Chapter 5: Academic Information

Engineering Honor Code

The Engineering Honor Code is a long-standing Santa Clara tradition. Instituted at the request of engineering students, it states: All students taking courses in the School of Engineering agree, individually and collectively, that they will not give or receive unpermitted aid in examinations or other coursework that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of grading. Students and teachers cooperate and share responsibilities under the code. Instructors are responsible for making clear what aid is permissible and for using procedures that minimize temptations to violate the code. Students are responsible for behaving honorably; for actively ensuring that others, as well as themselves, uphold the code; and for being responsive to violations. Information on faculty or student reporting of violations can be found on the university academic integrity web resources at https://www.scu.edu/academic-integrity.

Classes

For convenience for working professionals, classes are offered in the early morning before 9:00 A.M. and late afternoon after 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday with some weekend offerings. Two-unit courses meet one day per week, three-unit courses may meet one or two days per week, and four-unit courses meet two days per week. All students are expected to attend the first class meeting of the quarter. Failure to do so can result in an administrative withdrawal from the course by the professor during the first week of the quarter.

Standards of Scholarship

Only courses in which the student has earned assigned grades of C- or higher contribute to the unit total for the Master’s, Engineer’s, or Ph.D. degree or certificates. The student must earn a minimum 3.000 cumulative grade point average (GPA) overall and a minimum 3.000 grade point average (GPA) in their major for all degrees. Only credits, not grade points, may be transferred from other institutions.

Students who have not met the minimum cumulative 3.000 GPA after completing 16 units will be placed on an academic warning. Students who do not meet the minimum cumulative GPA after being on an academic warning will be placed on academic probation. If a student is on academic probation for two consecutive active quarters they are eligible for dismissal. The student’s advisor and Department Chair will be notified about their GPA status. A dismissal decision by the program will be based on a departmental vote, which will be conducted at the request of the advisor and/or Department Chair, and with approval from the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Students who have been dismissed from the program may appeal to the Department Chair, and subsequently to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

Although only classes with assigned grades of C- or higher will count toward the units required for certificates, M.S., Engineer, or Ph.D. degrees, the grades of all courses completed during the certificate, M.S., Engineer’s, or Ph.D. program are used to compute the cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Directed Research, Independent Study, and ENGR courses are not included in the student's major GPA. Only major subject courses will be calculated in the student’s major GPA.

Grading System

Grading is based on an A through F scale. The grades A, B, C, and D may be modified by (+) or (-) suffixes, except that the grade of A may not be modified by a (+). Grade point values per unit are assigned as follows: A = 4.0; A- = 3.7; B+ = 3.3; B = 3.0; B- = 2.7; C+ = 2.3; C = 2; C- = 1.7; D+ = 1.3; D = 1.0; D- = 0.7. F= 0. I (incomplete), P (pass), NP (no pass), NS (no show), and W (withdrawn) are all assigned zero points. Unit credit, but not grade point credit, is awarded when the grade of P is assigned.

The University also uses the following marks: AUD (audit), I (incomplete), and N (continuing work). No unit credit or grade point value is granted for any of these marks.

Non-graded Courses

Seminar courses (with the exception of CSEN 400 and ECEN 200), are limited to a total of four units and must be approved by the student’s advisor.

Incomplete Grades

A student’s work may be reported incomplete if due to illness or other serious circumstances, some essential portion of the coursework remains unfinished after the final examination, or if the thesis has not been completed. An incomplete (I) will automatically convert to a failing grade (F) unless the unfinished work is completed to the satisfaction of the instructor and proper notice is filed with the Office of the Registrar within four weeks from the beginning of the next scheduled quarter, not including the summer session. Makeup work must be submitted to the instructor no later than the end of the third week so that the instructor can meet the four-week submission deadline. An N grade for a thesis course indicates continuing work. A final grade must be submitted before graduation.

Change of Grade

The faculty instructor is solely responsible for assigning the grade in a course. All grades become final when they have been assigned and reported to the Office of the Registrar. A faculty member may report a correction of a final grade to the Office of the Registrar only if a clerical or procedural error was made in assigning, transmitting, or recording the original grade. A grade may not be changed as a result of re-evaluation, re-examination, or the submission of additional work after the term ends. Any grade change must have the approval of the department chair and the graduate associate dean of the student’s school or college. No grade may be changed after one year.

