Undergraduate Program Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find my advisor information?

Your academic advisor and your faculty advisor will be listed under your Support Network in the Academics section of your Workday Student profile.

What is the difference between my academic advisor and my faculty advisor?

Academic advisors should be a student’s first stop for assistance. Academic advisors are SSE Student Success team members who provide students with guidance on their major curriculum, course registration, academic progress, planning for summer studies, and changing a major. They are well versed in Stevens' policies and procedures, and can connect students with resources across campus as needed. Students should meet with their academic advisor at least once each semester to ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]) is the academic advisor for all undergraduate students in SSE programs.

Faculty advisors are a student’s resource for more in-depth, subject area-specific questions and planning for long-term goals. Faculty advisors are the best resource to recommend concentrations or electives that best align with a student’s interests and goals. Students should also connect with their faculty advisor to discuss research and internship opportunities, or to get advice on their postgraduate career plans. Students can find the name of their assigned faculty advisor listed in their support network in Workday.

Do I need to submit an academic plan?

Currently, students are not required to submit an academic plan in Workday, but some may find it to be a useful planning tool. Follow the steps in the Workday user guide to create your academic plan. Many students find these useful in planning out their semesters at Stevens. The Academic Progress section of your Workday profile is the official degree-audit tool. Your courses will be applied to your degree requirements on the Academic Progress screen as they are registered and completed.

All students are required to meet with their academic advisor during their first month at Stevens to plan out their courses to ensure they will meet all degree requirements in a timely manner. It is strongly recommended that students meet with their advisor at least once each semester prior to registration to plan out their courses for the next semester.

How do I choose general electives?

There is quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to general electives. General electives can be taken from your own major area or they can be used to explore other areas of study. Many students use their electives to obtain a minor in another area of study, while others take graduate courses as electives in order to apply them toward the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP). Students should always discuss their elective choices with their faculty advisor.

Which courses will count as science electives?

• BIO 281/BIO 282: Biology & Biotechnology (includes a lab component)

• CE 240: Introduction to Geosciences

• CH 116/CH 118: General Chemistry II (includes a lab component)

• EN 250: Quantitative Biology

• NANO 200: Introduction to Nanotechnology

• PEP 151: Introduction to Astronomy

• PEP 201: Physics III for Engineers (includes a lab component)

• PEP 242: Modern Physics

• PEP 336: Introduction to Astrophysics and Cosmology

• PEP 351: Introduction to Planetary Science

Note: the science elective requirement varies by major. If your major requires you to take two science electives, the two courses must cover two different domains/subject areas. As such, PEP 201 and 242 cannot be taken together to satisfy the requirement, and BIO 281 and EN 250 cannot be taken together to satisfy the requirement.

Which courses will count toward the humanities requirements?

All courses offered by the College of Arts & Letters with the prefixes HHS, HLI, HPL, HSS and HST can count toward the humanities requirement. A limited selection of classes with the prefixes HTH, HAR and HMU can count toward the requirement. Please check the humanities requirement section of the academic catalog for the list of accepted HTH, HAR and HMU courses. Courses with the prefixes LFR or LSP do not count toward the humanities requirement, but may be used as general electives. BT 243 (Macroeconomics) and BT 244 (Microeconomics) may be counted as upper-level humanities courses. If you are not sure if a course will count toward your humanities requirement, please contact Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]) for assistance.

Am I allowed to take online courses as an undergraduate student?

Undergraduate students may, with junior standing and the permission of their advisor, enroll in up to two online web courses per semester. Students with a 3.2 or higher GPA may take a third web course. These classes are counted as part of the student’s regular semester credit load for purposes of computing overload charges, if any apply. Students wishing to take more than two (or three with a GPA of 3.2 or higher) online web courses require the permission of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Academics, and will incur additional charges at the undergraduate per-credit tuition rate for these classes regardless of whether they exceed the credit-load limit.

International students in F-1 immigration status should keep in mind that immigration regulations permit them to count only one online course (3 credits) toward their full-time requirement in each regular (fall and spring) semester. Therefore, while Stevens permits them to take two online courses per semester at no additional cost, they must generally be enrolled in a minimum of 15 credits, at least nine (9) of which must be in regular on-campus courses, in order to do this and still maintain their immigration status. For additional details and questions, please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.

Am I allowed to take graduate-level courses as an undergraduate?

Students with at least junior standing and a 3.0 or higher GPA can enroll in 600- or higher- level graduate courses if they satisfy the prerequisite requirements and complete an Undergraduate Permission To Take Graduate Courses request in Workday Student. Students with at least junior standing can enroll in graduate courses at the 500 level without submitting a request, provided they satisfy the prerequisite requirements. Students are not allowed to enroll in more than two 600 level or higher level courses in any semester.

How do I register for classes?

Registration takes place in Workday Student. Detailed information regarding registration procedures can be found on the Registrar's website.

How do I know which courses to register for each semester?

