected in, but not limited to, the following guidelines:

1. Each student must recognize that even a poorly developed piece of work that represents their best efforts is far more worthwhile than the most outstanding piece of work taken from someone else.
2. Students must observe the rules established by a faculty member for a particular course.
3. Assignments prepared outside of class must include appropriate documentation of all borrowed ideas and expressions. The absence of such documentation constitutes “plagiarism,” which is the knowing or negligent use of the ideas, expressions or work of another with intent to pass such materials off as one’s own. It is an act of plagiarism if a student purchases a paper or submits a paper, computer program, or drawing claiming it to be theirs when they did not write it.
4. Each student should consistently prepare for examinations so as to reduce temptation toward dishonesty.
5. A student may not share examination answers with others for the purpose of cheating, nor should they, intentionally or through carelessness, give them an opportunity to obtain the same.
6. Academic dishonesty or cheating includes the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of any dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means. Cheating at MSOE includes but is not limited to:
   • Copying, in part or in whole, from another’s test or homework assignments, worksheets, lab reports, essays, summaries, quizzes, etc.
   • Copying examinations and quizzes, in whole or in part, unless approved by the instructor.
   • Submitting work previously graded in another course unless this has been approved by the course instructor or by departmental policy.
   • Submitting work simultaneously presented in two courses, unless this has been approved by both course instructors or by the department policies of both departments.
   • Communicating electronically (unless approved by the instructor) during examinations with the intent to seek or provide answers.
   • Attempting to present as the student’s own work, materials or papers purchased or downloaded from the Internet.
   • Violating discipline specific health, safety or ethical requirements to gain any unfair advantage in lab(s) or clinical assignments
   • Any other act committed that defrauds or misrepresents, including aiding or abetting in any of the actions defined above.
   • Claiming credit for a group project or paper when the individual student made little or no contribution to the group’s product.
   • Accessing reference documents during an exam or quiz unless approved by the course instructor.
7. A student of integrity will not support, encourage or protect others who are involved in academic dishonesty in any way, and will furthermore attempt to dissuade another student from engaging in dishonest acts.
8. Students should follow the course policies of individual instructors regarding the use of generative AI in coursework. In the absence of such a course policy, students should assume that its use is prohibited until seeking clarification from the instructor.
   • Students should be aware that the use of generative AI to complete coursework, research, assignments, or exams may violate existing academic integrity policies, including policies on cheating and plagiarism. When in doubt, students should treat the use of generative AI in assisting or completing coursework as they would treat the use of another person’s work for assisting or completing coursework (which is not to say that generative AI is literally an author or academic source).
   • Students should also be aware that, apart from academic integrity considerations, the use of generative AI in academic work may
     • bypass the learning and development of cognitive skills they attend college to attain
     • introduce falsehoods, inaccuracies, or misleading information into their work
     • compromise the quality of their work, if it obscures a teacher’s assessment of whether the work demonstrates the students’ own understanding and effort.
   • If they are permitted to use generative AI in some capacity by an instructor, students are expected to
     • disclose how, where, and from what software program they used generative AI in their work
     • assume responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies generated by their use of generative AI.
   • Students have the right to opt-out of providing personal data or academic work to generative AI programs that are not FERPA-compliant, and faculty are expected to provide alternative activities or assignments in such cases.

A student who acts without integrity in an academic setting shall be subject to sanctions. Sanctions are at the discretion of the instructor and may take one of many forms. Example sanctions include written reprimand, penalty on an assignment or exam, or “F” grade for the assignment, exam or course. If the instructor assigns an “F” for the course, the student will not be allowed to drop the course. If the student believes the sanction was unwarranted, they have the right to appeal following established procedures. All breaches of academic integrity will be reported to the vice president of academics using the required form. Upon recommendation of the instructor or at their initiation, the vice president of academics may decide that repeated or extremely serious acts of dishonesty may be grounds for more severe disciplinary action. Such cases will be referred to the dean of students per section 18 of the MSOE Student Conduct Code.

Process for Adjudicating Isolated Breaches of Academic Integrity

The student will be notified by the faculty member either within one week of the faculty member’s awareness of the problem or at the next class session attended by the student. The faculty member will notify the student using the “Breach of Academic Integrity Reporting Form.” The student will have three academic working days to communicate to the faculty member any disagreement of information reported in the notification. The faculty member may elect to make modifications to the form, or retract it, in response to this communication. The final version of the form will be sent to the chair of the academic department or school and the vice president of academics. The vice president of academics will retain all such reports in a file and may refer egregious behavior or repeated reports involving the same student to the dean of students as described in the Student Conduct Code. Any referral will only occur after the completion of the appeal process described in this section.

The following procedure will be used if a student wishes to appeal a faculty member’s judgment that academic integrity was breached. Filing appeals in accordance with these provisions shall not suspend the sanction declared in the case by the faculty member. The student will remain in class during the entire appeal process.

1. The student will have three academic working days after delivery of the written notification to initiate an appeal to the chairperson of the academic department or school in which the faculty member serves. The student will be deemed to have waived their right to appeal unless they file the appeal with the academic chair within these three academic working days. The statement of appeal must specify the reasons countering the faculty member’s determination that the student acted without integrity
2. The academic chair will have three academic working days in which to review the appeal. The purpose of the academic chair’s review is to determine if sufficient evidence exists that the student did not act with integrity. The chairperson must inform the student and faculty member of their judgment within those three academic working days. If the academic chair finds in favor of the student, the sanction and the Breach of Academic Integrity Reporting Form filed with the vice president of academics will be retracted, unless an additional appeal is made by the faculty member.
3. The student or faculty member may further appeal, in writing to the vice president of academics, the decision of the academic chair.  This appeal must occur within three academic working days.
4. The vice president of academics has the final say in determining if a student did not act with integrity. To aid in this process, the vice president of academics will convene an academic review board, to include at least three faculty members, to hear the appeal. The academic review board will consider the written appeal and shall allow both the student and faculty member to appear in person before the committee. The academic review board is expected to provide an opinion to the vice president of academics within three academic working days from the commencement of its proceedings. If the final determination is that academic integrity was not breached, all forms will be retracted.
5. The student may bring a representative to any meeting established under this procedure. The faculty member may also have representation at any meeting.

Process for Adjudicating Egregious or Repeated Breaches of Academic Integrity

Upon receipt of report of egregious or repeated notifications for breaches of academic integrity that are upheld throughout the appeal process, the vice president of academics may elect to refer students to the dean of students for action under section 18 of the Student Conduct Code. 

Student Complaint Policy and Procedures

The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) seeks to respond to, and to resolve in a timely manner, all complaints by currently enrolled students. A complaint is a written expression of dissatisfaction or formal allegation against the university, its units, its employees (including faculty and staff), and/or its students. The process to appeal an assigned grade for a course is outlined later in the section titled “Grade Appeals.”

Currently enrolled students who have a complaint first should try to work out the problem by discussing it in a factual and professional manner with those persons most involved with the issue. Many complaints can be resolved when a student makes an effort to honestly communicate their frustrations or concerns. If a student has a complaint related to a specific course in which they are enrolled, the student should first consult with the instructor of the course. If necessary, the instructor will consult the academic chair responsible for the course regarding guidance on how to best resolve the student’s concern. For all other campus complaints (academic and non-academic) that the student cannot resolve informally with the parties involved, the student should follow the Student Complaint Process  . The process includes the instructions, timelines, and official complaint form.

Title IX-Sexual Misconduct complaints has its own process and is excluded from the procedure above.