Auditing Courses

A student may take courses with a grading basis of “audit” but the following should be kept in mind:

  • The current graduate tuition rate and fees will be charged.
  • No grade points or credit will be earned so the class cannot be counted toward the completion of a certificate, M.S., Engineer’s, or Ph.D. degree.
  • A student will need to register for the class, then send an email to the Director of Records requesting the grading basis be changed to “Audit”
  • The last day to request to audit a course is at the end of the first week of the quarter.

Alumni can request to audit a course with a reduced tuition fee. Alumni will need to apply to the Open University program and must meet the application deadline to apply for an audit. Please contact the Director of Records for the alumni audit form. Anyone interested in this option is welcome to contact the graduate program office.  

Repeating Courses

A student may, with the permission of the department, repeat a course in which a grade of D+ or lower was received on the first attempt. All grades, whether received on the first or second attempt, will be used to compute overall student performance. The units from a course may be counted only once when fulfilling graduation requirements.  A course may only be repeated once.

Withdrawal from Courses

Students may change their course registration as stated in the Academic Calendar. Withdrawal from any course is allowed up to the seventh Friday of the term. Before the end of the fourth week of the quarter, a withdrawal is not recorded on the transcript.  After the fourth week of the quarter, a withdrawal will be recorded as W on the transcript. After the seventh Friday of the quarter, a withdrawal is no longer possible.  Emergencies that qualify may be handled as an incomplete (I). International Students with an F-1 Visa should check with the Global Engagement Office to confirm if they are eligible to drop a course.

Program of Studies

During the first quarter of enrollment, a student in the M.S. degree program is required to meet with an academic advisor to complete a Program of Studies (POS) form. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their department or listed advisors. Here are the assigned advisors for the following departments

  • Aerospace Engineering- Mohammad Ayoubi (Program Advisor)
  • Applied Mathematics- Aaron Melman (Department Chair)
  • Bioengineering- Please contact the department for available advisors.
  • Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering- Please contact the department for available advisors.
  • Computer Science and Engineering- The CSE department will send an email with your academic advisor information by the end of the first week of the quarter. However, you can always contact the CSE peer advisor at coenpeeradvisors@scu.edu
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering- Please contact the department for available advisors.
  • Engineering Management and Leadership- Paul Semenza (Department Chair)
  • Mechanical Engineering- Please contact the department for available advisors.
  • Power Systems and Sustainable Energy- Maryam Khanbaghi (Program Advisor)
  • Robotics and Automation- Christopher Kitts (Program Advisor)

The POS must include all planned courses, units, and any transfer credit approved by the department. The POS must be signed by the advisor and submitted to the Graduate Engineering Programs Office before the end of the first quarter of enrollment. Failure to submit a new POS will result in a registration hold. Changes to the approved Program of Studies may be made by submitting at any time an updated POS form with the advisor’s signature to the Graduate Engineering Programs Office. The final POS form signed by the advisor must include all units, courses, and transfer credits, and must be submitted before the end of the student’s final quarter for graduation.

Courses Transferred from Santa Clara University

Students admitted into the B.S./M.S. program may transfer up to 20 units of graduate-level courses that they completed as an undergraduate as long as those courses or units were not used to satisfy their undergraduate degree requirements. Any requested transfer course will need to be approved by the academic advisor and listed on the program of studies under the transfer credit section. Only courses with a grade of B or higher will be transferred to the M.S. degree. The grade and the units will be applied to the Master’s degree.

Santa Clara alumni entering the M.S. program at a later date can transfer up to 12 units of eligible graduate-level coursework with the approval of their academic advisor with the following constraints.

  • Only those courses completed with a B grade or better will be eligible for transfer.
  • The units cannot be transferred if they have been used for another degree or minor.
  • Since these courses were taken at SCU, the grades will count toward the overall grade point average.

Courses Transferred from Other Institutions

All M.S. students have the option to transfer a maximum of 6 semesters or 9 quarter units of graduate-level coursework from an accredited institution into their degree program with their advisor’s approval if the conditions below are met. All Ph.D. students have the option to transfer a maximum of 12 semester or 18 quarter units of graduate-level coursework from an accredited institution into their degree program with their advisor’s approval if the conditions listed below are met.

