2007-2008 Undergraduate Programs

Admission | Requirements for B.S. Degrees | Honors

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS) offers nine four-year curricula listed below (see the departmental listings for complete descriptions of the programs).

  1. Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, B.S. A.E.
  2. Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering, B.S. B.E.
  3. Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, B.S. Ch.E.
  4. Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, B.S. C.E.
  5. Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, B.S. C.S.
  6. Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, B.S. C.S.&E.
  7. Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, B.S. E.E.
  8. Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering, B.S. Mat.E.
  9. Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, B.S. M.E.

The following curricula are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the nationally recognized accrediting body for engineering programs: aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical engineering, materials engineering, and mechanical engineering. The computer science and computer science and engineering curricula are accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, (410) 347-7700.

Admission

Applicants to HSSEAS must satisfy the general admission requirements of the University. See the Office of Admissions and Relations with Schools (UARS) website at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu for details. Applicants must select a major within the school when applying for admission. In the selection process many elements are considered, including grades, test scores, and academic preparation.

Students applying as freshmen must submit their applications during the November 1 through 30 filing period. Transfer applicants may apply for Fall, Winter, or Spring Quarter subject to the deadlines posted at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu. In addition, it is essential that official test scores be received no later than the date in January when the December test scores are normally reported.

Effective for students entering the University of California as freshman applicants in Fall Quarter 2006: each applicant must submit scores from an approved core test of mathematics, language arts, and writing. This requirement may be satisfied by taking either (1) the ACT Assessment plus ACT Writing Test or (2) the SAT Reasoning Test. In addition, all applicants must complete two SAT Subject Tests in two different subject areas selected from history/social science, mathematics (Mathematics Level 2 only), laboratory science, and a language other than English.

Applicants to the school are strongly encouraged to take the following SAT Subject Tests: Mathematics Level 2 and a laboratory science test (Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics) that is closely related to the intended major.

Fulfilling the admission requirements, however, does not assure admission to the school. Limits have had to be set for the enrollment of new undergraduate students. Thus, not every applicant who meets the minimum requirements can be admitted.

Although applicants may qualify for admission to HSSEAS in freshman standing, many students take their first two years in engineering at a community college and apply to the school at the junior level. Students who begin their college work at a California community college are expected to remain at the community college to complete the lower division requirements in chemistry, computer programming, English composition, mathematics, physics, and the recommended engineering courses before transferring to UCLA.

Admission as a Freshman

University requirements specify a minimum of three years of mathematics, including the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry. Additional study in mathematics, concluding with calculus or precalculus in the senior year, is strongly recommended and typical for applicants to HSSEAS.

Freshman applicants must meet the University subject, scholarship, and examination requirements described at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu.

Credit for Advanced Placement Tests

Students may fulfill part of the school requirements with credit allowed at the time of admission for College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Tests with scores of 3, 4, or 5. Students with AP Test credit may exceed the 213-unit maximum by the amount of this credit. AP Test credit for freshmen entering Fall Quarter 2007 fulfills HSSEAS requirements as indicated on the AP chart.

Students who have completed 36 quarter units after high school graduation at the time of the examination receive no AP Test credit.

Admission as a Transfer Student

Admission as a junior-level transfer student is competitive. The University requires applicants to have completed a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter units) and two transferable English courses prior to enrolling at UCLA. In addition, to be considered all applicants to HSSEAS majors must have at least a 3.2 grade-point average in their college work. Many of the majors in the school are impacted. Excellent grades, especially for courses in preparation for the major, are expected.

Completion of the required courses in preparation for the major is critical for admission. Articulation agreements between California community colleges and HSSEAS include college-specific course numbers for these requirements and can be found at http://www.assist.org. Applicants who are lacking two or more of the courses are unlikely to be admitted.

Required preparation for HSSEAS majors:

  1. Mathematics, including calculus I and II, calculus III (multivariable), differential equations, and linear algebra
  2. Calculus-based physics courses in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and waves, sound, heat, optics, and modern physics
  3. Chemistry, including two terms of general chemistry. The Computer Science and Computer Science and Engineering majors and the electrical engineering and computer engineering options of the Electrical Engineering major require only one term of chemistry
  4. Computer programming, including either Fortran, Java, C, or C++. Applicants to the Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering majors should take C++.
  5. Biology, including one year of biology only for applicants to the Bioengineering major
  6. English composition courses, including one course equivalent to UCLA's English Composition 3 and a second UC-transferable English composition course

Transfer applicants may complete courses in addition to those above that satisfy degree requirements. Engineering and computer science courses appropriate for each major may be found at http://www.assist.org.