Title IX-Sexual Misconduct

Research with Human Participants

MSOE’s Institutional Review Board (MSOE IRB) is an administrative body established to protect the rights and well-being of human subjects recruited to participate in research activities. MSOE IRB has jurisdiction over human subject research activities conducted at MSOE, human subject research activities conducted by MSOE employees, students, or agents at any location, and human subject research activities that use MSOE resources.  All students, staff, and faculty at MSOE planning to conduct research involving human participants must submit an IRB protocol application package for review by MSOE IRB including proof of relevant training certification. Investigators must obtain written approval from MSOE IRB before human subject recruitment and research may begin.

In accordance with regulatory standards, MSOE IRB is comprised of qualified board members that include at least one non-scientist and one community representative. MSOE’s vice president of academics serves as the Institutional Official for MSOE IRB. Human subject researchers (e.g., investigators) at MSOE comply with requirements set forth in the code of Federal Regulations known as the “Common Rule” as well as Wisconsin State laws and MSOE policies. Federally funded multi-site studies requiring single IRB (sIRB) review involve coordinated local oversight by and advanced planning with the MSOE IRB office. In any study, if investigators intend to recruit study participants from locations outside of the United States, the primary investigator (PI) must first secure written approval from MSOE IRB prior to contacting research officials in other countries.  

The purpose of IRB oversight is to ensure adequacy of the research plan, to minimize risks, and to maximize benefits for human subjects who participate in research activities. If the investigator is a student, the research must be performed under supervision of an MSOE faculty or staff member who, by their signature, assumes responsibility for the conduct of the research with respect to proper safeguards of the rights of human subjects (participants). 

MSOE IRB approval is required before human subject research is undertaken by students for classroom work, independent study, senior design, nursing professional practice projects, surveys, master’s degree theses, or any purpose not specifically listed. This includes research with human subjects (participants) conducted for non-academic purposes, as well. Data collection by students or faculty/staff for assessment purposes only does not need MSOE IRB approval. Proposals for research projects conducted as classroom activities need to be submitted to the MSOE IRB if the intention is to share results of the project in a public forum or through publication. Class projects in which results will only be presented to students enrolled in the course and instructor(s) assigned to the course do not need IRB approval.  It is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that there are minimal risks for both the student researchers and their participants. If the instructor assumes that the project could lead to further presentation of results, either through publication or public forum, those projects will need to be reviewed by the IRB prior to the activity. Results of classroom activities cannot be presented outside of the classroom without IRB approval; retroactive IRB approval is never granted. For further information, please see the IRB Guidelines at https://libguides.msoe.edu/irb.

General Academic Policies

Catalog Rights

Each academic program is designated by a version number that identifies the specific set of degree requirements. When programs get modified, the version number changes to differentiate it from previous versions.

Students are held to the degree requirements in the catalog for the year they enter MSOE. Students may not enter or be readmitted to a program that is no longer offered or is no longer admitting students. Students re-entering after non-attendance for two years are subject to the Readmission policy. Undergraduates continuously enrolled in a catalog program older than 8 years may be required to update to the current program curriculum. Students are obligated to follow policies from the most recent catalog.

Students may not be moved to a newer program curriculum by the department without notification. If a program curriculum must be updated for accreditation or institutional reasons, students may be required to move to the newer version of the program curriculum. A plan to update students to the new program curriculum must be approved by the Council for Academic Planning (CAP) and must include a communication plan to students whose curricular path is affected. If the program is updated for other reasons, students have the choice between the original or newer program curriculum. With program approval, students may request to be transferred to the newer version of the program they started. Approval is required to ensure the appropriate courses will be offered to meet the student’s graduation date.

Student Responsibility

Students at MSOE are aided in their academic pursuits by various individuals and groups including faculty, academic advisors, support advisors, program directors and the Registrar’s Office staff. However, each student is ultimately responsible for knowing and complying with MSOE’s academic policies, procedures, and deadlines. Each student is responsible for meeting all course, credit, and grade point average requirements for graduation with their chosen degrees.

The majority of communication from MSOE to students, along with interaction with various procedures, occurs electronically. Students are responsible for regularly checking their MSOE-assigned accounts, for responding to official communication as specified, and for resolving any access issues with MSOE’s Information Technology Department.  

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

MSOE is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the purpose of which is to let the student know what educational records are kept by the university, to give the student the right to inspect such records and to ask for correction if necessary, and to control the release of such information to those who are not involved in the educational process. Under the Privacy Act, certain directory information can be made available to anyone who requests it unless the student specifically asks, in writing, that this not be done. FERPA coverage is effective for MSOE students on the first day of class of their first term.

The following is information that MSOE considers to be directory information: name(s), address, telephone number, campus email address, program(s), grade level, dates of attendance, enrollment status (full-time, part-time, withdrawn, not enrolled), degrees and honors received, participation in officially recognized sports and activities, previously attended institutions, class schedule, photographic, video, or electronic images, and program and promotion materials for university-related activities such as athletics, extra-curricular activities and academic competitions. Detailed FERPA information can be found on the FERPA page of the MSOE website.

Class Standing

Undergraduate students are classified by the number of credits earned as follows:

Students enrolled for early entry into a graduate program are considered undergraduate students until the undergraduate degree is conferred.

Class standing for students taking both quarter and semester courses will be adjusted to ensure that students maintain class standing during the transition.

Students affected by the semester transition will be classified as follows:

Quarter hours converted to semester hours:

Credit Hour Definition

For each academic credit hour, a minimum of one contact hour (50 minutes of instructional time) spent in class or actively engaged in an online or hybrid course each week is expected for lecture-based courses, or a minimum of two contact hours spent each week in the laboratory or clinical component of a course. Instructional time is regular and substantive student-faculty interaction in the delivery of course materials, whether in person or online.

For each academic credit hour, a typical undergraduate student is expected to spend two clock hours outside of class preparing for and studying for the class. Outside of class activities are required learning activities completed outside of instructional time, such as homework and reading. Time spent outside of class for a typical graduate student is expected to exceed two clock hours per credit hour.

An individual course that is offered in more than one modality or term length must have the same learning outcomes, the same or similar expectations for time spent in class and out of class for each modality to meet the designated credit level for the course. Courses offered as distance education must calculate contact hours through active engagement, as defined by the US Department of Education.

Non-traditional, credit-bearing experiences, such as independent studies or practica, must require the same total amount of learning time to be awarded the designated credit amount, although it may be distributed differently.

Regardless of delivery format, every for-credit course includes regular and substantive faculty-student interaction by a qualified instructor, and faculty are expected to prepare activities that meet the designated credit hours for the course.

Attendance

MSOE expects all students to attend regularly and promptly all lectures, laboratories and other sessions of courses for which they are registered. It is the student’s responsibility to add and drop classes from their academic schedule. Faculty are required to report students who never attend class to the Registrar’s Office. MSOE cannot charge tuition and release financial aid to students if they never attended class.

Faculty have the option of developing a policy concerning grade reduction for excessive absence from class. Any policy of this nature must be communicated in the syllabus. Faculty must report any students who never attended class to the Registrar’s Office by Friday of the second week of the term. Faculty should use the Early Alert system to report students who have stopped attending class. The Financial Aid Office may contact the faculty for the last attendance date for those students, so they can correctly process the return of financial aid. Faculty should record an approximate date of last attendance in their records. 

While emphasizing that it is each student’s responsibility to balance academic course work and extra-curricular endeavors, MSOE administration and faculty recognize the commitment of students to MSOE-sanctioned extra-curricular activities and seek to facilitate their participation in intercollegiate events and military service. MSOE-sanctioned extra-curricular endeavors include varsity athletic competitions, academic conferences, intercollegiate competitions, and military service. The student affected will personally notify their instructor no less than two (2) weeks in advance of any class or laboratory session that may be missed, and the student will request arrangements for making up missed academic work.  Some events are scheduled without two weeks advanced notice, such as rescheduled events for weather and final tournaments, however, students will do their best to provide two-week notice for the possibility of these events and continue to keep their instructors informed of changes. For academic work (e.g., quizzes, tests, presentations, labs, clinicals, etc.), an instructor will give the student a comparable alternate assignment or require the student to complete the work at an alternate time and/or date. If the instructor considers it unfeasible to grant a student’s request for accommodation, the rationale for denial must be communicated in writing to the student in question and the faculty member’s academic chair within 48 hours. If the extra-curricular activity is an athletic competition, the rationale must also be communicated with the Faculty Athletic Representative. If military service causes the missed academic work, the rationale for denial must also be communicated with the Dean of Students. The Department Chair will then communicate to the aforementioned parties their decision on whether the student is entitled to the requested accommodation. Following the Department Chair’s decision, students or instructors may send appeals to the vice president of academics for decision.

