Information For:

Frequently Asked Questions

We've listed some of the most common questions below. If your question isn't listed, or if you would like more informaiton, please contact us!

General Questions

How do I see program information for current students?

How do I drop or add a course?

How do I withdraw from a term?

How do I modify a class pass/fail?

How do I get an override?

How do I audit/visit a class?

When can I officially declare a major? How do I declare?

Tell me about transferring academic credit.

How do I arrange an independent study?

Can I participate in an honors program?

I am interested in double majoring. What do I need to do?

How do I take summer courses at another school?

How do I initiate my graduation?

EECS Programs

I am a CS-LSA student and I have questions about my LSA requirements.

I am a Computer Science (LSA) student but I am taking classes in Engineering (or vice-versa),whose deadlines and rules do I follow?

What are the requirements for my program?

What is the EECS Grade Policy?

What is CUGS? How do I apply?

What is the 3.4 Program? How do I apply?

Other Questions

What is a UM ID# or Empl-ID?

Where can I go for career placement help?

What do I need to do to be considered for scholarships?

Can I study abroad?

How do I make an advising appointment?

When should I make an advising appointment?

Where can I learn about the alumni organizations available to EECS graduates?

Are there tutoring services available?

What is a Co-op?

_______________________________________________________________________

How do I drop or add a course?

CS-LSA Students:
LSA dates & procedures for dropping and adding courses can be found here.

EE, CE, and CS-ENGR Students:

(Click here find out what the drop/add deadline is for this term.)

Before the 3rd week deadline:

After you have registered through Wolverine Access Web registration, any changes in your schedule including courses and/or section changes can be made using Web registration for the first three weeks of the term.

Note: During the first three weeks of classes (two in half terms) students may drop a class without a "W." Even if a course states that you must attend the first few class sessions to maintain your enrollment and you do not attend the class at all, you must still use the Web registration system to indicate the drop.

Between the 3rd and 10th weeks:

Fill out a drop/add form (forms are at the EECS Undergraduate Advising Office) and have it signed by the instructor and an advisor.

Note: Between the 3rd and the 10th week of classes (2nd through 4.5 weeks in half terms) students may drop a class and receive a "W" on their transcript.

After the 10th week deadline:

Pick up a petition at the EECS Undergraduate Advising Office and fill it out, providing details of the reasons for your late request. Submit the petition to the EECS Undergraduate Advising Office for review and approval by the Chief Program Advisor and the Dean of Academic Affairs.

Note: Class drops after the deadline will only be allowed under exceptional circumstances. Poor academic performance is not an extenuating circumstance. Approved drops will be posted with a "W."

Note to All Students : Lack of attendance does not automatically drop you from a course or a term. If you do not go through the proper procedure to withdraw from a term, you will receive an "ED" for the courses you are registered for and do not attend. This unofficial drop is computed as an "E" in your grade point average. Neither credit toward program (CTP) nor honor points (MHP) are earned.

Return to the top

How do I withdraw from a term?

CS-LSA Students:
LSA students must follow the College of LSA's procedures. Contact the LSA Academic Advising Center in 1255 Angell Hall for details.

EE, CE, and CS-ENGR Students:
To disenroll after having registered (including early registration) before the start of classes, or to withdraw after the beginning of classes, a student must complete a Withdrawal Notice at the Engineering Academic Services Office (1401 Lurie). After the third week of a term (two weeks for a half term), a student requesting a withdrawal must complete an Exit Interview form available in the Academic Services Office. Withdrawal from the College at any time during the term requires the approval of a College of Engineering Assistant Dean.

Note to All Students: Lack of attendance does not automatically drop you from a course or a term. If you do not go through the proper procedure to withdraw from a term, you will receive an "ED" for the courses you are registered for and do not attend. This unofficial drop is computed as an "E" in your grade point average. Neither credit toward program (CTP) nor honor points (MHP) are earned. A "W" will appear on the transcript when it occurs after the first three weeks of the term (two weeks for a half term). In any case, the Scholastic Standing Committee or the Assistant Dean for Students may specify conditions for readmission. Disenrollment fees vary. A fee schedule, including deadlines, is printed in the University Time Schedule.

Return to the top

How do I modify a class pass/fail?

(Click here find out what the deadline for modifying a class is this term)

CS-LSA Students:
LSA students can find information about modifying a class pass/fail here.

EE, CE, and CS-ENGR Students:
Before the deadline to modify a class (in the 10th week of the term), a class can be changed to pass/fail using the Wolverine Access Web registration system. After the 10th week, you must submit a petition (forms can be picked up and turned in at the Undergraduate Advising Office, 3415 EECS). Class modifcation after the deadline will only be allowed under exceptional circumstances.