Lower Division Courses in Other Departments

Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A. Chemical Structure (4 units)

Chemistry and Biochemistry 20B. Chemical Energetics and Change (4 units)

Chemistry and Biochemistry 20L. General Chemistry Laboratory (3 units)

English Composition 3. English Composition, Rhetoric, and Language (5 units)

Mathematics 31A. Differential and Integral Calculus (4 units)

Mathematics 31B. Integration and Infinite Series (4 units)

Mathematics 32A, 32B. Calculus of Several Variables (4 units each)

Mathematics 33A. Linear Algebra and Applications (4 units)

Mathematics 33B. Differential Equations (4 units)

Physics 1A. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics (5 units)

Physics 1B. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields (5 units)

Physics 1C. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Electrodynamics, Optics, and Special Relativity (5 units)

Physics 4AL. Physics Laboratory for Scientists and Engineers: Mechanics (2 units)

Physics 4BL. Physics Laboratory for Scientists and Engineers: Electricity and Magnetism (2 units)

The courses in chemistry, mathematics, and physics are those required as preparation for majors in these subjects. Transfer students should select equivalent courses required for engineering or physical sciences majors.

Requirements for B.S. Degrees

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science awards B.S. degrees to students who have satisfactorily completed four-year programs in engineering studies.

Students must meet three types of requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree:

  1. University requirements
  2. School requirements
  3. Department requirements

University Requirements

The University of California has two requirements that undergraduate students must satisfy in order to graduate: (1) Entry-Level Writing or English as a Second Language and (2) American History and Institutions. These requirements are discussed in detail in the Undergraduate Study section of the UCLA General Catalog.

School Requirements

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has five requirements that must be satisfied for the award of the degree: unit, scholarship, academic residence, technical breadth, and general education.

Unit Requirement

The minimum units allowed for HSSEAS students is between 185 and 192, depending on the program. The maximum allowed is 213 units.

After 213 quarter units, enrollment may not normally be continued in the school without special permission from the associate dean. This regulation does not apply to Departmental Scholars.

Scholarship Requirement

In addition to the University requirement of at least a C (2.0) grade-point average in all courses taken at any University of California campus, students must achieve at least a 2.0 grade-point average in all upper division University courses offered in satisfaction of the subject and elective requirements of the curriculum. A 2.0 minimum grade-point average in upper division mathematics, upper division core courses, and the major field is also required for graduation.

Academic Residence Requirement

Of the last 48 units completed for the B.S. degree, 36 must be earned in residence in HSSEAS on this campus. No more than 16 of the 36 units may be completed in Summer Sessions at UCLA.

Technical Breadth Requirement

The technical breadth requirement consists of a set of three courses providing sufficient breadth outside the student's core program. A list of HSSEAS Faculty Executive Committee-approved technical breadth requirement courses is available in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and deviations from that list are subject to approval by the associate dean for Academic and Student Affairs. None of the technical breadth requirement courses selected by students can be used to satisfy other major course requirements.

General Education Requirements

General education (GE) is more than a checklist of required courses. It is a program of study that (1) reveals to students the ways that research scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences create and evaluate new knowledge, (2) introduces students to the important ideas and themes of human cultures, (3) fosters appreciation for the many perspectives and the diverse voices that may be heard in a democratic society, and (4) develops the intellectual skills that give students the dexterity they need to function in a rapidly changing world.

This entails the ability to make critical and logical assessments of information, both traditional and digital; deliver reasoned and persuasive arguments; and identify, acquire, and use the knowledge necessary to solve problems.

Students may take one HSSEAS GE course per term on a Passed/Not Passed basis if they are in good academic standing and are enrolled in at least three and one-half courses (14 units) for the term. For details on P/NP grading, see Grading in the Academic Policies section of the UCLA General Catalog or consult the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

Requirements for Students Who Entered Fall Quarter 2005 and Thereafter

Writing Requirement

Students must complete the University's Entry-Level Writing or English as a Second Language (ESL) requirement prior to completing the school writing requirement.

Students admitted to the school are required to complete a two-term writing requirement--Writing I and Writing II. Two courses in English composition are required for graduation. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must receive grades of C or better (C- grades are not acceptable).

Writing I

The Writing I requirement must be satisfied by completing English Composition 3 or 3H with a grade of C or better (C- or a Passed grade is not acceptable) by the end of the second year of enrollment.

The Writing I requirement may also be satisfied by scoring 4 or 5 on one of the College Board Advanced Placement Tests in English or a combination of a score of 720 or better on the SAT Reasoning Test Writing Section and superior performance on the English Composition 3 Proficiency Examination.