Student Accessibility and Accommodations

MSOE is committed to making its curriculum academically accessible to students with documented disabilities (physical or learning), chronic health conditions, and mental health conditions, as well as to students who become temporarily disabled due to mental and physical health concerns (inclusive of injury and concussion), in line with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Accommodations can be made for qualified individuals and are designed to create equal educational access for students without compromising the essential elements of our curriculum. Eligibility for accommodations is done on an individual basis determined by student need. Students are required to submit verification documentation prior to receiving accommodations through Student Accessibility Services.

Culminating Assessments

A culminating assessment is required in every course. The type of culminating assessment should correspond with what is specified in the departmental course outline and be announced to the class at the beginning of the term. Final examinations must occur in the two-hour block that has been assigned by the Registrar’s Office. For specific courses, a final presentation, project, or other summative assessment may be substituted for a final examination, as determined by the program, and approved by the chair. The chair will notify the Registrar’s Office which courses will not be utilizing a final examination period. Undergraduate culminating assessments may not count for more than 40 percent of the final grade.

The final examination period will be Monday-Friday of the sixteenth week during the fall and spring semesters, the seventh week of summer subterms 1 and 2, and the thirteenth week of the full summer subterm. Graduate subterms will include an optional exam week in week 8.

Final exams will be held between 8 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. with, in general, 60 minutes between each final exam period:

• 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
• 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
• 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Exams for classes meeting only on Saturday will be held on Saturday of the sixteenth week. No undergraduate classes will be held during the exam week. Voluntary (optional) class review sessions may be held during the exam week. Students are required to be available for their scheduled exam times as published on the MSOE website.

Students who have conflicting final exams are responsible for contacting the instructors and resolving the issue as soon as they are aware of the issue, but no later than ten working days prior to the start of exam week (the end of week 13).

If local or national emergencies prevent the university from being open on one or more days of exam week, the exams on those days may be canceled, rescheduled, or moved to a different modality. When possible, the campus community will be notified of a university closure by 5:45 a.m. on the day of the closure or by 3:00 p.m. for exams beginning at 5:00 p.m. or later.

More Than Two Final Exams in One Day

Enrollment Status

A student’s enrollment status for the term is established at the close of business on Friday of the first week of the term. There are some circumstances where a student must maintain full-time status throughout the term (for example, athletic eligibility, international student visa status, insurance verification). Students registered for fewer than 12 credits will have their veteran’s benefits and financial aid award reduced. If a student never attends a class on their schedule, the class will be deleted from the student’s record and the enrollment status will be adjusted accordingly. Financial aid recipients must meet criteria outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients. All exceptions must be granted by both the vice president of academics and the vice president of finance.

Study Abroad

Students wishing to engage in study abroad under programs arranged by MSOE are subject to the following:

1. Student applicants may not be on probation at the time of application or at the end of the term prior to scheduled departure. Departments have authority to set application deadlines and any appeals are to be decided by academic chairs.
2. Student applicants must sign a statement of understanding that, during their period of study abroad, they remain bound by the policies and regulations set forth in the MSOE Student Conduct Code.
3. Student applicants must meet program-specific curriculum requirements (e.g., prerequisite courses) to participate in the planned activities abroad.
4. Academic departments have authority to set program-specific minimum academic requirements (e.g., meet minimum cum GPA or major GPA levels, complete an interview process).
5. A course grade of “C” or better is required for a study abroad course to be considered for transfer credit.
6. Study abroad activities may be limited or suspended due to global events that may impact the safety of students, faculty, and staff.

Incoming Credit Policies

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is credit given for course work from another university that is approved as satisfying the course objectives and competencies of a course requirement in the student’s program. MSOE is committed to welcoming transfer students into the community and supporting them through the application and transfer credit evaluation processes.

• Students transferring to MSOE will establish an MSOE grade point average after their first term of attendance. A student’s previous college grade point average will not be transferable.
• A course grade of “C” or better is required to be considered for transfer.
• Transfer credit is considered provisional until the student’s subsequent MSOE course work confirms that they are sufficiently prepared for subsequent courses. 
• MSOE will only consider course work from institutions accredited by institutional accrediting agencies recognized by the US Department of Education for transfer evaluation. For course work completed outside of the United States, only transfer credit from institutions accredited by the Ministry of Education of that state/country or its equivalent will be considered for transfer evaluation. Institutional accreditation and/or accreditation from the Ministry of Education of the institution does not ensure the course work will transfer to MSOE.
• All credit transferred must fulfill a requirement in the student’s program.
• Transfer credit may be granted for course work completed during military service or work experience that is of a content and rigor appropriate for higher education. Military service or work experience alone are not transferable. Students with completed course work may be eligible to obtain credit by examination (see policy below) or by evaluation (see policy below).
• All transfer credit must comply with MSOE’s Residency Requirements policy.
• Credit Equivalency: The transferred course does not need to have equal or greater credit value; however, per the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the institution must have “a process for ensuring that all courses transferred and applied toward degree requirements demonstrate equivalence with its own courses required for that degree or are equivalent rigor.”
• Some courses may have age limitations and are not transferable.
• The decision for specific course transfer is determined by the chairperson or designee from the department or school that offers or is most closely aligned with the course.
• Courses fulfilling only a common learning outcome (CLO) requirement without an MSOE course equivalent will be transferred in using a general education prefix with the appropriate CLO title.
• Students may be required to provide syllabi or other course information for courses they wish to transfer.
• Exceptions may be made for course work in programs where MSOE has specific articulated agreements.

Credit by Examination

Credit by examination is available upon recommendation of the appropriate academic chairperson or designee. The student must have completed approximately 80 percent of the course material in a learning environment, or 60 percent of the course material in a learning environment in addition to having appropriate work experience in the same content area. A learning environment is a for-credit or not-for-credit courses, seminars, or other formal teaching and learning setting where there is opportunity for instructor-student interaction. Exams are not given on the basis of work experience alone. An exam can be taken only once. Credits earned by exam are not considered credits earned in residence at MSOE.

Typically, students who meet the below criteria are not eligible for Credit by Examination:

• The student has dropped or failed the class at MSOE.
• The student has earned a non-transferable grade less than a C in an equivalent course at another university
• The student has taken an AP exam and not earned a high enough score to earn credit

Exceptions may be made in extenuating circumstances or if the student has taken additional course work or has had additional work experience that relates to the course content.

Credit by Examination Procedure

1. Students must contact the academic chairperson in the area in which they would like to take an examination to determine if the student has sufficient background to be eligible for an exam of this nature. The student must provide any available documentation of course work completed in this content area to the chairperson at this time (transcripts, course description, syllabi, etc.).
2. The chairperson is responsible for selecting the instructor who will administer the exam.
3. The instructor should review the course outline and the general content of the examination with the student in advance of the examination date.
4. The non-refundable exam fee must be paid to the Student Accounts Office prior to taking the examination. The Student Accounts Office will then sign the appropriate section of the approval form indicating that the fee has been paid.
5. Once the exam is completed, the instructor will complete the Credit by Examination form with the appropriate grade and submit it to the chairperson within seven days after student takes the exam. The final grade must be 77 or above for credit to be awarded.
6. The academic chair will complete the form and forward it to the registrar for processing.

