Admission requirements
Admission to the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering programs.
Students may declare Electrical Engineering (EE) or Computer Engineering (CMPE) as their major at any time after enrolling at Portland State University. However, students must be admitted formally to their chosen program by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering before they will (1) be allowed to enroll in restricted upper-division courses offered by the program, and (2) be graduated from the program. Application forms may be obtained from the Office of Student Services, Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, Suite 100, Engineering Building or from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Suite 160, Fourth Avenue Building. PSU students who anticipate completing all eligibility requirements before the term for which admission to a degree program is sought may apply.
Students transferring from other institutions who want to be admitted formally to the EE and CMPE programs must:
- Meet all eligibility requirements.
- Apply for admission to PSU.
- Apply for program admission to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
- Have one copy of their transcripts sent to their engineering or computer science department.
- Have one copy of their transcripts sent to the the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
- Application deadlines for admission to the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering programs are:
- for fall term — April 15
- for winter term — August 15
Eligibility
To be eligible for admission, each student should meet the following minimum requirements:
1. Complete, with a minimum grade of C and a minimum GPA of 2.25, a designated set of courses for each program as follows:
Electrical Engineering:
The engineering core consisting of:
Ch 221 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
Ch 227 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
ECE 101 | Exploring Electrical Engineering | 4 |
ECE 102 | Engineering Computation | 4 |
ECE 103 | Engineering Programming | 4 |
ECE 171 | Digital Circuits | 4 |
ECE 221 | Electric Circuit Analysis I | 4 |
ECE 222 | Electric Circuit Analysis II | 4 |
ECE 223 | Electric Circuit Analysis III | 4 |
ECE 271 | Digital Systems | 4 |
Mth 251 | Calculus I | 4 |
Mth 252 | Calculus II | 4 |
Mth 254 | Calculus IV | 4 |
Mth 256 | Applied Differential Equations I | 4 |
Mth 261 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 4 |
Ph 221 | General Physics (with Calculus) | 3 |
Ph 222 | General Physics (with Calculus) | 3 |
Ph 223 | General Physics (with Calculus) | 3 |
Ph 214 | Lab for Ph 201 or Ph 211 or Ph 221 | 1 |
Ph 215 | Lab for Ph 202 or Ph 212 or Ph 222 | 1 |
Ph 216 | Lab for Ph 203 or Ph 213 or Ph 223 | 1 |
| Freshman Inquiry | |
Computer Engineering:
Ch 221 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
Ch 227 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
CS 162 | Introduction to Computer Science | 4 |
ECE 102 | Engineering Computation | 4 |
ECE 171 | Digital Circuits | 4 |
ECE 221 | Electric Circuit Analysis I | 4 |
ECE 222 | Electric Circuit Analysis II | 4 |
ECE 271 | Digital Systems | 4 |
Mth 251 | Calculus I | 4 |
Mth 252 | Calculus II | 4 |
Mth 256 | Applied Differential Equations I | 4 |
Mth 261 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 4 |
Ph 221 | General Physics (with Calculus) | 3 |
Ph 222 | General Physics (with Calculus) | 3 |
Ph 223 | General Physics (with Calculus) | 3 |
Ph 214 | Lab for Ph 201 or Ph 211 or Ph 221 | 1 |
Ph 215 | Lab for Ph 202 or Ph 212 or Ph 222 | 1 |
Ph 216 | Lab for Ph 203 or Ph 213 or Ph 223 | 1 |
| Freshman Inquiry | |
2. Have a minimum technical GPA of 2.25
(Technical GPA is based on an average of all major-related classes taken prior to admission).
Selective Admission
If the number of eligible applicants for admission to the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering exceeds that for which resources are available, acceptance will be competitive. In the event selective admission becomes necessary, the GPA computed for the required courses for eligibility for program admission will be used. Priority, within reasonable limits, will be given to resident students.
Although the primary purpose of the selective admission procedures is to limit enrollment to the number of students who can be served at a high level of quality, it is recognized that the rigid application of these procedures may eliminate applicants with high potential but who, due to circumstances beyond their control, have had limited access to the type of preparatory education that is essential to achieving the high performance level required for admission. All such applicants will be considered on the basis of their life experience and leadership qualities in addition to their academic achievement.
Continuation Criteria
After admission to the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering undergraduate program, students will be expected to make satisfactory progress toward their declared degree and will be subject to the following rules:
- The cumulative major GPA must be 2.00 or higher.
- At the conclusion of each term of the academic year, full-time students are normally expected to complete a minimum of 12 credits per term applicable toward their degree program. Part-time students are expected to complete a minimum of 12 credits per year applicable toward their degree program.
- The Electrical and Computer Engineering BS degree programs require that students receive a C- or better in all required upper division courses numbered 300 or higher. If a student is unable to attain this grade after completing the course three times, the student will be suspended from the program.
- If a student in BS EE or BS CMPE program fails the same required electrical and computer engineering course two times, they are expelled from the program. The student may reapply to the program.
- Students will be placed on probation when their cumulative major GPA as described in (1) is below 2.00, or their progress toward the degree is less than that described in (2).
- Students placed on probation for two consecutive terms or for a total of three terms will be suspended from specific degree programs. Students will also be suspended if not enrolled in Electrical and Computer Engineering courses for three consecutive terms.
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Students denied admission or suspended must wait at least one term before reapplying. This waiting period does not apply to those denied due to “selective admission.”
- Students who have twice been found in violation of the student code of conduct will be automatically suspended from the program or denied admission. Transfer students will normally be expected to provide a disciplinary record from their institution. Any incidences of academic dishonesty are grounds for denial of admission. Full details of this policy are available from the department.
Appeals
Students denied admission or suspended may request reconsideration by submitting a petition. The petition and supporting materials will be reviewed by the Electrical and Computer Engineering department chair and a recommendation will be forwarded to the dean. The appeal must be made within 30 days of notice to the student of denial of admission or suspension.
Pass/No Pass Grading Policy
All courses specifically required by the University or by the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering programs must be taken for a letter grade unless a required course is only offered with a pass/no pass option.