Academic Standing

Academic Honors

Dean’s List

To be eligible for Dean’s List honors, an undergraduate student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or better and complete at least 15 graded credits with no unauthorized incompletes, UWs, or grades lower than C.

Honors Awarded with the Degree

At the end of the academic year, a select portion of the candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree who have achieved the highest academic cumulative grade-point average are accorded Latin honors. Latin honors are awarded in three categories (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) to no more than 25 percent of the graduating class, with no more than 5 percent summa cum laude, 10 percent magna cum laude, and 10 percent cum laude. Honors are awarded on the overall record of graduating seniors who will have completed a minimum of four semesters at Columbia upon graduation. Students who enter Columbia through the Combined Plan program are eligible for honors based on three semesters at Columbia. Students may not apply for honors.
 

Academic Monitoring

The SEAS Faculty Committee determines academic policies and regulations for the School. The Undergraduate Committee on Academic Standing is expected to uphold the policies and regulations of the Committee on Instruction and determine when circumstances warrant exceptions to them.

Academic performance is reviewed by advisers at the end of each semester. The Committee on Academic Standing, in consultation with the departments, meets to review undergraduate grades and progress toward the degree. Indicators of academic well-being are grades that average above 2.0 each term, in a coordinated program of study, with no incomplete grades.

Possible academic sanctions include:

  • Warning: C– or below in any core science course or in a required course for their major; low points toward degree completion
  • Academic Probation: Students will be placed on academic probation if they meet any of the conditions below:
    • Fall below a 2.0 GPA in a given semester
    • Have not completed 12 points successfully in a given semester
    • Have not completed chemistry, physics, University Writing, The Art of Engineering, and calculus during the first year
    • Receive a D, F, UW, or unauthorized Incomplete in any first-year/sophomore required courses
    • Receive a D, F, UW, or unauthorized Incomplete in any course required for the major
    • Receive straight C’s in the core science courses (chemistry, calculus, physics) or in required courses for their major
    • Not making significant progress toward the degree
  • Continued Probation: Students who are already on probation and fail to meet the minimum requirements as stated in their sanction letter.
  • Strict Probation: Students who are already on probation, fail to meet the minimum requirements as stated in their sanction letter, and are far below minimum expectations. This sanction is typically applied when there are signs of severe academic difficulty.
  • Suspension and Dismissal: Students who have been placed on academic probation and who fail to be restored to good academic standing in the following semester can be considered either for suspension or dismissal by the Committee on Academic Standing. The decision to suspend or dismiss a student will be made by the Committee on Academic Standing in the Berick Center for Student Advising and the Dean’s Office in close consultation with the student’s departmental adviser when the student has declared a major. In cases of suspension, the student will be required to make up the deficiencies in their academic record by taking appropriate courses at a four-year accredited institution in North America. Students must be able to complete their degree requirements in their eighth semester at Columbia after readmission. If this is not achievable, then students should be considered for dismissal instead. The courses that the student must take will be determined by the Committee of Academic Standing and by the student’s departmental adviser when the student has declared a major. All proposed courses will be reviewed by the appropriate faculty who teach the equivalent classes at Columbia University. All courses that are being taken to fulfill a major requirement or as a technical elective must be approved by the student’s departmental adviser. Courses being taken to count as a nontech elective or to count as general credit would only require the approval of the Committee on Academic Standing. The existing procedures for the approval of outside credit will be followed in these cases. Students must receive a grade of B or better for the credit to be transferred.

The courses that the student must take will be determined by the Undergraduate Committee of Academic Standing and by the student’s departmental adviser when the student has declared a major. All proposed courses will be reviewed by the appropriate faculty who teach the equivalent classes at Columbia University. All courses that are being taken to fulfill a major requirement or as a technical elective must be approved by the student’s departmental adviser. Courses being taken to count as a nontech elective or to count as general credit would only require the approval of the student's advising dean in the Berick Center for Student Advising. The existing procedures for the approval of outside credit will be followed in these cases. Students must receive a grade of B or better for the credit to be transferred.

The Office of Engineering Student Affairs monitors the academic progress of graduate students in consultation with the departments. Students will be placed on Academic Probation if their cumulative GPA is below 2.5 or minimum GPA required by the academic department, whichever is higher. Students who are on Academic Probation and do not return to good standing after one semester may be dismissed from the program.
 