Students may also participate in the Advanced Placement Program (AP) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) sponsored by the College Board or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). Incoming students can review options and required scores for MSOE credit at https://www.msoe.edu/admissions-aid/undergraduate-admissions/incoming-credits/ and can call the Admissions Department with any follow-up questions.

Credit by Evaluation

While most external credit is granted via transfer credit or credit by exam, there are a small number of circumstances that are best evaluated by some other type of evaluation.  Credit by Evaluation is available upon recommendation of the appropriate academic chairperson. The student must have completed approximately 80 percent of the course material in a learning environment, or 60 percent of the course material in addition to having appropriate work experience in the same content area. A learning environment is for-credit or not-for-credit courses, seminars, or other formal teaching and learning setting where there is opportunity for instructor-student interaction. Credit is not evaluated on the basis of work experience alone. Credits earned by evaluation are not considered credits earned in residence at MSOE.

Students who meet the below criteria are not eligible for Credit by Evaluation:

• The student has dropped or failed the class at MSOE.
• The student has earned a non-transferable grade less than a C in an equivalent course at another university.

Credit by Evaluation Procedures

1. Students must contact the academic chairperson in the area in which they would like work evaluated to determine if they have sufficient background for pursuing credit by evaluation. The student should provide any available documentation of course work completed in this content area to the chairperson at this time (transcripts, certificates, syllabi, course descriptions, etc.)
2. The chairperson is responsible for selecting the instructor who will evaluate the work and the method that will be used for evaluation.  The instructor will submit an evaluation rubric and grading scale for approval by the chairperson.  The evaluation rubric will clearly demonstrate how the course learning outcomes will be evaluated.
3. The instructor should review the course learning outcomes and the expectations of the evaluation with the student.
4. The non-refundable fee must be paid to the Student Accounts Office prior to the evaluation. The Student Accounts Office will then sign the appropriate section of the approval form indicating that the fee has been paid.
5. Once the evaluation is completed, the instructor will complete the Credit by Evaluation form with the appropriate grade.  The completed form, the completed evaluation rubric, the grading scale used for the rubric, and any other evaluation documentation should be submitted to the chairperson within seven days of the evaluation.   A minimum grade of C (or equivalent) is required to earn credit.
6. The academic chair will complete the form and forward it to the registrar for processing.

Registration and Scheduling Policies

Academic Advising

All new undergraduate students must meet with their assigned advisor during their first term to ensure that they understand the curriculum and future scheduling procedures. All new students are provided with degree requirements for their program, such as required courses, general education courses, and electives, as defined in the MSOE academic catalog. In subsequent terms, the advisors work with the students to ensure that students make satisfactory progress without violating prerequisites.

Prerequisite and Corequisite Courses

Prerequisites are courses that must be successfully completed prior to another course to ensure adequate preparation for the next course. A corequisite is a course that must be completed at the same time or prior to another specified course. Prerequisite and corequisite courses are listed in the Course Descriptions  section of the academic catalog.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have successfully completed all prerequisites before taking a course. If any prerequisites have not been successfully completed by the start of the course, the student is required to drop the course. Students who do not comply are subject to removal from the course. Full-time status may be affected by dropping or removal from a course.

Students are responsible for ensuring they have either successfully completed a or are concurrently registered for any corequisite courses. Students who do not meet the corequisite requirements are required to drop the course. Students who do not comply are subject to removal from the course. Full-time status may be affected by dropping or removal from a course.

The student will be allowed to continue in the course only if a prerequisite or corequisite waiver is approved by the chair of the appropriate academic department or school.

In rare cases, some pairs of courses are required to be taken concurrently. In these cases, the academic unit that oversees the course determines progression policies for corequisites that are dropped or unsatisfactorily completed.

Registration Timeline and Deadlines–Adding Classes/Changing Sections

The registration deadline is the date and time all registration must be finalized for each term or subterm. 

• Regular registration is the period of time during which students are expected to reserve seats in their classes for the fall or spring term.
• Late registration is the period immediately following regular registration through the final registration deadline for that term.

• Students may not add a course or change sections after 4:30 p.m. on Friday of the first week. 
• Classes dropped after the registration deadline will appear on the student’s transcript with a grade of W (withdrawal)
• The registration deadline is also the deadline for students to finalize credit or audit status.

Registration timeline: Semesters

• The regular registration period for the fall semester is Monday of week 11 through 4:30 pm central time on Friday of week 14 of the spring semester.
• The regular registration period for the spring semester is Monday of week 11 through 4:30 pm central time on Friday of week 14 of the fall semester.
• Late registration immediately follows regular registration and lasts through the registration deadline.
• The registration deadline for Fall and Spring semester classes is Friday of the first week of classes at 4:30 pm central time.

Registration timeline: Summer

• There are no distinct regular or late registration periods for the full summer term and summer subterms.
• Full summer term and subterm registration will begin at the date and time announced by the Registrar’s Office.
• The registration deadline for full summer and subterm classes is at 4:30 pm central time on Friday of the full summer term or subterm’s first week.
• Whenever possible, students should register for subterm 2 classes by the subterm 1 registration deadline.

Registration timeline: Fall and Spring Subterms (select graduate courses only)

• The regular registration period for fall subterms 1 and 2 is Monday of week 11 through 4:30 pm central time on Friday of week 14 of the spring semester.
• The regular registration period for spring subterms 1 and 2 is Monday of week 11 through 4:30 pm central time on Friday of week 14 of the fall semester.
• Late registration immediately follows regular registration and lasts through the registration deadline.
• The registration deadline for subterm classes is Friday of the first week of subterm classes at 4:30 pm central time.
• Whenever possible, students should register for subterm 2 classes by the subterm 1 registration deadline.

Dropping Individual Classes

Prior to Friday of the first week of the term at 4:30 p.m., a student may drop a course from their schedule with no record of the drop on their transcripts. Classes dropped after week one and before the drop deadline will be recorded on the student transcript as a grade of W (Withdraw). Students are responsible for their academic schedule and understanding the financial and academic consequences of dropping classes.

Individual Term Deadlines: The deadlines for students to drop individual classes from their schedule are:

• Semester Classes: Monday of week 11 at 4:30 p.m.
• Summer Subterms 1 and 2: Monday of week 6 at 4:30 p.m.
• Full Summer Subterm: Monday of week 12 at 4:30 p.m.
• Fall-Spring Subterms: Monday of week 7 at 4:30 p.m.

Auditing a Course

An audit is intended to provide students with an opportunity to review subject matter they have previously studied or to participate in courses to obtain information of interest to them. Since an audit does not carry any credits, auditing of noncredit courses such as seminars and short courses is not permitted.

• Students must have successfully completed the proper prerequisites for the course.
• Students may not enroll for subsequent courses for credit based upon audited prerequisite subjects.
• Students may not use audited courses to satisfy any degree requirements.
• Students may not audit non-credit courses.
• Registration priority for courses is given to credit-seeking students, so availability is not guaranteed.
• Permission to audit a course must be granted through the department chair over the course.
• Students must register for an audit by the registration deadline, and it will appear on the transcript.
• Students cannot change from audit to credit, or credit to audit, after the registration deadline.
• The cost to audit a course is three-fourths the regular tuition of the course for students registering for 0 - 11 credits.  If a student’s total credits including the credits for the audited course are between 12-19, there is no additional charge. If the student is enrolled in more than 19 credits and a portion of those credits are taken as audit, the student should contact the Student Accounts Office to determine additional tuition charges.
• Recent MSOE graduates are eligible to audit courses at no cost through the MSOE Guarantee.

Directed Study

Directed study provides the opportunity to receive one-on-one course instruction for an existing course with an MSOE faculty member.

