Frequently Asked Questions
Academic Advising
How can I meet with an Academic Advisor in Civil or Environmental Engineering? The Academic Advising walk-in hours vary by term and are posted on the CEG website Academic Advising section. If you are unable to stop by the Advising Office during the posted walk-in hours, please email an advisor to schedule an appointment. Advisors’ contact information can be found on the Academic Advising tab.
I am enrolled in another pre-major/major program within the College of Engineering and am interested in switching to Civil or Environmental Engineering. How can I change my pre-major/major? Please stop by the CEG Advising Office during walk-in advising hours to speak with the pre-major advisor to discuss changing your program.
I am not enrolled in the College of Engineering but am interested in majoring in Civil or Environmental Engineering. How can I switch to Engineering? In order to switch to the pre-Civil or pre-Environmental program from outside the College of Engineering, we require students to have successfully completed Math 1151, AND Physics 1250 OR Chemistry 1210 OR Chemistry 1250. Students must also have a CPHR of 2.0 or higher. Please stop by the CEG Advising Office during walk-in advising hours to speak with the pre-major advisor to discuss changing into engineering.
What are CPHR, SPHR, & MPHR, and where can I find them? Each point hour ratio (PHR), frequently known as GPA, is calculated from the applicable courses listed below (except those which fall under the Freshman Forgiveness Rule). You can find each PHR in your Degree Audit Report near the top.
- CPHR- Cumulative point hour ratio is calculated from all the courses you have taken at OSU for a grade
- EPHR - Eligibility point hour ratio is calculated from all the courses required for admission to the major
- MPHR- Major point hour ratio is calculated from all core courses and technical electives for the major
What is Freshman Forgiveness? This rule applies if you earn a grade of "D+," "D," "E," or "EN," in a course during your freshman year (the period during which the first 30 credit hours are accumulated on your academic record- not including AP credit, but including transfer credit). You can repeat the course before the end of your sophomore year (before you will have accumulated a total of 60 credit hours) and the original course credit and grade will be automatically excluded from the calculation of your CPHR and deficiency points, but will remain on your official academic record. The same course may be repeated only once under this rule. This rule may be applied for a maximum of fifteen credit hours. If you notice that your CPHR did not recalculate after you’ve received a grade in the retaken course, see your Academic Advisor.
What are the requirements to be admitted to the Civil or Environmental Engineering majors? Students can apply to the major once they have completed or are currently enrolled in all the prerequisites for admission into the major. Course requirements are different for the Civil Engineering major and the Environmental Engineering major. Course requirements for admission to the major also differ depending on which term you apply. For a list of these required courses see the CEG website under the Admission tab. To be considered for admission, students must also have a CPHR and EPHR of at least a 2.0. You do not need to be pre-civil or pre-environmental in order to apply for the respective majors.
How do I apply to the Civil or Environmental Engineering majors? Please refer to the CEG website Admissions section for the pre-requisites, application, instructions and deadlines as application materials and processes are subject to change.
Scheduling
How can I find out when I schedule for classes? Around the middle of the academic term, you should receive an email from the Registrar’s Office notifying you that the dates for your enrollment appointment have been posted on your Student Center.
How many credit hours are required for full-time status? A student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours per term in order to be considered a full-time student. If you are considering dropping below 12 credit hours, make sure you are still meeting the requirements of any financial aid you are receiving and check any other policies you may be restricted to such as international visas and health insurance. You may also want to check fees and refund schedules on the Registrar’s website.
Are there a maximum number of credit hours that can be taken per quarter? At this time, students in the College of Engineering are permitted to enroll in up to 18 credit hours per term. Upperclass students may petition the Department to enroll in more than 18 credit hours in one academic term. To enroll in more than 18 credit hours, students must petition and pay additional fees.
When is the deadline for adding a class?
- The 1st Friday of the term is the last day of a term in which students may self-add a course via Buckeye Link.
- During the 2nd week of classes, students will need to obtain permission from the instructor of the course to enroll and then return a signed Course Enrollment Permission form to an advisor. Course Enrollment Permission forms can be found on the CEG website under Curriculum and Forms
- After the 2nd Friday students will need to petition to add a course.
When would I need to use a Course Enrollment Permission form? A Course Enrollment Permission form may be required for several reasons including the following:
- Getting into a waitlisted class
- Adding a class after the 1st Friday of the term
- You do not have the required prerequisite for enrollment in the class
- There is a time conflict with another class
- The class requires Instructor or Department Permission for enrollment
The form must be filled out completely or it will not be processed. The form can be found under Curriculum & Forms section of the CEG website. With the exception of the Math Department and Chemistry Department, most completed forms may be submitted to the Undergraduate Academic Advisor and the class will be added. To add a math or chemistry class, please see the Math Department’s website or Chemistry Department's website for details.
How can I drop a class?