Voluntary Medical Leave of Absence

A voluntary medical leave of absence for an undergraduate student is granted by the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising to an undergraduate student whose health prevents them from successfully pursuing full-time study. Undergraduates who take a voluntary medical leave of absence are guaranteed housing upon their return if they were already guaranteed housing.

A voluntary medical leave of absence for a graduate student is granted by the Office of Engineering Student Affairs, so please consult with this office for more information.

Documentation from a physician or counselor must be provided before such a leave is granted. In order to apply for readmission following a voluntary medical leave, a student must submit proof of recovery from a physician or counselor. Graduate students may also be required to meet with a medical provider at Columbia. Doctoral students must have a faculty advisor and funding from their faculty advisor and/or academic department prior to and returning from an approved voluntary medical leave.

A voluntary medical leave for an undergraduate student is for a minimum of one year and cannot be longer than two years. A voluntary medical leave for a graduate student is for a minimum of one semester, up to two years. If the student does not return within the two-year time frame, they will be withdrawn from the School. Students may return in the fall or spring term.

When a voluntary medical leave of absence is granted during the course of the semester, the fact that the student was enrolled for the semester and withdrew will be recorded on the student's transcript. The date of the withdrawal will also appear on the transcript. If the leave begins prior to the drop deadline, then the specific courses that the student is enrolled in will be deleted from the student's record. If after the drop deadline, the course grades will normally be W (official withdrawal) in all courses. In certain circumstances, a student may qualify for an IN (incomplete), which would have to be completed within two semesters after the student returns to Columbia. If the Incomplete is not completed by that time, an F or contingency grade such as W will be inserted as the final grade.

In exceptional cases, an undergraduate student may apply for readmission following a one-term voluntary medical leave of absence. In addition to providing a personal statement and supporting medical documentation for the voluntary medical leave readmission committee to review, the student will also need to provide a well-developed academic plan that has been approved by the departmental adviser and the Berick Center for Student Advising as part of the readmission process. This plan must demonstrate that their return to Columbia Engineering following a one-semester leave of absence will allow the student to properly follow the sequence of courses as required for the major and to meet all other graduation requirements by their eighth semester. The final decision regarding whether or not a student will be allowed to be readmitted after a one-semester leave will be made by the Medical Leave Readmission Committee.

Graduate students requesting to return from medical leave must provide supporting medical documentation and a personal statement that includes a well-developed plan to complete their degree. We recommend that students submit the request to return form well in advance of the semester that they wish to return for. Please note that return requests are not processed until April 1 for Fall returns/November 1 for Spring returns.

During the course of the leave, students are not permitted to take any courses for the purpose of transferring credit and are not permitted to be on campus. For more information about the voluntary medical leave of absence policy, undergraduates should consult their CSA adviser; graduate students should consult the Office of Engineering Student Affairs.

 

Voluntary Personal Leave Of Absence

A voluntary personal leave of absence (VPLOA) may be granted by the Committee on Academic Standing to undergraduate students who request a temporary withdrawal from Columbia Engineering for a nonmedical reason. Students considering a voluntary personal leave must discuss this option in advance with their CSA adviser. Voluntary leaves are granted for a period of one academic year only for undergraduate students; VPLOAs will ordinarily not be granted for one semester, or for more than one year. Students must be in good academic standing at the time of the leave and must be able to complete their major and degree in eight semesters.

A voluntary personal leave of absence for a graduate student is granted by the Office of Engineering Student Affairs. A graduate student must be registered for at least one semester and have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA to request a voluntary personal leave. Additionally, doctoral students must have a faculty adviser and funding from their faculty adviser and/ or academic department prior to and returning from an approved voluntary personal leave of absence. The deadline to request a voluntary leave for a given term is the last day to drop classes during that term. VPLOA requests made after the drop deadline may only be granted in exceptional circumstances. A graduate student may request to return from a voluntary personal leave of absence for the fall, spring, or summer semester. A request to return must be made before the semester starts. Please contact the Office of Engineering Student Affairs for more information.