• Generally, permission for such registration is granted only if a student is unable to schedule a specific course that is required for graduation and the student is within 16 credits of graduation. Some courses, due to their nature, are not eligible for directed study.
• The department chair will determine whether running the course as a directed study is justified and, if so, whether there are enough resources available to offer the directed study. Academic departments may have additional policies that govern approval or denial of directed study courses in their department. Directed study classes must be scheduled in alignment with the starts and stops of terms as published in the academic catalog.
• Directed study classes may be dropped in accordance with the published drop deadline for the term.
• Directed study classes have a minimum requirement of at least two-thirds of the normal contact hours.
• Completed forms must be submitted by the registration deadline, and coursework must be complete when the term ends.
• The applicable fee is published on the Student Financial Services    page of the Academic Catalog. The fee is non-refundable.

Forms can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office website. Students submit the form to the chairperson of the academic department or school that administers the course. If permission is granted, the chair will provide name(s) of approved instructors for the course. Then the student must contact the instructor to set up the schedule for the course. After the instructor has signed the form, the student must pay the directed study fee in the Student Accounts Office before the directed study begins. Once the fee is paid and Student Accounts has signed the form, the student must submit the form to the Registrar’s Office prior to the registration deadline. The Registrar’s Office will register the student for the course and notify the faculty member that the course can begin.

Independent Study

An independent study gives a student the opportunity to pursue a specialized topic not covered in regularly scheduled course work. An independent study course is not intended to replicate an existing course.

The student works closely with a qualified faculty member who agrees to supervise the project. The student must work with the faculty member to develop a plan for the independent study topic and request permission from the chair. The chair will determine whether there are enough resources available to allow the independent study. The student must complete the appropriate Independent Study Form, available from the program director, and present it at the time of registration for the course.

The role of the faculty member is to guide the student in independent learning. The faculty is expected to provide regular and substantive student-faculty interaction in accordance with the MSOE Credit Hour policy guidance.

Changing Programs

During their studies, students may determine that their original program choice is not a fit and may choose to switch to another program. To change programs, students must complete the Undergraduate Change of Program Request form available from the Registrar’s Office.

Those who change programs may optionally exclude courses from their original program that do not count toward their new program, which prevents those grades and credits from being calculated into their GPAs.

• Excluding courses are all or nothing; that is, students choosing to exclude courses must exclude all unused courses from the old program. The new program director or chair determines which classes are excluded. Students who elect to exclude courses will also lose the credits, which may affect their class standing.
• If a student-athlete meets eligibility requirements for both GPA and progress towards graduation prior to changing majors and the course exclusion process, the excluded credits may be used for eligibility processing. This creates a two-semester grace period to meet the eligibility standards of 12 credits per full-time semester.
• If a student-athlete does not meet the GPA standard for eligibility prior to excluding courses, the remaining credits are used to establish their eligibility with regards to progressing towards graduation.

Courses taken by Undergraduate and Graduate Students

This policy applies to graduate and undergraduate students taking courses that can be taken for either graduate or undergraduate credit, as well as for graduate students seeking graduate credit for an undergraduate course. Undergraduate students may not take 6000- or 7000-level courses unless they are accepted for early entry into a master’s program and have permission from the program director or department chair.

Cross-listed 4000/5000-level Courses

Program directors determine which courses at the 5000 level are open to undergraduates seeking elective credit. The course must be cross-listed at the 4000 level for any students seeking undergraduate credit.

• Students taking the course for undergraduate credit, including graduate students fulfilling prerequisite requirements, register under the 4000-level designation.
• Any students taking the course for graduate credit, including undergraduate students enrolled for early entry to a master’s program, register under the 5000-level designation. The 5000-level courses must state whether they are open to qualified undergraduates in the list of prerequisites in the catalog and the schedule of classes.
• Crosslisted courses may have different credit totals as long as both courses meet MSOE’s credit hour policy.
• An undergraduate student must have achieved senior standing and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 before taking any graduate course.
  • Undergraduate students enrolled for early entry into a master’s program will have met these qualifications.
  • Undergraduate students not accepted for early entry into a master’s program must receive permission from the graduate program director to ensure the student has met these qualifications.
  • Undergraduate students taking graduate courses beyond undergraduate degree requirements must consult with Financial Aid to understand financial obligations associated with taking undergraduate and graduate courses.
  • An undergraduate student may not take more than 16 graduate credits. These credits are subject to evaluation upon admission to an MSOE graduate program but will not count toward the transfer credit limit of that program.
• Students enrolled in the 5xxx section will have different expectations and grading from students enrolled in the 4xxx section.
  • Expectations for students taking the course for graduate credit should exceed those taking it for undergraduate credit. For example, graduate credit may require an extra project, greater expectations on a project that all students complete, or some other differentiation that elevates the course to graduate level.
  • This differentiation must be clearly documented on the course syllabus.
  • Students will be graded using the appropriate grading scale for the level for which they are registered (undergraduate/graduate).

Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit

A graduate student with a free elective in their graduate program may wish to enroll in an undergraduate course that contains subject matter of particular interest to the student and to receive graduate credit for so doing.

• In the semester preceding the one in which the undergraduate class is offered, the graduate student shall contact the instructor of the undergraduate course in question and will explain their desire to obtain graduate credit for the course and ask the instructor if they are willing to assign and grade additional work to elevate the course to graduate-level expectations, as noted above.
• If the instructor and the academic chair of the department or school offering the course agree, then the department chair will run a special topics course with an XXX 5980 designation, and the student will register for that and attend the course with the undergraduates at their designated meeting times.

Outside Transfer

Students wishing to transfer in course work from another institution for graduate credit may only do so if the course work carries a U/G or G designation, as stated in that institution’s official catalog.

Withdrawal and Readmission Policies

Leave of Absence, Withdrawal, and University Departure

Students considering taking a leave of absence, withdrawing from all classes or requesting a university departure, if they have not already, are encouraged to discuss their specific circumstances with the Raider Center for Academic Success, their faculty advisor, or other campus support staff. For students who, after reflection on their personal, financial and academic considerations, determine taking a leave of absence, withdrawing from all courses, or requesting a university departure is in their best interest, an official form must be submitted. This form can be found on the Registrar’s Office website or can be picked up from the Registrar’s Office. 

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence is a planned interruption of attendance for one or more terms, but less than two years, before continuing with courses. The official form must be submitted to request a leave of absence. Students may submit their request at any time for the subsequent term or can request a leave of absence in conjunction with a withdrawal of all classes. If there is a need to take some time off due to a medical or mental health concern, a medical leave of absence can be provided. The Dean of Students Office will assist with coordination of medical leave along with re-entry to the university.

The deadline to submit a request for a leave of absence is 4:30 p.m. on Friday of the first week of the term in which the student wishes to take a leave of absence.

Students who are absent for one or more terms without officially taking a leave of absence may need to reapply and be reconsidered for admission to the university.

Withdrawal from All Classes

Withdrawal from all classes is a removal from all current term classes after the Friday of week one with the intent to re-enroll for the subsequent term. The official form must be submitted to formally withdraw from all classes. A formal withdrawal from all classes will result in final grades of W being reported for all registered classes. Mere absence from classes is not an indication of a formal withdraw. If there is a need to withdraw from all current courses due to a medical or mental health concern, a medical withdrawal can be provided. The Dean of Students Office will assist with coordination of the medical withdrawal along with registration for the subsequent term.

• The deadline to withdraw from all current classes is 4:30 p.m. Monday of the 15th week of classes.
• All subterm classes must be dropped individually (all summer, graduate fall, and graduate spring subterms).

