Academic Progress

Making Academic Progress Toward a Grainger Engineering Degree

Maintaining good academic progress in The Grainger College of Engineering requires more than earning a minimum number of credit hours each semester. Because engineering curricula are highly structured and sequential, students are expected to make consistent progress through the mathematics, science, computing, engineering, and major-specific technical coursework required for their degree.

Academic progress generally includes:

• Maintaining satisfactory academic standing and meeting applicable cumulative and major GPA requirements.
• Enrolling in and successfully completing coursework that advances progress toward the engineering degree.
• Making appropriate progress through prerequisite sequences and required technical coursework.
• Completing major and graduation requirements in a timely manner.
• Maintaining a course schedule that supports continued progression through the curriculum.

While full-time enrollment generally consists of at least 12 credit hours per semester, full-time enrollment alone does not necessarily indicate sufficient progress toward an engineering degree. Students should work with their academic advisor to develop a course plan that includes the appropriate technical and degree requirements needed to remain on track for graduation, and check their degree audit on a regular basis.

Key Indicators of Academic Progress

The Grainger College of Engineering reviews student progress using multiple indicators. These may include academic performance, earned credit hours, and progression through required coursework.

Particular attention may be given to the following:

Progress through technical coursework
Students are expected to make consistent progress through the mathematics, science, computing, and engineering coursework required for their degree. Successful completion of foundational and prerequisite courses is particularly important because delays in these sequences can affect access to subsequent required courses.

Progress in the declared major
Students should regularly enroll in and successfully complete coursework that advances them toward completion of their declared engineering degree. As students advance in the curriculum, they are generally expected to make continued progress toward major-specific and upper-level technical requirements.

Academic performance
Students must maintain the academic standards established by the university and The Grainger College of Engineering. This may include minimum cumulative GPA, major GPA, foundational GPA, technical GPA, and other program-specific academic requirements.

Progress toward graduation requirements
In addition to technical coursework, students are responsible for completing general education, composition, and other degree requirements necessary for graduation. Students should balance these requirements throughout their academic career while ensuring that required technical coursework remains appropriately prioritized.

Student Responsibility

Students are ultimately responsible for understanding and completing the requirements for their degree. Because engineering curricula are structured and often sequential, students should actively monitor their academic progress, review their degree audit, understand prerequisite requirements, and work with their academic advisor when academic difficulties or changes to their educational plans arise.

The goal is not simply to complete a certain number of credit hours each semester, but to make meaningful and sustained progress through the coursework required to earn an engineering degree.