2011-2012 Bulletin – PDF - SEAS Bulletin - Columbia University

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sophomore or junior year from students
in four-year programs at arts and
sciences colleges and engineering
schools. The School also accepts
applications from students with
strong academic records in preengineering
programs at two-year
community colleges. All students who
are considering applying to Columbia
Engineering are encouraged to complete
a course of study similar to the School’s
First Year–Sophomore Program.
Transfers, who are guaranteed housing,
may enter Columbia only in September
and may count no more than 68 points
of credit toward the Columbia degree.
Transfer students must also satisfy the
University’s residence requirements by
taking at least 60 points at Columbia.
Credit for transfer students to
Columbia Engineering is determined by
the equivalence of the courses taken
at a previous institution with courses
at Columbia. A minimum final course
grade of B must be achieved in order
for transfer credit to be awarded. At
the time of admission, transfer students
are provided with a tentative credit
evaluation, which is an evaluation based
on the student’s transcript. Prior to
enrolling, transfer students are required
to submit course descriptions and/or
syllabi for all courses for which they wish
to receive credit. The classes for the first
year-sophomore program are evaluated
and a determination is made by the
Center for Student Advising as to the
degree to which the materials covered
overlap with the similar course at
Columbia. If the overlap is deemed to be
sufficient, the student will receive both
credit and exemption for that class. It is
possible however for students to receive
credit for a class taken elsewhere,
but not an exemption. For classes to
fulfill the nontechnical, technical, and
major course requirements, students
are required to submit petitions to the
Center for Student Advising. These
petitions are reviewed by the appropriate
faculty committee and a determination is
made as to whether or not the student
should receive credit and/or exemption.
Transfer applicants should
provide the scores of College Board
Examinations as part of their application.
Applicants must submit results of the
SAT or the American College Testing
(ACT) examinations. Results of the
SAT Subject Tests are required only
if the tests were taken in high school.
Students in a non-English-speaking
environment and whose primary
language of instruction has not been
English for at least five years are
required to take an English proficiency
examination, TOEFL or IELTS. These
students must submit the results of at
least one of the exams and may be
required to take an English placement
test on arrival, before registration.
Transfer Applications can only be
completed online at the website of the
Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/
admissions/applications/transfer.php
Applications must be received by March
15 for September admission.
The Combined Plan Programs
The Combined Plan programs at The Fu
Foundation School of Engineering and
Applied Science are designed to provide
students the opportunity to receive
both a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor
of Science degree from an affiliated
liberal arts college and a Bachelor of
Science or Master of Science degree
from Columbia. Details concerning these
programs are contained in the The
Undergraduate Programs section of this
bulletin.
Secondary school students who wish
to follow one of the Combined Plan programs
at one of the affiliated Combined
Plan schools should apply directly to the
affiliated school’s admissions office.
Third-year undergraduate students
already in a Combined Plan program
should apply to the Columbia University
School of Engineering and Applied
Science Combined Plan Program.
The deadlines for applying to these
programs, each of which is described in
the Undergraduate Programs section of
this bulletin, are:
• February 15 preferred deadline for
the 3-2 Combined Plan Program
• March 15: final deadline for the 3-2
Combined Plan Program
• March 15 for the 4-2 Combined
Plan B.S. Program
• February 15 for the 4-2 Combined
Plan M.S. Program
For further information on the 3-2 and
4-2 B.S. and 4-2 M.S. programs, refer
to pages 15–16.
Campus Visits and
Interviews
Prospective students are encouraged
to visit the Columbia campus
throughout the year. The Office of
Undergraduate Admissions hosts
information sessions and campus tours
through the Visitors Center, located in
213 Low Library. Group information
sessions are conducted by members
of the admissions staff and offer
the opportunity to learn more about
Columbia University’s academic and
student life as well as admissions and
financial aid. Campus tours immediately
follow the information session and
are led by a current undergraduate
student. Engineering tours, designed to
offer prospective students an in-depth
look into The Fu Foundation School of
Engineering and Applied Science, are
led by current Columbia engineering
students and are available every Friday
at 1:00 p.m., except for holidays. Please
note that the Engineering School tour
is designed to supplement, but not
replace, the Undergraduate Admissions
information session and general campus
tour. For further information and a
detailed schedule of visit opportunities,
please see Visiting Columbia on the
Undergraduate Admissions website
(www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/
admissions).
Columbia does not conduct
interviews on campus. Interviews are
instead conducted around the country
and the world by the members of the
Alumni Representative Committee.
The University provides the names of
candidates to the Committee, which
conducts interviews from October
through February. Candidates will be
contacted by a Committee member
during this time if interviews are
available. Candidates should not call or
write the Admissions Office to arrange
alumni interviews.
engineering 2011–2012