For course selection guidance, please refer to the Academic Catalog or Academic Plan Template that corresponds to your entering class year at Stevens. This date will be listed as the "requirements effective" date in your Workday academic profile. 

I have a registration hold. How do I resolve it?

If you have a registration hold, you will be able to view it in your Workday Student profile. The holds section of your profile will also provide instructions on how to clear the hold. If you have a registration hold and you are not able to clear the hold on your own, contact Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]) for assistance.

A class that I need to take for my degree requirements isn't on the schedule or is closed/full. What can I do?

If this is not your last semester at Stevens, we recommend that you wait to take the course during a later semester and choose another available course to round out your current schedule. If this is your last semester at Stevens or the closed course is a prerequisite for courses you need to take the following semester, then you have a few options: 

• If this is an elective class, the easiest solution is to find a different elective currently being offered. Be sure to consult with your advisors about the change in elective.

• If this is a core class (either engineering core or major core), please email your academic advisor, Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]). She will work with the relevant course schedulers to find a solution.

How can I tell if a course is offered online or on campus?

Online courses always have a section number ending in WS (i.e. SYS 660-WS). On-campus course sections will be marked with a single letter (i.e. SYS 660-A).

I plan to take a course at another institution during the summer or winter break. Can I transfer the credits from that course and apply them toward my Stevens degree?

Please review the policies regarding transfer credits on the Transfer Credit Information page. Students can refer to the Transfer Credit Articulation database to identify external courses that have already been evaluated and approved as valid for transfer credit.

I am an incoming first-year student. How do I know if I will receive AP or IB credit for a course in my curriculum at Stevens?

Incoming first-year students may earn up to 30 college credits toward their degree through College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examination scores, International Baccalaureate (IB) examination scores, or for college-level courses taken while in high school. More information can be found on the AP/IB transfer credit page.

I am an incoming transfer student. How do I know which of the courses I completed at my previous institution can be applied toward my degree requirements at Stevens?

Please refer to the "Evaluating Your Credits" section of the Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Students page.

Where can I get help and information regarding internships and jobs after graduation?

Please visit the Stevens Career Center for further information about their services to our students. 

Where can I find job-placement statistics from previous graduating classes in majors offered by SSE?

All placement data can be found in the annual Career Outcomes report maintained by the Stevens Career Center.

I am interested in participating in the co-op program. Where can I get more information?

Please review the eligibility requirements on the co-operative education website. Students who wish to participate in co-op can contact [email protected].

What is the Accelerated Master's Program?

The Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) enables high-achieving students to earn a master's degree in less time than if they were to pursue it traditionally by allowing students to double-count certain courses toward both an undergraduate and graduate degree. For detailed information about AMP, please visit the Graduate Academics AMP page.

I would like to change my major. How can I do this?

If you are a non-SSE student who would like to switch into a major offered by SSE, please contact Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]). Stephanie will meet with you to plan out your courses to ensure you meet the requirements of your new major, connect you with your new faculty advisor, and process the change of major in Workday. If you are switching out of an SSE major into another department or school, please contact Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]) so she can connect you with the academic advisor in the department or school for which you would like to switch. 

I would like to add a minor to my program of study. What are the requirements for completing a minor and how do I declare one?

To declare a minor in Workday, please use the add/change minor instructions in the Workday resource guide. Minor requirements vary by department and school, so it's important that you review the requirements for your specific minor in the current academic catalog. All minors offered by the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science require a two-course overload. In other words, if you are pursuing a six-course minor in an SES department, a maximum of four courses can be double-counted between the major and the minor.

I am a senior and will be completing all of my degree requirements this academic year. What do I need to do to ensure that I graduate?

Students who are nearing the completion of their degree requirements must submit an application for program completion in Workday. There are different submission deadlines for undergraduate and graduate students, so please be sure to check the Academic Calendar for updated deadlines. (The deadline to apply for May 2023 graduation is Oct. 1, 2022 for undergraduates). Please also review the Registrar's Undergraduate Student Graduation Checklist to make sure you have completed all required steps.

I have completed the requirements for a minor along with my major requirements. What should I do to ensure the minor is included in my graduation?

Please make sure that your minor is officially declared as a program of study on your Workday profile, in addition to your major. If you are completing a minor and it is not listed as a program of study in your record, please notify Stephanie De Paola ([email protected]) immediately.

When is the commencement ceremony?

Commencement takes place only once each academic year in May. Information can be found on the University Events Commencement web page.

When will I receive my diploma?

Graduates receive both a digital copy and a hard copy of their diploma 4-6 weeks after the degree is conferred. A link to retrieve your digital diploma will be emailed to your stevens.edu address and your hard copy diploma will be mailed to the mailing address you provide on Workday (so please make sure your contact information is up to date)!

My employer/future graduate school is requesting my transcripts/degree verification. Where can I obtain this?

An unofficial transcript can be generated in Workday by following these instructions. Official transcripts can be ordered through the Office of the Registrar. If you need further degree verification, please contact [email protected].