  • The credits were completed by the student with a B grade or better.
  • The credits were earned in an incomplete graduate program prior to application to the SCU Master’s or Ph.D. program, but no more than 6 years prior to application.
  • The credits were not used to earn another degree
  • The units were not earned for extension, continuing education, or online courses

Please keep the following in mind when transferring the units:

  • Only the credit will transfer, but not grades; the overall grade point average will be based only on coursework completed at Santa Clara University.
  • An official transcript and course syllabus are required for verification of the units by the student’s advisor and the Graduate Engineering Programs Office.
  • In order to transfer units into a degree program, please follow this procedure:
    (1) Include the units you wish to transfer in the “Transfer Credit” section of the Program of Studies form and include the Institution Name, Course Number and Title, Grade, Units*, Year, and (if applicable) the SCU equivalent course. If no equivalent course is listed, the transfer credit will be processed as general transfer credit (TRCR 300).
    (2) The student’s academic advisor must sign the Program of Studies form.
    (3) The Program of Study form with the transfer credit listed must be submitted to the Graduate Engineering Programs Office by the end of the student’s first quarter.

Courses that were taken more than 6 years ago are generally not accepted for transfer credit. Students who wish to request an exception must petition the Department Chair and receive written approval with a justification. The final approval is given by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.

Petition for Graduation

It is a student’s responsibility to file a program completion request to graduate by the deadline listed in the Academic Calendar. The program completion is submitted in the Workday Student Portal. All graduating students must submit a final Program of Study form and enroll in at least one unit during their final quarter.

In order to participate in the June graduate commencement ceremony, all requirements and units must be completed by the end of the preceding spring quarter.

Cooperative Education

The objective of the cooperative education option is to provide students with the opportunity, through the interaction of study and work experience, to enhance their academic knowledge, to further their personal teamwork experience, and to gain a better understanding of the application of their classroom studies. The Cooperative Education option integrates classroom work with practical industrial experience. It alternates or parallels periods of college education with periods of practical training in industry. Industrial training is related to the field of study in which the student is engaged and often is diversified to afford a wide range of experience.

Students who wish to pursue this option through curricular practical training (CPT) must enroll in ENGR/GREN 289 for the M.S. program or ENGR/GREN 389 for the Ph.D. program. To be eligible to enroll in ENGR/GREN 289 students need to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000, complete 3 quarters in the current program, and complete at least one course from the Engineering Core Requirement (refer to Chapter 6). For ENGR/GREN 389, Ph.D students must have passed the comprehensive examination and be admitted to candidacy. Both ENGR/GREN 289 and ENGR/GREN 389 may be repeated for credit up to three times.

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent Enrollment means that a student is enrolled in two places at the same time. An international student at Santa Clara University may be given permission to engage in Concurrent Enrollment provided the student meets the following U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) requirements:

  • Combined enrollment amounts to a full course of study
  • The student has been granted permission from a faculty advisor to enroll at another college (advisor must sign Concurrent Enrollment Form)
  • Must receive written approval from a Designated School Official (DSO) at International Student Services
  • The student is making normal progress at Santa Clara and is not in danger of probation or disqualification
  • Any NON-vocational coursework from the other school will be accepted for fulfilling degree requirements at SCU

For more information, please contact the International Student Services Office at 408-554-4318 or refer to website: www.scu.edu/globalengagement/international-students

Non-enrollment Period

Students in the Certificate, Non-Degree, Master’s, Engineer’s, and Ph.D. programs are expected to have continuous enrollment requiring at least one unit for the fall, winter, and spring quarters. Those students who do not wish to enroll must submit a leave of absence or withdrawal request in their Workday Student Portal. Leave of absence or withdrawal requests must be submitted by the end of the first week of the quarter. A request to return to the program is not guaranteed if a substantial leave of absence has occurred or the student is not in good academic standing. A denied request for return may be appealed.

Maximum Time Allowed for Degree or Certificate Completion

M.S. and Engineer’s degree students are required to complete their degree within six years from their original admit term date. Ph.D. students are required to complete their degree within eight years from their original admit term date. Both the six-year and eight-year time frames include quarters that the student was on a leave of absence or withdrew. Certificate students are required to complete their certificate within two years from their original admit term date. Students on an F-1 Visa are required to complete their degree per their I-20 document deadline.

Withdrawal from the University

Withdrawal from the University is not officially complete until students clear all of their financial obligations with the Bursar’s Office. Students on deferments or a Federal Perkins Loan must also clear their financial obligations with the Credit Counseling Office.

Note that students who miss a quarter and fail to contact the Graduate Programs Office will be automatically discontinued as a no-show status. This is the same procedure for students who took a leave of absence or withdrew from the program