Note: The courses that can be elected pass/fail are limited to courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Free Electives, or courses that do not count toward the degree. Permission to elect a course pass/fail is not required from the instructor. Instructors are not notified of students' pass/fail elections; they will report grades as usual. A grade of "A" through "C-" in a course is considered satisfactory and will be recorded as "P" (Pass). A grade of "D" or lower is considered unsatisfactory and will be recorded as "F" (Fail). Students may elect a course on a pass/fail basis and switch from pass/fail to graded or from graded to pass/fail anytime during the first nine weeks of a full term. The pass/fail total is not to exceed four courses or 14 credit hours and is limited to two courses per term or one in a half term. (Any course offered only on a pass/fail basis will not be counted in this total.)

Return to the top

How do I get a waitlist override?

Go to the class and request an override from the professor by signing up on a designated list or requesting it in person.

• If you are signed up on a list, wait a couple of days for the override to be processed. Then use the Wolverine Access Web registration to add the course to your schedule.

• If you talk to the professor in person and he/she agrees to an override, the professor needs to either call 763-2305 or stop by the Undergraduate Advising Office and provide the following information:
       Your name
       Your UMID Number
       Whether you are an LSA or Engineering student
       The section numbers for which you need an override (BOTH the Lecture and Lab/Discussion).

After the override is entered in the computer by the Undergraduate Advising Office you must register for the course via Wolverine Access Web registration.

Note: Once you receive an override, you must use the Web registration system to add the course to your schedule. Electronic overrides have expiration dates. You must add the course by midnight of the day it expires.

Return to the top

How do I audit/visit a class?

Get the permission of the instructor for the course you would like to audit. The instructor will tell you what they expect of you as an auditor. (Usually, this requires reasonably regular attendance in lectures, but no obligation to do the homework or exams.) Register for the class via Wolverine Access. Be sure to choose the "audit" option.

After the 3rd week of the term you must pick up a Drop/Add form from the EECS Undergraduate Advising Office (3415 EECS). Complete the top of the form and the MODIFY section. In the column labeled "Modifier," write "VI." Obtain a signature from a program advisor; you must also obtain your instructor's signature. Take the signed form to the Academic Services Office, 1401 Lurie Building, for processing.

Note: The course will be entered on your transcript with a "VI" instead of a grade. You may not apply any class that you audit toward your degree. Classes taken as "VI" do not count toward full-time enrollment for financial and/or other purposes. The same fee will be charged whether the student enrolls for credit or as an auditor. (Remember, there is no difference in fees if you are enrolled for 12-18 credits.) A change in election from "credit" to "audit" must be made within the first ten weeks of the term (three weeks for a half term).

Reasons for auditing a class include:

• You are interested in the course topic and do not need the course to fulfill any degree requirement.
• You think an employer would like to see the course on your transcript.
• You would like to take a graduate class but are worried about the workload.

Return to the top

How do I declare a major? When can I declare?

If you are an Engineering student, it is recommended that you declare after your freshman year, but before you reach 55 CTP. Engineering students wishing to choose a major in the areas of EE, CS-ENGR, or CE should stop by the Undergraduate Advising Office (EECS 3415) to review the declaration requirements and make an appointment to see a faculty advisor to discuss your plans, interests, and have your questions answered. The advisor will sign your declaration form and you will be officially declared. You MUST have your meeting with an advisor to officially declare.

CS-LSA students must complete the pre-concentration requirements before declaring. These requirements are available in the Undergraduate Advising Office (EECS 3415) For more information about declaring a concentration in the College of LSA click here. You can pick up a Concentration Declaration form in 3415 EECS as well as in 1255 Angell Hall.

Once you declare, you will be automatically added to the departmental e-mail list. This list is used to disseminate information to students regarding registration deadlines, policy changes, job opportunities, scholarship competitions, and general departmental announcements.

Return to the top

Can I obtain transfer credit for a course I take at a community college or university other than UM-Ann Arbor?

EE, CE, and CS-ENGR Students:
Yes, students can take courses at community colleges and receive transfer credit. There is a process whereby a student submits a Guest Application to the Recruitment and Transfer Admissions Office, 1109 LEC and they can review and evaluate the course for transfer credit prior to the student taking the class. Remember, 30 of your last 36 credits before graduate must be taken as anCollege of UM-Ann Arbor.

If you would like to have a course evaluated for potential EECS course credit (for example you took CS 367 at the University of Wisconsin and you want to know if it will count as EECS 281 here at UM-Ann Arbor) you should make an appointment with the appropriate advisor in the EECS Undergraduate Advising Office.