- Before the 4th Friday of the term, students may withdraw from a course on-line using Buckeye Link.
- After the 4th Friday though 5pm on the 10th Friday, students must submit all drop requests in writing to the Academic Advisor. All requests must be submitted from your OSU email or in person. The ‘Drop Request’ form is located on the CEG website Curriculum & Forms section. Please note that students who drop a course after the 4th Friday will receive a ‘W’ for the course on their transcript to show that the student attempted and withdrew from the course. A 'W' is not calculated with your GPA.
- Any student requesting to drop a course after the 10th Friday must petition the College of Engineering. Only students with documented extenuating circumstances will have their petitions considered by the COE Committee. Please contact the Advising Office for the petition forms.
Transcripts and DARS
What is a Degree Audit Report and how can I run one? A Degree Audit Report (DARs) shows you what requirements you have completed and what requirements you still need to complete to graduate. You can find your DARs on BuckeyeLink or through your Student Center. Please note that when you run your DARs, it will automatically run a report for the degree program in which you are listed in the system. You are able to run a report for other degree programs.
I sent a copy of my official transcript to the University but I did not receive credit for some courses. How do I get my other courses evaluated? In order to get transfer credit evaluated, you must go to the Department from which you are seeking to receive credit. Review the Department websites for their policy as most Departments on campus will have their own procedures for reviewing and evaluating transfer courses. You should expect to submit your Transfer Credit Report and a copy of your syllabus for each of the courses being reviewed. A course description from the University or College’s website will most likely not be considered. Please review the CEG website Transfer Credit section for assistance in having CEG courses evaluated by the Department. Your Transfer Credit Report and a list of Transfer Credit Coordinators for all Departments on campus can be found on Buckeye Link.
How can I obtain a copy of my transcript? There are two types of transcripts- official and unofficial – both available on Buckeye Link. Students can download an unofficial copy of their transcript, from Buckeye Link by printing a copy of their ‘Advising Report.’ Students can also order an official transcript from the University on Buckeye Link.
Internships, Graduation, and FE Exam
How do I apply for graduation? Students should apply for graduation at least 2 terms before the term expected to graduate. Students must submit the signed required graduation application forms to the Advising Office. Please see the Graduation section of the CEG website for application materials, deadlines and other details.
Where do I find out about co-ops, internships and job searching? Engineering Career Services assists students with co-ops, internships and job searching, including assistance with preparation such as interviewing, resumes, etc. See the ECS website for more information on their services and how to register.
What is the FE Exam? The FE Exam, or Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, is the first of two exams offered for those who wish to pursue licensure as a Professional Engineer. The FE is not administered by the University and registration is overseen by the state of Ohio’s Professional Engineers and Surveyors Board. The FE is offered twice a year. Please see the CEG website FE Exam section for details on how to register.
Academic Standards
What is Academic Probation? Academic probation is designed to help students who are having academic difficulties make the necessary adjustments to become successful students. If you accumulate 15 or more deficiency points, you will be placed on Academic Probation with the College of Engineering. A civil or environmental engineering student, both pre-majors and majors, will be placed on Special Action Probation (SAP) with the Department should their SPHR or MPHR fall below a 2.0. If you do not meet specific requirements in the quarter in which you are on probation, you can be dismissed from the College or Department.
What are deficiency points? Deficiency points are a measure of how far below a 2.0 a student is. Deficiency points are earned for grades C- or lower. They are calculated by subtracting the total number of credit points earned from the total number of credit hours attempted. Quality points are earned for grades C+ or higher and can remove deficiency points.
Resources
Where do I go for issues with fees and financial aid? The Student Services Center assists students with matters concerning financial aid, statement of account, refunds, holds, etc.
Where can I get help with my classes? You should seek out assistance from your instructors and TAs of the class. Tutoring and other academic assistance is available for many of the math and science courses that are required for our programs. Please see the Resources section of the CEG website for more information. Individual departments may also have helpful information listed on their departmental websites.
How do I find instructors’ contact information? You can find contact information for anyone at the University under the Find People section of the OSU website.
Where can I find scholarship information? Students can seek out scholarships and other forms of financial aid through the University, the College of Engineering, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science as well as external sources. Please see the CEG website Scholarship section between January and April for deadlines and details. To be considered for financial aid, it is highly recommended to file a FAFSA each year. Details can be found on the OSU Student Financial Aid website.
Where can I find a computer lab on campus?
Students pay a technology fee, which allows students to use the computer programs and printer in specific computer labs. See the attachments for details on computer facilities:
- Students enrolled in the Major
- Students enrolled in Pre-Major
- Remote Access to Computers for students in the Major
- See http://lt.osu.edu/labs/ for a list of Student Computer Centers on campus available to all students.
Where is my mailbox? Each student in the civil or environmental engineering majors has a mailbox in the Student Lounge, 435 Bolz Hall. There is a list in the lounge to designate student mailbox numbers.