Academic Standards

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Calculation of the GPA is described in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin.

Quality Point Accumulation (QPA)

The Quality Point Accumulation (QPA) measures performance in the student’s major courses.

Unless stated otherwise, major courses include only courses offered by the student’s department. For example, computer science courses, although required for the civil, and electrical engineering degrees, are not included in QPA calculations for those majors. QPA calculation in the computer engineering degree counts all computer science and electrical engineering courses. Engr. 20400 is counted in the QPA for both computer engineering and electrical engineering.

Computing the QPA

In calculating QPA, the following weighting factors apply:

Pluses and minuses following the grade letter are ignored. F represents here all failing grades including F, FAB, FIN, FPN, WF, and WU. The weighting factors are multiplied by the number of credits for each applicable course, and the results of all multiplications are added together. A QPA of zero is equivalent to a C average in the major. The CUNY-wide “F” Repeat policy, described in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin, by which certain failing grades are omitted from the GPA, does not apply to Engineering QPA calculations.

Use of Graduate Courses

Permission to substitute a graduate course for an undergraduate course requires senior status and a GPA of 2.75 or better plus the approval of the chair of the department in which the course resides, the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

Retaking Engineering Courses

On application by the student, the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies will allow students in their senior year to repeat courses in order to improve their major QPA. Only five such retakes will be allowed (not more than two per semester) and these must be courses for which the previous grade was D. No course, once passed with a grade of D, may be retaken more than once. If a student is permitted to retake a course, both the new grade and the original grade of D will be counted in the major QPA.

Pass-Fail Option

Students enrolled in the Grove School of Engineering must take all courses for a qualitative letter grade. That is, they are not allowed to take the pass-fail option except when it is the only grade option for a course.

College-Wide Examinations

CUNY's Skills Assessment Tests (CATs)

All CCNY students are required to meet the University's skills proficiency requirements based on SAT, ACT, or NY State Regents test scores. Students who do not achieve the required scores on SAT I or Regents Exams can satisfy the skills proficiency requirements by passing the CUNY Assessment Tests in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.

MATH 3 Testing: Placement into Advanced Mathematics Courses

All new students - whether or not they are math proficient-are required to take the CUNY Assessment Test in Mathematics (Math 3). Test results will be used to place students in the appropriate mathematics course at their college.

Probation and Dismissal

Students are considered to not be in good academic standing in the following cases:

• If they do not maintain a GPA of 2.0 (or 1.75 or 1.5 for students who have attempted fewer than 25 or 13 credits at CCNY, respectively);

• If they do not maintain a QPA of at least zero;

• If they need to take a course for a third time;

• If they have withdrawn from 12 credits in a two-year period.

Students that are not in good academic standing may be required to file an appeal with the GSoE Office of Undergraduate Studies to be allowed to remain in a GSoE degree program. If an appeal is granted, the student will be placed on academic probation.

As long as they are on academic probation, the students will be restricted to twelve, or fewer, credits per semester and/or the terms of an academic contract. Students on academic probation whose grades do not improve will be dismissed from the School of Engineering, unless another appeal is granted for the continuation of studies.

Definitions of probation and satisfactory academic progress are located in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin.

Committee on Course and Standing

The Committee enforces academic standards and graduation requirements. Its responsibilities are to

• Adjudicate student appeals of dismissal from the GSoE,

• Adjudicate variances in graduation requirements in individual cases,

• Adjudicate on change of grade appeals.

All requests to the Committee must be submitted in writing to the Office of Undergraduate Studies. The Committee is the final authority on questions of courses, probation, dismissals, and graduation.