6. Admissions
All students at Seattle University must have a major field of study into which they have been admitted. In the College of Science and Engineering students apply for entry into a particular department and are admitted according to their qualifications and the availability of openings. This section describes the various routes for admission into the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. More information on the admissions process and the application are available from the Admissions Office (www.seattleu.edu/home/prospective_students/).
Students may apply to be admitted to the department at any time during the year. Usually the application will be acted upon immediately. Sometimes, though, consideration of an application will be delayed until after a student has completed additional preparation courses.
Because of the department's size, individual required courses are usually offered only once or twice a year, and some elective courses may be offered only every other year. The department's staffing, equipment, and laboratory resources limit the number of students that can be graduated to approximately 40 per year. Transfer students wishing to enter the program should apply at least three months prior to the desired quarter so that adequate planning time is available in order to ensure a smooth transition.
Please consult the Admissions Policy section of the current Seattle University Undergraduate Bulletin of Information for general admissions rules for the University. Specific minimum admissions criteria for civil and environmental engineering are contained in Seattle University Policy #81-4 which can be found in Appendix II. Application materials can be obtained from the above web site or by contacting the Admissions Office.
6.1 New Freshmen
If you have no previous college experience you should submit your application directly to the University's Admissions Office. Be sure to specify civil engineering or environmental engineering as the intended field of study. Admission to the department will be on the same basis as for general admission to the university.
To have a reasonable chance of success in the program, however, you should have taken certain specific classes in high school. In addition to a general college preparatory selection of courses, you should have had at least three years of mathematics including algebra, geometry, and trigonometry and two years of laboratory science such as biology, chemistry, or physics. Prospective freshmen who have not taken these courses or who have received less than B grades in them will not be automatically excluded from the department. Similarly, if you have taken the SAT, your scores should be greater than 600 in mathematics and 550 in verbal. Again, these are not absolute requirements, but they are strong indicators of future success in the department. All decisions on the admission of freshmen are made by the Dean of Admissions.
6.2 Off-Campus Transfers
If you have had previous post-secondary educational experience and are not currently enrolled at Seattle University , you may directly enter the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering by submitting an application to the Admissions Office. Be sure to specify either civil engineering or civil-environmental engineering as the intended field of study.
Minimum qualifications for admission to the Department are an overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better on a scale of 4.0 and a composite average of 2.5 in all of your technical courses. These include all mathematics, science, and engineering courses that you have taken. In both cases, the GPA calculation is based on all courses that are transferable to Seattle University regardless of whether or not they apply to the BSCE degree. Note, however, that grades earned in engineering technology programs are not included in GPA calculations because engineering technology courses are not transferable to Seattle University .
The decision to admit off-campus transfers directly into any program within the College of Science and Engineering is made by the Associate Dean. If you are denied direct admission to the department, you may still wish to enroll in the College of Science and Engineering as a general science major or in the College of Arts and Sciences as a premajor. If either of these possibilities is of interest to you, then you should make that clear at the time of application. After improving your record, you can seek a transfer to civil and environmental engineering according to the criteria given in Section 6.3.
6.3 On-Campus Transfers
Seattle University students majoring in programs other than civil and environmental engineering may apply for a change of major into the department at any time. The requirements for such a transfer vary somewhat depending upon whether or not you are already an engineering student.
6.3.1 Non-Engineering Students
Students with non-engineering majors must have completed a minimum of 25 credit hours at Seattle University . Of these, 15 credit hours must have been earned in the School of Science and Engineering. Both your overall and your science/engineering GPA at Seattle University must be at least 2.5.
6.3.2 Engineering Students
Students in good standing as electrical, mechanical and manufacturing, computer science, or undecided engineering majors may transfer to civil and environmental engineering after having completed at least one quarter at Seattle University .
If you wish to change your major to civil and environmental engineering you should make an appointment with the Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering through the departmental administrative assistant (Engineering 525) to discuss your individual situation. Do so well in advance of registration for the quarter in which you want to transfer. Be sure to bring your advising folder to the appointment so that all relevant information will be available.
The decision to admit you will be made by the Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, but a signature will also be needed from the chairperson of your previous department to release your advising file.
6.4 Second Degree Students
Students who have completed baccalaureate degrees in fields other than civil and environmental engineering occasionally apply for admission to the department. The admissions procedures and requirements are the same as for other prospective students. Such students should contact the University Admissions Office, making sure to specify civil engineering or civil- environmental engineering as their intended field of study. University Core requirements are significantly altered for second degree students, but all other degree requirements must be met. Students staying on at Seattle University for a second degree should consult the Registrar's Office for rules specific to this situation.
6.5 Returning Students and Leaves of Absence
Anyone who has previously been a student in the department and who wishes to be readmitted will be considered on his or her merits as they compare with the other current applicants. Students who for personal rather than academic reasons must leave the University for a period of time should apply for an official leave of absence in order to reserve a spot upon returning. The Associate Dean of Science and Engineering should be consulted prior to taking a leave of absence in order to ensure a smooth re-entry when you return to school.
If you fail to register for four consecutive quarters, the university will assume that you have left school. Your priority for enrolling in civil and environmental engineering classes will be lost and you will have to request readmission to the university. Students who withdraw from the university for one calendar year or more are subject to the degree requirements in effect at the time of their readmission. Readmission decisions are made by the Associate Dean of the School of Science and Engineering.
6.6 Non-Matriculated Students
Occasionally a working professional or a student not in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will want to take some CEEGR courses without the intention of obtaining a degree. The department is willing to accommodate these individuals on a space available basis. The student must, of course, have the proper background for the desired courses. Such arrangements are at the discretion of the Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In addition to talking to the chair, those not already enrolled at Seattle University must contact the Admissions Office.
If a non-matriculated student decides to apply for admission to the BSCE program, a maximum of 30 credits taken at Seattle University in non-matriculated status may be applied toward the degree.