Students whose native language is not English may satisfy the Writing I requirement by completing English as a Second Language 36 with a grade of C or better (C- or a Passed grade is not acceptable). Admission into the course is determined by completion of English as a Second Language 35 with a passing grade or proficiency demonstrated on the English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE).

Writing II

The Writing II requirement is satisfied by selecting one approved writing (W) course from the HSSEAS GE foundations course list. Writing II course lists are also available in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. The course must be completed with a grade of C or better (C- or a Passed grade is not acceptable).

Ethics Requirement

HSSEAS majors are required to satisfy the ethics and professionalism requirement by completing one course from Engineering 183 or 185 for a letter grade.

Foundations of Knowledge

General education courses are grouped into three foundational areas: Foundations of the Arts and Humanities, Foundations of Society and Culture, and Foundations of Scientific Inquiry.

Five courses (24 units minimum) are required. One of the five courses must be a GE-approved Writing II (W) course.

Students must meet with a counselor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs to determine the applicability of GE Cluster courses toward Writing II or GE requirements.

Courses listed in more than one category can fulfill GE requirements in only one of the cross-listed categories.

Foundations of the Arts and Humanities

Two 5-unit courses selected from two different subgroups:

Literary and Cultural Analysis
Philosophical and Linguistic Analysis
Visual and Performance Arts Analysis and Practice

The aim of courses in this area is to provide perspectives and intellectual skills necessary to comprehend and think critically about our situation in the world as human beings. In particular, the courses provide the basic means to appreciate and evaluate the ongoing efforts of humans to explain, translate, and transform their diverse experiences of the world through such media as language, literature, philosophical systems, images, sounds, and performances. The courses introduce students to the historical development and fundamental intellectual and ethical issues associated with the arts and humanities and may also investigate the complex relations between artistic and humanistic expression and other facets of society and culture.

Foundations of Society and Culture

Two 5-unit courses, one from each subgroup:

Historical Analysis
Social Analysis

The aim of courses in this area is to introduce students to the ways in which humans organize, structure, rationalize, and govern their diverse societies and cultures over time. The courses focus on a particular historical question, societal problem, or topic of political and economic concern in an effort to demonstrate how issues are objectified for study, how data is collected and analyzed, and how new understandings of social phenomena are achieved and evaluated.

Foundations of Scientific Inquiry

One course (4 units minimum) from the Life Sciences subgroup or one course from Biomedical Engineering CM145/Chemical Engineering CM145, Chemistry and Biochemistry 153A, or Civil and Environmental Engineering M166/Environmental Health Sciences M166:

Life Sciences

This requirement is automatically satisfied for Bioengineering majors, Chemical Engineering majors, and the biomedical engineering option of the Electrical Engineering major. The requirement may be satisfied for Civil Engineering majors if students select an approved major field elective that is also a course approved under Foundations of Scientific Inquiry.

The aim of courses in this area is to ensure that students gain a fundamental understanding of how scientists formulate and answer questions about the operation of both the physical and biological world. The courses also deal with some of the most important issues, developments, and methodologies in contemporary science, addressing such topics as the origin of the universe, environmental degradation, and the decoding of the human genome. Through lectures, laboratory experiences, writing, and intensive discussions, students consider the important roles played by the laws of physics and chemistry in society, biology, Earth and environmental sciences, and astrophysics and cosmology.

Foundations Course Lists

Creating and maintaining a general education curriculum is a dynamic process; consequently, courses are frequently added to the list. For the most current list of approved courses that satisfy the Foundations of Knowledge GE plan, consult an academic counselor or see http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/ge/GE-EngrNew07-08.pdf.

Requirements for Students Who Entered Prior to Fall Quarter 2005

For the approved list of courses, see http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/ge.html.

Department Requirements

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science departments generally set two types of requirements that must be satisfied for the award of the degree: (1) Preparation for the Major (lower division courses) and (2) the Major (upper division courses). Preparation for the Major courses should be completed before beginning upper division work.

Preparation for the Major

A major requires completion of a set of courses known as Preparation for the Major. Each department sets its own Preparation for the Major requirements; see the Departments and Programs section of this announcement.

The Major

Students must complete their major with a scholarship average of at least a 2.0 (C) in all courses in order to remain in the major. All courses in the major department must be taken for a letter grade. See the Departments and Programs section of this announcement for details on each major.

Policies and Regulations

Degree requirements are subject to policies and regulations, including the following:

Student Responsibility

Students should take advantage of academic support resources, but they are ultimately responsible for keeping informed of and complying with the rules, regulations, and policies affecting their academic standing.