When a voluntary personal leave of absence is granted during the course of the semester, the fact that the student was enrolled for the semester and withdrew will be recorded on the student's transcript. The date of the withdrawal will also appear on the transcript. If the leave begins prior to the drop deadline, then the specific courses that the student is enrolled in will be deleted from the student's record. If after the drop deadline, the course grades will normally be a W (official withdrawal) in all courses. In certain circumstances, a student may qualify for an IN (incomplete), which would have to be completed within two semesters after the student returns to Columbia. If the Incomplete is not completed by that time, an F or contingency grade such as W will be inserted as the final grade.

In exceptional cases, an undergraduate may apply for readmission following a one-term voluntary personal leave of absence. The student will need to provide to the Committee on Academic Standing a well-developed academic plan that has been approved by the departmental adviser and the Berick Center for Student Advising as part of the admission process. This plan must demonstrate that their return to Columbia Engineering following a one-semester personal leave of absence will allow the student to properly follow the sequence of courses as required for the major and to meet all other graduation requirements by their eighth semester. The Committee on Academic Standing will review the student’s academic plan and request for readmission. The deadlines for petitioning for readmission are June 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester. The deadlines for petitioning a return from a voluntary personal leave for graduate students after one semester are June 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring.

Students may not take courses for transferable credit while on leave. Finally, students who choose to take voluntary personal leaves are not guaranteed housing upon return to the University. Undergraduate students who go on leave during their first year and had guaranteed housing prior to their leave are guaranteed housing upon readmission. International students should contact the International Students and Scholars Office to ensure that a leave will not jeopardize their ability to return to Columbia Engineering.
 

Undergraduate Emergency Family Leave of Absence

Undergraduate students who must leave the University for urgent family reasons that necessitate a semester-long absence (e.g., family death or serious illness in the family) may request an emergency family leave of absence. Documentation of the serious nature of the emergency must be provided. Students must request an emergency family leave of absence from their advising dean in the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising.

When an emergency family leave of absence is granted during the course of the semester, the fact that the student was enrolled for the semester and withdrew will be recorded on the student's transcript. The date of the withdrawal will also appear on the transcript. If the leave begins prior to the drop deadline, then the specific courses that the student is enrolled in will be deleted from the student's record. If after the drop deadline, the course grades will normally be W (official withdrawal) in all courses. In certain circumstances, a student may qualify for an incomplete, which would have to be completed by the first week of the semester in which the student returns to Columbia. If the Incomplete is not completed by that time, a W will be inserted.

To return, students must notify the Berick Center for Student Advising as soon as possible, ideally by November 1 for the spring semester and June 1 for the fall semester. Students must request readmission in writing and submit a statement describing their readiness to return. Students who were guaranteed housing prior to taking an emergency family leave are guaranteed housing upon readmission. SEAS students may request permission to return after one semester as long as they can demonstrate that they can remain in sequence with their course work and have the prior approval of the departmental adviser.

Students who decide not to return must notify the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising of their decision. The date of separation for the leave of absence will be the date of separation for withdrawal. Leaves may not extend beyond four semesters. Students who do not notify the Berick Center for Student Advising of their intentions by the end of the two-year period will be permanently withdrawn.
 

Leave for Military Duty

Please refer to Military Leave of Absence Policy in University Policies for recent updates regarding leave for military duty.
 

Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy

Please refer to the Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy in University Policies.
 

Readmission

Students seeking readmission to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science must submit evidence that they have achieved the purposes for which they left. Consequently, specific readmission procedures are determined by the reasons for the withdrawal. Further information for undergraduate students is available in the Berick Center for Student Advising. Graduate students should see the Office of Engineering Student Affairs.

Undergraduate students applying for readmission should complete all parts of the appropriate readmission procedures by June 1 for the fall term or November 1 for the spring term.

Graduate students applying for readmission must complete a change of status application. Students are only eligible if their withdrawal date is within one year of their readmission request. Readmission is not guaranteed - such requests are reviewed by the student’s academic department and the Office of Engineering Student Affairs. Students who fail to apply for readmission within the outlined one-year timeframe can only return to the school by submitting a brand new application with the Office of Graduate Admissions. Submitting an admission application does not guarantee reinstatement.