You can see which courses have already been evaluated for credit here. HOWEVER, even if a course has already been evaluated, you must contact the Recruitment and Transfer Admissions Office to find out what materials you need to submit in order to get credit.

CS-LSA Students:

• Only LSA, through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in the Student Activities Building, can grant you transfer credit. A CS advisor cannot grant you LSA credits. If you are a currently enrolled student, you must see an LSA general advisor to discuss the possibility of receiving transfer credit, and also go to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for information about transfer equivalencies and credit application forms. If you are an entering student, your transfer credits are evaluated automatically as part of the admissions process.
• There is an online database of courses that have already been approved for credit. The CS program does not have any pre-approved courses at other schools. For more information on transfer credits, please refer to the LSA Student Academic Advising Office's section on transfer issues.
• It is very unlikely that LSA will grant you credit for a specific CS course here. It is much easier to transfer credits in courses such as Calculus I, II, and III, and your distribution courses. We do not recommend taking CS classes elsewhere, as they are only rarely equivalent courses, even if the title and syllabus appear to be similar.
• If LSA grants credits for a CS class taken elsewhere, the credit will most likely appear as departmental credit on your transcript. For example, the notation "CS 2X1" for 3 credits would mean that LSA is giving you 3 transfer credits which are considered to be in CS at the 200-level, but are not equivalent to any specific course here.
• If you do receive departmental credit for a CS class, it is possible that it may be similar enough to a course here that you might be able to place out of the course. In order to discuss this possibility, you must make an appointment with a CS concentration advisor, and bring in all materials you have from the course: textbook, syllabus, lecture notes, exams, projects, homework - i.e., everything you have. Note this can only be done after you take the course, and you do need to make an appointment so that we can discuss this with due consideration, in person. You can make this appointment either as an enrolled student, as an incoming transfer student (make this appointment after your transfer orientation has been completed, so that you and your CS advisor know what LSA has granted you credit for during the admission process).

Return to the top

How do I arrange an independent study?

Typically a faculty member in the EECS Department supervises an independent study, also known as "Directed Research". If you are interested in a particular professor's research area, you may ask that professor if it is possible to do an independent study with him or her. It helps if you have taken a course that the professor taught, have done very well in that course, and have gotten to know the professor a bit. If you have an idea what you would like to work on, be prepared to present your idea to the professor and discuss what work you would like to do.

• Pick up a Directed Study form in the EECS Undergraduate Advising Office (3415 EECS).
• Fill out the form completely, including a brief description of the independent study project. Have the form signed by the professor you will be working with and turn it into the Undergraduate Advising Office.
• Register for the appropriate section of EECS 499 (ask your instructor for his independent study section number or reference the list posted in the Undergraduate Advising Office).
• The Chief Program Advisor may review the form and decide how the course will be applied toward your degree requirements. Generally, EECS 499 will count toward your Flexible Technical Elective Credit Requirements.

Note: Up to 4 credit hours of independent study (EECS 499) may be used toward a degree.

Return to the top

Can I participate in an honors program?

EE, CE, and CS-ENGR Students:
The College of Engineering does not have an honors program. Engineering students can be granted permission to take courses that are offered by the Honors Program in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Usually these are math, science or humanities courses which are designed to be more theoretical and in-depth. Students who desire to pursue both an engineering degree and a second that is offered as an Honors concentrations may seek dual enrollment after completion of the first year.

CS-LSA Students:
Click here to read about the Honors Program in Computer Science (.pdf file)

Return to the top

I am interested in double majoring. What do I need to do?

1. To obtain two bachelor's degrees in the College of Engineering, a student must complete the requirements of both degree programs. In addition, for the second degree, the student must complete at least a minimum of 14 credit hours in pertinent technical subjects over the number required for the first degree. The credit hours that are used to satisfy each of the two programs also must satisfy the cumulative grade point average requirement of 2.00 or more. Approval by involved departments is required.

2. To obtain an additional bachelor's degree in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) or the School of Music please make an appointment to speak with an advisor to discuss the process and reasons for doing this.

Return to the top

How do I take summer courses at another school?

EE, CE, and CS-ENGR Students:
Fill out a guest application provided by the Recruitment and Transfer Admissions Office, 1109 LEC. They will be able to advise you about how the credits will be transferred to UM. Grades do not transfer to UM. Remember, 30 of your last 36 credits before graduate must be taken at UM-Ann Arbor.

CS Students:
Please refer to the LSA Student Academic Advising Office's section on transfer issues and consult the LSA Advising Center if you have any questions about transfer credit.

Return to the top

How do I initiate the graduation process?