Study List

Study Lists require approval of the dean of the school or a designated representative. It is the student's responsibility to present a Study List that reflects satisfactory progress toward the Bachelor of Science degree, according to standards set by the faculty. Study Lists or programs of study that do not comply with these standards may result in enforced withdrawal from the University or other academic action.

Undergraduate students in the school are expected to enroll in at least 12 units each term. Students enrolling in less than 12 units must obtain approval by petition to the dean prior to enrollment in courses. The normal program is 16 units per term. Students may not enroll in more than 21 units per term unless an Excess Unit Petition is approved in advance by the dean.

Minimum Progress

Full-time HSSEAS undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 36 units in three consecutive terms in which they are registered.

Credit Limitations

Some portions of Advanced Placement (AP) Test credit are evaluated by corresponding UCLA course number. If students take the equivalent UCLA course, a deduction of UCLA unit credit is made prior to graduation. See the AP chart.

Credit earned through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) may not be applied toward the bachelor's degree.

After students have completed 105 quarter units (regardless of where the units are completed), they do not receive unit credit or subject credit for courses completed at a community college.

No credit is granted toward the bachelor's degree for college foreign language courses equivalent to quarter levels one and two if the equivalent of level two of the same language was completed with satisfactory grades in high school.

Double Majors

Students in good academic standing may be permitted to have a double major consisting of a major within HSSEAS and a major outside the school (e.g., Electrical Engineering and Economics). Students are not permitted to have a double major within the school (e.g., Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering). Contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for details.

Advising

It is mandatory for all students entering undergraduate programs to have their course of study approved by an academic counselor. After the first term, curricular and career advising is accomplished on a formal basis. Students are assigned a faculty adviser in their particular specialization in their sophomore year or earlier.

In addition, all undergraduate students are assigned, by major, to an academic counselor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs who provides them with advice regarding general requirements for the degrees and University and school regulations and procedures. It is the students' responsibility to periodically meet with their academic counselor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, as well as with their faculty adviser, to discuss curriculum requirements, programs of study, and any other academic matters of concern.

Curricula Planning Procedure

  1. Students normally follow the curriculum in effect when they enter the school. California community college transfers may also select the curriculum in the catalog in effect at the time they began their community college work in an engineering program, providing attendance has been continuous since that time.
  2. HSSEAS undergraduate students following a catalog year prior to 2006-07 may use the computerized HSSEAS Academic Program Planner (APP), an interactive self-advising system that informs users if their academic programs meet the requirements for graduation. Students beginning upper division coursework in the major are required to submit an Academic Program Proposal to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs for approval by the associate dean. Students following the 2006-07 catalog year and thereafter will be notified by the Office of Academic and Student Affairs of a new program called Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS).

The student's regular faculty adviser is available to assist in planning electives and for discussions regarding career objectives. Students should discuss their elective plan with the adviser and obtain the adviser's approval.

Students should also see any member or members of the faculty specially qualified in their major for advice in working out a program of major courses.

Students are assigned to advisers by majors and major fields of interest. A specific adviser or an adviser in a particular engineering department may be requested by submitting a Request for Assignment to Faculty Adviser form available in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

Academic counselors in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs assist students with University procedures and answer questions related to general requirements.

Honors

Dean's Honors List

Students following the engineering curricula are eligible to be named to the Dean's Honors List each term. Minimum requirements are a course load of at least 15 units (12 units of letter grade) with a grade-point average equal to or greater than 3.7. Students are not eligible for the Dean's Honors List if they receive an Incomplete (I) or Not Passed (NP) grade or repeat a course. Only courses applicable to an undergraduate degree are considered toward eligibility for Dean's Honors.

Latin Honors

Students who have achieved scholastic distinction may be awarded the bachelor's degree with honors. Students eligible for 2007-08 University honors at graduation must have completed 90 or more units for a letter grade at the University of California and must have attained a cumulative grade-point average at graduation which places them in the top five percent of the school (GPA of 3.892 or better) for summa cum laude, the next five percent (GPA of 3.742 or better) for magna cum laude, and the next 10 percent (GPA of 3.615 or better) for cum laude. The minimum GPAs required are subject to change on an annual basis. Required GPAs in effect in the graduating year determine student eligibility.

Based on grades achieved in upper division courses, engineering students must have a 3.892 grade-point average for summa cum laude, a 3.742 for magna cum laude, and a 3.615 for cum laude. For all designations of honors, students must have a minimum 3.25 GPA in their major field courses. To be eligible for an award, students should have completed at least 80 upper division units at the University of California.