University Departure

University departure is a separation from the University, either during the current term or in between terms without intent of re-enrollment. The official form must be submitted to formally request a university departure and ensure a successful transition from enrollment at MSOE. The official university departure request can be submitted at any time, either in conjunction with a withdrawal from all classes or independently for the subsequent term. Submission of an official university departure request does not prevent a student from re-enrolling at MSOE at a later date.

Additional Circumstances

If a student is receiving financial aid, it is strongly recommended that they contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing so that they can explain any financial consequences associated with the withdrawal. For more information about the tuition effects of withdrawal refer to the Student Financial Services  catalog section.

International students, student-athletes and students who receive military education benefits, may have additional considerations when withdrawing. Students are advised to discuss their specific situation with the International Affairs staff, Athletics Department and/or the VA Certifying Official for more information prior to submitting an official form for taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from classes.

Military Call to Active Duty or Training

MSOE is committed to supporting students who have been called to active duty and/or training by any branch of the United States Armed Forces prior to or during periods of enrollment. The university will work with students on the best course of action, taking into consideration the time of the term, length of activation and the student’s specific needs. Students who are called to active duty should contact the Dean of Students Office for support and the VA Certifying Official if they are receiving military benefits.  

Repeated Withdrawals

A student who withdraws from all current classes for any two consecutive terms will have a hold placed on their account.  The student will need to submit a written explanation of the circumstances that led to the withdrawals and may need to meet with an ad hoc committee to discuss their readiness to return to classes.  The committee will determine whether the student is allowed to register or must take additional time off.

Refunds

Tuition refunds will be based on the date of official withdrawal, NOT on the date of last class attendance. The official withdrawal date is the date that the completed form is received by the Registrar’s Office. Should a student fail to meet the withdrawal deadline, they will be responsible for tuition for all scheduled classes. Please see the refund schedule for information on how refunds will be administered.

Readmission

Students admitted to an undergraduate degree program who have not registered for a course at MSOE in the last two years must apply for readmission through the Admissions Department.

All newly readmitted students are responsible for completing the program of study that is current at the time of their readmittance. Students seeking readmission are not guaranteed entry into their original academic degree program.

For students who plan to transfer in their final course(s) for graduation, these courses must be submitted for transfer within two years of the student’s last registered term at MSOE. If the student attempts to transfer in credits after two years, the student will be evaluated against the current curriculum track for that program to determine graduation requirements.

Students who have an academic status of “suspended” must successfully appeal their status to their respective Student Advancement Committee before being readmitted.

Readmission of Service Members

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 requires that students who left MSOE to serve in the uniformed services be readmitted into the same program with the same standing they had when they left. Service in the uniformed services, according to Stat. 3291 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, means “service (whether voluntary or involuntary) on active duty in the Armed Forces, including such service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve, for a period of more than 30 days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 days.” MSOE allows for special readmission of these students, with the following provisions:

1. Student’s lapse in attendance was due to active duty in the uniformed services, including the National Guard or Reserve, for more than 30 days.
2. The student must submit documentation that their absence was due to participation in the uniformed services. (Examples of such documentation include a copy of the student’s orders, a DD214, or a signed and dated statement from the student’s commanding officer.)
3. The cumulative length of all absences from MSOE for participation in the uniformed services does not exceed five years.
4. The student will be admitted to the same academic program, with the same academic standing, that they were in at the time the absence began. If the exact program is no longer offered, the student will be placed into a program that is most similar to that program, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program.
5. The student’s ability to be readmitted under the terms of the HEOA terminates upon any of the following events:
   a. Being separated from the armed forces with a dishonorable discharge.
   b. Being dismissed as permitted under section 1161(a) of title 10, United States Code.
   c. Being dropped from the rolls pursuant to section 1161(b) of title 10, United States Code.

Students who are expected to leave for active duty service should contact the Registrar’s Office as well as the School Certifying Official to ensure all required items are taken care of prior to deployment (laptop hand-in, document submission, etc.). To start the readmission process, service members must complete an admissions application and contact MSOE’s Admissions Office as well as MSOE’s veterans certifying official.

Grading Policies

Undergraduate Grading System

Students receive letter grades in each course for which they register. Grades and their grade point equivalents are awarded on the following scale:

Grade point averages (GPAs) are computed by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of credit hours earned. For undergraduate students, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 and a minimum cumulative major GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation.

In the event of a significant disruption of academic activities, as declared by the vice president of academics, a temporary, alternative pass/no pass grading scale may be employed. The use of the alternative grading scale must be authorized by the Council for Academic Planning and communicated by the vice president of academics. When in effect, the alternative grading scale must be consistently applied university wide.

• “Pass” is defined as the equivalent of a C grade or higher.
• “Low Pass” is defined as the equivalent of a CD or D grade.
• “No Pass” is defined as the equivalent of an F grade.

Grade Changes

Grade changes must be processed by the end of the subsequent semester. 

• Fall and fall subterm grade changes must be processed by the end of the following spring semester.
• Spring, spring subterm, full summer term, and summer subterm grade changes must be process by the end of the following fall semester.

If an extenuating circumstance exists, the student may appeal the one-semester deadline to the chairperson of the department or school that offers the course.

An exception is granted for graduate capstone project courses in which a grade of Project in Progress (PIP) is recorded.  If the PIP grade is not changed within one calendar year from being first recorded, the PIP grade will resolve to a grade of Unsatisfactory (U) or Fail (F). The program director can prevent the conversion to the U or F grade if the project advisor verifies that the student is still making suitable progress on the project.

No grade changes will be processed after a student’s degree is conferred. After a student’s degree is conferred, the transcript is considered a finalized historical document and cannot be changed. 

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete grades are reserved for situations in which a student has done satisfactory work in a course until near the end of the term but because of extenuating circumstances, the course could not be completed. An incomplete grade is given at the discretion of the instructor. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor to have the work completed; these arrangements must be initiated within the first two weeks of the following semester (not including the summer terms).

• For incomplete grades issued in fall semester and fall subterms, the students must contact the instructor within the first two weeks of the following spring semester.
• For incomplete grades issued in spring semester, spring subterms, full summer term, and summer subterms, students must contact the instructor within the first two weeks of the following fall semester.

A letter grade followed by an asterisk is a temporary grade indicating incomplete work. The letter preceding the asterisk represents the grade the student will earn if no additional work is completed. The letter grade can go up if additional work is completed, but it cannot go down. The letter grade preceding the asterisk is calculated into the student’s GPA.

The student must submit the required work to complete the course within the time deadline set by the instructor, but this may not be later than the end of the same semester. If the student has not completed all work for the course after this period of time, the asterisk will be dropped and the letter grade preceding the asterisk will become the permanent grade.

No grade changes will be processed after a student’s degree is conferred.

Grade Appeals

Students may appeal a final grade they believe was given in error or based on unreasonable departure from previously articulated standards. The student should first contact the instructor assigning the grade and explain why they believe the grade to be in error. If the appeal to the instructor does not lead to resolution, the student may formally appeal the grade in writing to the office of the vice president of academics (VPA). The VPA will convene a meeting of at least 3 additional faculty members to review, discuss, and make a recommendation to the VPA. The committee will consider the student and the faculty arguments and may elect to speak with either or both. The VPA has final authority over the appeal decision.

Any grade change appeal must be in process by the official end of the term following the term in which the grade was earned; if the course is a prerequisite to a next term course and the initial grade submitted was a failing grade, the process must be completed by Friday of the first week of the term.

Major Grade Point Average

The major GPA is designed to show a student’s proficiency in their specific degree program. A major GPA of 2.00 or higher is required for graduation. Courses used in calculating the major GPA in each program are indicated on each program’s catalog page with an asterisk.

Nursing students only: A grade of “C” or better is required in all NUR courses (except NUR electives). See Nursing, B.S  page for additional policies.

