Curricular Information
General Education Curriculum (GEC)
2005-2006 GEC List (PDF)
2006-2007 GEC List (PDF)
2007-2008 GEC List (PDF)
General education is to establish the foundation for both advanced study and a life richly lived, builds bridges between academic disciplines, encourages continued learning throughout life, and augments and rounds out the specialization students receive in their majors. Towards these goals, every undergraduate curriculum includes a body of courses designed to ensure that each student is given the opportunity to become acquainted with the basic areas of academic study—writing and related skills, quantitative and logic skills, diversity experiences, natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Engineering curricula, by virtue of their broad scientific base, contain sufficient courses to fulfill the quantitative and logic skills and natural sciences requirements. The objectives of the remaining courses, as set forth by the university faculty, are as follows:
Writing and Related Skills
First course: a first-year course designed to train students in the fundamentals of expository writing. Specific assignment is dependent upon English placement test results.
Second course: to be taken during the second year. Select one course from the listing of offerings from the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences.
Third course: intended to develop oral and written skills in technical communications. This component is incorporated into specific courses by individual programs.
Social Diversity in the United States
An approved social diversity course must be selected and incorporated within one of the GEC groupings. No additional credit hour requirements are necessary.
Social Sciences
One course selected from each of at least two of the following areas:
- Individuals and Groups
- Organizations and Polities
- Human, Natural, and Economic Resources
Arts and Humanities
Chronological Overview
A two-course sequence must be selected from the "Historical Survey" listing.
Analysis of Texts and Works of Art
One course in each of the following:
- Literature; and
- Visual and/or Performing Arts or other Cultures and Ideas.
Integrated course groups in the GEC
In fulfilling the GEC requirements, engineering students are encouraged to plan an integrated group of courses so the GEC courses become an important part of their education. This group of courses should be selected to help the student become more fully aware of personal social responsibilities and better able to consider related factors in the decision-making process. Selecting related courses with breadth and depth of subject matter will complement their individual background and interests while fulfilling the spirit of the previously stated objectives.
Advanced-level courses
Students who wish to select advanced-level courses not included in the lists may do so if their purpose is to achieve greater depth in a given subject area. Students must petition for the approval of these special courses. This petition must have departmental and college approval.
Students should discuss planned course selections with their program adviser early in their course of study. All GEC courses which are to be used in meeting graduation requirements must be approved by the student's program adviser.
A listing all currently approved courses for each GEC category is made available with the advising sheets each year.
GEC for transfer students
Students transferring from other colleges and universities can meet part or all of the General Education Curriculum requirements with approximately equivalent courses. Transfer students shall not be required to present credit in the specific courses. The credits for each transfer student will be reviewed by the Admissions Office and the College of Engineering. Credits in all courses which satisfy the General Education Curriculum objectives will be considered.
First-year programs
The pre-major program provides the essential foundation for program curricula of all branches of engineering. During the three quarters of the first year, students have the opportunity to become acquainted with and to decide which of the several engineering disciplines interests them. Even though beginning students are encouraged to indicate the departmental curriculum they expect to follow, decisions can be deferred until the beginning of the sophomore year.
The sample first-year program* shown below, which includes Mathematics 151, Chemistry 121, and Introduction to Engineering 181 in the first quarter, is intended to build a good mathematics and science background as soon as possible for the student who is qualified. Most curricula, however, have been planned so that the student who starts in Mathematics 150 will have met the minimum mathematics and science prerequisites for all sophomore-level program courses at the specific quarter of offering.
Sample First year* Program Hours
- Mathematics 151-153 (Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs) 15
- Physics 131-132 (Wi, Sp Qtrs) 10
- English 110 (Au, Wi, or Sp Qtrs) 5
- Introduction to Eng 181, 183 (Au and Wi, or Wi and Sp Qtrs) 6
- Chemistry 121 (Au Qtr) 5
- Engineering Graphics 167 or CSE 202 (Wi or Sp Qtr) 4
- Engineering 100 (Au Qtr) 1
First-year Engineering Honors (FEH)-accelerated calculus Hours
- Mathematics 161G, 162G, 263G (Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs) 15
- Physics 131E, 132E (Au, Wi Qtrs) 10
- English 110 (Au, Wi, or Sp Qtrs) 5
- Engineering H191, H192, H193 (Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs) 12
- Mechanical Engineering H210 (Sp Qtr) 4
- Engineering 100 (Au Qtr) 1
First-year Engineering Honors (FEH)-applied calculus Hours
- Mathematics 151A, 152A, 153A (Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs) 15
- Physics 131E, 132E, 133E (Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs) 15
- English 110 (Au, Wi, or Sp Qtrs) 5
- Engineering H191, H192, H193 (Au, Wi, Sp Qtrs) 12
- Engineering 100 (Au Qtr) 1
*Individual schedules may vary. Students should consult their academic adviser.
First-year students who expect to follow the program for chemical engineering should substitute Chemistry 122 and 123 for Chemistry 125. Also, physics is taken in the second year for chemical engineers. Chemical and biomolecular engineering requires students take a programming course (choose from En Graph 167, CS&E 202 or CS&E 214). It is recommended that students complete this requirement in this first year.
First-year students who expect to follow the program for computer science and engineering should schedule CSE 221 Winter Quarter and CSE 222 Spring Quarter. EnGraph 167 or CSE 201or CSE 202 is a prerequisite for CSE 221 but students with previous programming experience may skip CSE 201or CSE 202 or En Graph 167 if they pass the placement test for CSE 221.
First-year students who expect to follow the Computer Engineering program for the Electrical and Computer Engineering degree should take CSE 221. These students should also complete Math 366. First-year students who expect to follow the aviation program should not schedule chemistry but should schedule Aviation 310 Winter Quarter and Aviation 300 Spring Quarter.
First-year students who expect to follow the program for civil engineering should delay Physics 131 until Spring Quarter (see Civil Engineering curriculum description.).
First-year students who expect to follow the program or engineering physics are encouraged to take Engineering Physics 131, 132, and 133 (Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters) and delay Chemistry 125 until their sophomore year.
Acceptance to Major
Students seeking a baccalaureate degree from the College of Engineering must apply for acceptance into a baccalaureate program administered by the college.
A student is not eligible to apply for acceptance into a baccalaureate degree program until the quarter in which the student will satisfy the following requirements:
- enrollment in engineering;
- completion of English 110;
- completion of all admission conditions; and
- completion of the then-current requirements for acceptance into a particular baccalaureate degree program
Acceptance into a major is based on a numerical ceiling and the cumulative point-hour (CPHR) or secondary point-hour ratio (SPHR) after completion of the pre-major courses in the specified program. Students who have completed the required pre-major courses with a GPA of 2.00 or higher will be admitted into the designated major if the demand for admission is below the numerical ceiling; admission will be on a rank order basis using the SPHR until the ceiling is reached.
Requirements for acceptance into a major for each academic program of the College of Engineering are shown in the program specific segment.
Exception to the program standards for admission to baccalaureate degree programs may be made with the approval of the department chairperson and the dean. To ensure continued access to an engineering education, individuals who are members of under-represented groups in engineering and individuals who are otherwise disadvantaged may apply for special admission consideration provided their cumulative point-hour ratio is at least 2.00.
Students who have been accepted into baccalaureate degree programs may continue scheduling course in their respective academic programs provided they meet the university rules for remaining in good standing.