Midterm Progress Reports

Students desiring a midterm progress report  may receive one from each instructor during the eighth week of the semester or third week of the subterm. It is the responsibility of the student to submit requests to the instructor(s) during the seventh week of the semester or second week of the subterm. The instructor(s) will return the completed form to the student in the eighth week of the semester or third week of the subterm. Students are responsible for following up with recommended actions. No official record of the midterm grade is kept.

Grade Replacement

Anytime an undergraduate student repeats a class in which they initially earned a penalty grade, it is processed as a grade replacement. This means that the initial grade will not count into the student’s grade point average once the course is completed the second time. Penalty grades are defined as any final grade of CD, D, or F. Grade-replaced grades will show on the transcript but will not be averaged into the student’s grade point average. Courses in which a non-penalty grade was earned can be repeated but they cannot be grade replaced. Courses must be retaken at MSOE to be eligible for grade replacement.

For courses with considerable overlapping content: If a student earns a penalty grade in a course that is no longer offered, the academic chair over the course can approve a grade replacement that replaces the old course with a current course with similar content. Courses that do not meet the above requirement will be reviewed by the chair and may be referred to the vice president of academics for consideration. With approval, the grade can be removed from the student’s GPA.

Nursing students only: Additional progression policies apply to all nursing students. See the Nursing, B.S  program page.

Grade Replacement for Lübeck Study-abroad Program

MSOE/Technische Hochschule Lübeck (THL) study-abroad program participants only: Courses taken at MSOE cannot be used to grade replace any junior year THL grades. All participating students are required to follow THL policies regarding retaking/passing of exams and tests for THL courses. All resulting THL grades will be converted into MSOE grades. For all THL courses, MSOE students are always allowed to retake the equivalent MSOE course, if offered, but only without grade replacement.

Academic Standing

Dean’s List and Honors List

MSOE encourages excellence in academic achievement and, as a result, publishes the Dean’s List and Honors List each fall and spring semester. Students taking undergraduate courses who have earned at least 12 credits in residence at MSOE, are in good academic standing, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher are on the Dean’s List. Students on that list who have maintained a 3.70 or higher receive “high honors.” Students with a term GPA of 3.20 or higher, who are not on the Dean’s List, are on the Honors List.

Good Standing

An undergraduate student is in good academic standing when both of the following are equal to or greater than 2.00:

• The cumulative grade point average and
• The cumulative major grade point average.

Academic standing is processed after the fall and spring semesters as indicated below.

Academic Probation and Suspension

After the fall semester, students with a cumulative GPA or major GPA below 2.00 will be placed on academic probation. Students who are on probation are expected to meet with their academic advisor within the first 4 weeks of the subsequent semester.

At the end of each spring semester, any student with a cumulative GPA or major GPA below 2.00 is subject to suspension and their record will be reviewed to determine whether they will be allowed to continue in the next academic year. If after that review, it is determined that the student is allowed to continue, he or she will be allowed to return in the next academic year with a status of academic probation. If after that review, the student is suspended, the student may submit a written appeal of the decision to the Student Advancement Committee. Members of the committee will review the written appeal and may require a face-to-face meeting before making a final decision. A student who is allowed to continue after the appeal process may be reviewed and suspended after any subsequent term in which they are enrolled if sufficient academic progress has not been made. Decisions of the committee are final.

Please note that there are separate financial aid warning and financial aid suspension policies.

MSOE Honors Program Progression

For a student to continue in the honors program the following conditions must be met:

• Students must successfully complete the required honors courses in the academic year they are assigned.
• The student must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.2 at the end of each academic year.
• Students must remain in good academic standing each term.
• Honors students are expected to maintain academic progress. Students who withdraw in two or more terms will be reviewed by the program director to determine whether they can continue in the Honors Program.

Students will be assessed for their eligibility to continue in the honors program at the end of each academic year. Students who do not meet the above requirements will be removed from the program and its associated privileges, including but not limited to, the living/learning community housing.

• If a student does not earn a GPA of 3.2 in a given semester, they must meet with the honors program director or designee during week one of the subsequent semester to ensure they are on pace to meet year-end program requirements.
• If a student is placed on probation, the MSOE Honors Program Director will be notified. The program director will meet with the student to determine if the student should remain in the program.
• Students placed on suspension will be immediately removed from the honors program.
• If the student wishes to resume participation in the program, a written appeal must be received by the program director by July 1^st.
• Students whose active military duty or prolonged illness requires them to withdraw from classes will have their enrollment in the MSOE Honors Program paused until they re-enroll in the university.

Graduation Requirements

Authority for the granting of degrees by MSOE and making of exceptions to standard policies lies with the vice president of academics and the Executive Educational Council. In all cases where ABET-accredited programs or other accreditations are in effect, care will be taken to ensure that all graduates meet or exceed the minimum accreditation criteria.

Bachelor’s degree recipients must earn a minimum of 120 total credits and satisfy all course requirements in the prescribed curriculum for their academic program.

Residency Requirements

A minimum of 40 percent of the total bachelor’s degree credits must be earned in residence. Credits earned in residence are those completed through MSOE, whether on campus or remotely. Exceptions are noted below.

• A minimum of 30 upper-division, in-major credits must be earned in residence. In-major credits are those which count toward the student’s major GPA, as defined by the program.
• The capstone experience must be completed in residence.
• Approved residency exceptions may be made for specific study abroad programs or written/contractual agreements with other institutions.
• MSOE Advanced Credit Examinations and Evaluations, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College Level Examination (CLEP) are not considered credits earned in residence.

Graduation and Commencement Procedures

Students must apply for graduation in the Registrar’s Office by the dates posted on the Registrar’s Office website. For those who submit a graduation application on time, the Registrar’s Office will conduct a graduation audit before the end of the first week of the term in which the student plans to graduate and notify the student by email if additional courses are required. Students who plan to participate in the commencement ceremony must be scheduled to complete all degree requirements prior to the ceremony.
A student completing graduation requirements by the end of a term, but who has not applied for graduation by the application deadline, is not guaranteed participation in the ceremony. Students intending to complete all remaining courses during the summer months may participate in the spring commencement ceremony. Any other requests related to commencement attendance must be requested in writing and approved by the vice president of academics. Such a request must be based on unusual circumstances that would impose a significant and verifiable hardship on the student.

Commencement Accessories

Qualified students may wear approved cords, pins, and stoles at University commencement ceremonies to indicate academic achievement or membership in approved academic societies, campus groups, and identity groups. Descriptions of the honors are noted in the graduation program. Students may wear more than one accessory.

The university maintains a list of groups authorized to wear accessories at commencement. The sponsoring groups are responsible for the design, cost, procurement, and distribution of accessories. Student groups not on the approved list may submit a request for approval.

Students may appropriately decorate their mortar boards. Students will be asked to remove anything that is deemed offensive or inappropriate. If they refuse, students may not participate in the commencement ceremony. Students must request permission from the commencement coordinator to wear personal decorations beyond their mortar boards.

New groups wishing to have their accessory approved must submit the Commencement Accessory Request form  for review by the Executive Educational Council (EEC). In the form, groups will need to explain the design, purpose, and significance of the accessory and how it will be procured. The form must be submitted to the commencement coordinator by April 1 for May commencement and by November 1 for December commencement. Approval may take up to three weeks.

Double Majors, Minors, Certificates, and Early Entry to Master’s Degrees

Double Majors and Dual Degrees

Some students may wish to focus on two distinct disciplines in their studies. Students are encouraged to pursue minors or early entry into a master’s degree; however, some may prefer to pursue two undergraduate programs.

Students earn dual degrees when they complete all requirements for two undergraduate programs. Some courses may double count or be substituted. Two degrees are listed on the transcript, and the student is issued two diplomas.

Students earn double majors when they pursue two programs within the same school or department with a significant amount of overlap. Students are conferred one degree with two majors listed on the transcript.

Requirements for students who wish to pursue two undergraduate disciplines simultaneously:

• MSOE offers a set list of pre-approved double majors and dual degrees. Some programs may not be paired. Programs with around 45 credits or more of overlap beyond general education courses (Raider Core) would be considered double majors.
• Students must be in good standing.
• Before students are approved, program directors and chairs of both programs must create a curriculum plan for that student that must be sent to the Registrar’s Office. The plan must document all substitutions and waivers to show that the student will meet the requirements for both programs.
  • One major or degree is designated on the plan as the primary major or degree and one as a secondary major or degree. Some may only be designated as primary.
    • For double majors that include one engineering and one non-engineering major, the engineering major will always be the primary major in order to ensure ABET accreditation requirements are met appropriately
    • All requirements for a secondary major must also be met. An engineering major cannot be a secondary major unless the primary major is also an engineering program.
  • Courses may be double counted, but they may not be triple counted to earn additional minors or certificates.
  • Courses should be coordinated by the two program directors to ensure compliance with accreditation and General Education Program requirements.
  • The plan must coordinate the completion of both programs in the same final term.
  • Program directors decide whether students take the capstone sequence for both majors. Depending on the programs, students may only be required to take it once if significant content from both programs is involved in the project.
• Students may not pursue three degree programs or majors, but they may pursue a minor or certificate as long as courses are not triple counted.
• Students must maintain all GPA requirements in both programs.
• Dual degrees generally require more than four years for completion; double majors may require more than four years.
• The degree(s) are conferred when students meet all requirements as listed on the plan.
• The student’s advisor will be from the primary program.
• Once a degree is conferred, students would need to re-apply to MSOE and complete another degree if they want to pursue a second major.
• If a student, for some unforeseen circumstance, cannot complete both programs in the same term, they may petition the Student Advancement Committee for an extension up to one year. Students should also consult with Financial Aid for any impact on their aid.

Students wishing to pursue dual degrees or double majors in disciplines that do not have a pre-approved plan may petition both programs to create one. If the pairing is approved by the department, it must be approved by the Council for Academic Planning. The request must be submitted to the appropriate department chairs at least six months prior to the semester in which the student wishes to officially declare.

Minors

A student who completes a bachelor’s degree at MSOE may also optionally earn a minor in one or more areas through satisfactory completion of all the requirements stipulated for each minor. A minor is a set of courses to be regarded as a field of expertise not at the same depth as a major. A minor can complement or contrast a student’s major. Students must formally declare their pursuit of a minor in the Registrar’s Office prior to their degree being conferred.

• A minor requires 15-21 credits in courses specified or defined by the department offering the minor.
• Minors may only be granted in a discipline other than a student’s major. In addition, some minors may not be paired with a closely related major as determined by the major department.
• Fifty percent of the credits required for an academic minor must be taken at MSOE. Transfer credit and AP, IB, and CLEP credits may count toward the minor but do not meet this requirement.
• Independent studies may not be used to fulfill the requirements of a minor.
• A minimum of 6 credits of the minor may not be required, specified classes in the student’s major. However, these credits may be satisfied through elective choices required for the major.  
• A course may be double counted, but not triple counted, toward more than one degree, minor, or certificate.
• Efforts will be made to run sufficient courses for a minor over a four-year period. There is no guarantee that courses for a minor will be conveniently scheduled.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required in courses counted toward the minor.
• There will be no limits on the number of minors a student may receive.
• Minors earned will appear on the student’s transcript, but not on the diploma.
• All requirements for the minor must be met by the time the student’s bachelor’s degree is conferred.
• There will be no substitutions for the requirements of a minor without the appropriate minor coordinator’s written approval.

Certificates

A certificate recognizes that students have completed a defined, cohesive set of courses with a specific academic focus. A student wishing to complete a certificate does so by satisfactorily completing all requirements stipulated for each certificate.

• Prospective students not enrolled at MSOE apply through the Admissions Department. Students must meet admission criteria and be accepted to the university to earn a certificate.
• Current MSOE students must declare their pursuit of a certificate as well as their intention to complete with the Registrar’s Office.
• Financial aid is available for certificates under certain circumstances. Students must consult with the Financial Aid Office for financial aid eligibility.
• A course may be double counted, but not triple counted, toward more than one degree, minor, or certificate.
• Certificates may not be paired with a closely related minor or specialization, as determined by the department offering the certificate.
• At least sixty percent of the credits (or a minimum of two courses for certificates consisting of four courses) required for the certificate must be completed in residence. Individual certificate programs may require a higher percentage of credits to be taken in residence. Any courses transferred in must adhere to MSOE’s Transfer Credit policy.
• Students are responsible for any prerequisite requirements for the certificate.
• There is no limit on the number of certificates a student may earn.
• Timeframes:
  • For students that are not concurrently earning a degree, there is a maximum of seven years from initial enrollment in a certificate course to complete all certificate requirements.
  • If the certificate is earned concurrently with enrollment in a degree program, the time limit shall be the same as the degree program.
  • Some certificate programs may set shorter time limits because of the timeliness of the subject matter.
  • Efforts will be made to run sufficient courses for a certificate over a four-year period. There is no guarantee that courses for a certificate will be conveniently scheduled.
• Certificates do not signify certification, which indicates a third-party examination or endorsement, unless specifically stated.
• Students who do not maintain continuous enrollment are subject to readmission policies.
• A minimum grade point average of 2.00 in the certificate course work is required to earn undergraduate certificates.

Early Entry to Master’s Degrees

Early entry is a two-year program that allows undergraduate students to begin their graduate degree at the start of the final year before the conferral of their undergraduate degree. During the first year of the program, students enroll in approved graduate courses that meet the requirements of both degrees. Once a student’s undergraduate degree is conferred, they have one year to complete the graduate degree.

MSOE students who have reached junior standing may apply for specified graduate programs with an approved early-entry curriculum. The program allows students to enroll in approved graduate courses while in the final year of their undergraduate program that will fulfill both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Undergraduate students requesting enrollment in graduate courses without acceptance in an early entry program should refer to the Courses Taken by Undergraduate and Graduate Students policy above.

• Students apply for the early entry program through internal processes, and the graduate program determines the admission decision.
• Students in the early entry program must simultaneously pursue only one undergraduate and one graduate degree. An undergraduate student pursing a double major as defined in the Double Majors and Dual Degrees policy above, earns one undergraduate degree.  
• Each program determines how many graduate credits count toward the undergraduate degree requirements, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 16 credits of graduate courses allowed before their undergraduate degree is conferred. The 16-credit maximum applies to both the number of credits that can count toward the undergraduate degree and the number that can be double counted between degrees.
• To remain in the two-year early entry program, students must meet the following requirements:
  • Remain continuously enrolled according to the program curriculum.
  • Enroll in a minimum of 6 credits of graduate coursework, which must meet the requirements of both degrees, before the conferral of their undergraduate degree.
  • Complete undergraduate degree requirements within a 12-month period of starting the two-year program.
  • Complete graduate degree requirements within a 24-month period of starting the two-year program.
• The undergraduate degree is conferred when the undergraduate program of study has been completed.
• Undergraduate students who do not meet the requirements to remain in the program may be allowed to enroll in graduate courses in alignment with the Courses Taken by Undergraduate and Graduate Students policy above.
• Graduate students in good standing who do not meet the requirements to remain in the program may be allowed to continue in the graduate program but are no longer considered an early-entry student.
• Courses counted for both the undergraduate and graduate degrees may not be used to meet requirements of additional minors, degrees, or certificates.
• Full-time undergraduate financial aid eligibility considerations:
  • Students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits that meet undergraduate degree requirements, including early entry graduate courses.
  • Undergraduate students taking graduate courses that do not meet undergraduate degree requirements must consult with Financial Aid staff to understand the financial aid implications.