Student Guide - General Information
Important Dates | Advanced Placement Courses | Academic Assistance | Course Substitutions | Remedial Courses
Important Dates
A number of dates are important during scheduling/registration and during the course of any semester at Penn State. These dates are listed every semester on the Registrar’s Office web site. The dates noted on this site indicate registration deadlines, the period of time to add and drop courses without charge or without academic penalty, final exam period, commencement, etc. Details can be found in the University Faculty Senate Policies for Students web site.
Registration - Prior to the Registration Deadline and during the Add/Drop Period, students may create and adjust schedules. One registration system registers all students at all locations for credit courses offered through the resident instruction and continuing education delivery systems. Non-credit courses and courses offered through the World Campus follow different registration procedures.
The campus Registrar is responsible for providing semester-by-semester registration instructions to students, advisers, faculty, and staff. Registration instructions are published no later than the publication of the initial Schedule of Courses.
The registration process is continuous in nature. Each student is assigned a "first date to register. " Starting with this first date, the student may initially register and subsequently adjust the registration as appropriate and necessary. The fundamental goal of this process is to finalize course registrations before the first day of the semester.
Students may register for courses using the following options:
- Using the eLion system
- In-person registration at the campus Registrar's office, advising center, or continuing education office.
Policies on canceling your registration, taking a leave of absence, and withdrawal are available at the Registrar's web site.
Advanced Placement Courses
Students may arrive at the University with credits awarded through the College Board (ETS) AP Program. Undergraduate students interested in receiving credit for AP examinations should arrange for their official grade reports to be sent directly from ETS to the Undergraduate Admissions Office at University Park. Students should verify that the AP credits appear on their official University transcript by the end of the first semester.
The choice of how to use AP credits to satisfy University credits is an individual decision. Students are urged to consult with their adviser about an appropriate strategy when making this decision.
Click here to learn more about AP/CLEP/IB credit acquisition.
Academic Assistance
There are times when students may experience difficulty with classes. The key to success is to seek assistance when academic difficulty is first experienced. There are various offices and organizations on each campus designed to help students succeed academically. (Please see http://www.psu.edu/dus/handbook/cesinfo2.html for additional information.)
The following services may be offered at many campus locations.
Math Support Services provides tutoring and assistance for students experiencing difficulty with the fundamentals of mathematics. In many instances, students have problems with various math courses because they require review of basic algebra, geometry, and trigonometry concepts. Professional and student tutors may be available to answer questions and help work through the problem areas.
Writing Support Center can assist in a variety of writing tasks including term papers, compositions, essays, résumés, and business letters. Guidance is available at any stage of the writing process from formulating ideas to critiquing completed drafts.
Computer Services are offered at many locations to help students become familiar with computer applications in a non-threatening and informal environment. In most cases, assistance includes workshops, tutorials, and one-on-one support.
Peer Tutoring Services are available at most campuses to connect students with other, more-experienced students for one-on-one assistance. Most first and second year courses are supported.
Supplemental Instruction review sessions and practicums are available for a variety of courses at most campuses. These services bring students from the same courses together to compare notes, discuss lectures, and ask questions. Session are generally led by a person who has taken the course, is familiar with the material, and knows what the instructor expects.
For more detailed information concerning these services, call the local campus advising office.
Course Substitutions
A student is expected to satisfy all University, College, and major requirements that were in effect at the time of the student's most recent readmission or most recent change of major within the University, whichever is later.
Course substitutions indicated below can be made without additional action on the part of the adviser, department, or college. Requests for other course substitutions should be submitted to the Head of the SEDTAPP. Click here to download a petition form.
Guidelines to consider when requesting other course substitutions are:
- The course to be substituted should be in the same, or closely related, academic area as the required course.
- Substitution of a course for a previous failure of a required course is seldom granted.
- Failure to schedule a required course in a timely fashion is not sufficient reason for granting a course substitution.
- Course substitution requests need to consider TAC of ABET minimum requirements.
Approved Course Substitutions
| Required Course(s) | Substitute Course(s) | |
| ET 002 and ET 005 | CMPSC 101 | |
| EGT 101 & 102, and ET 002 | EDSGN 100 | |
| Mch T 111 | E Mch 011 | |
| Mch T 212 | E Mch 012 | |
| Mch T 213 | E Mch 013 | |
| Math 081/082/083 | (Note 1) | |
| Phys 150 or 151 | Phys 201 | |
| Phys 150 or 151 | Phys 202 | |
| Phys 150 | Chem 011 (Note 2) | |
| Phys 150 or 151 | Chem 012 (Note 2) | |
| Phys 150 or 150 | Chem 013 (Note 2) | |
| 1 cr of science | Chem 012 or 104 |
Most baccalaureate engineering courses can be used as technical electives in most associate degree technology programs. In addition, many of the major courses in baccalaureate engineering programs can be substituted for similar major courses in related associate degree programs (viz., EE 251 for EET 101, E Mch 11 for Mch T 111, etc.).
To protect students, all course substitutions not identified above should be approved by the Head of the School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs.
Notes:
(1) -- There are many possibilities for completing the required math sequence using substitute courses. In general, associate degree ET programs at Penn State require completion of the Math 081/082/083 sequence, which represents a total of ten credits covering algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and calculus. This is two more than the minimum of eight credits required by the TAC of ABET. Thus, the general rule for substitution of math classes is that any sequence of courses that includes a calculus course and encompasses at least 8 credits of math will meet the minimum requirements of Math 081/082/083. However, when math substitutions are made that result in a student taking less than ten credits of math, advisers must be aware of a corollary TAC of ABET accreditation requirement stipulating that a program must contain a minimum of 16 semester credits of math and science combined (not counting computer science). Thus, if the math requirement is met with less than 10 credits (e.g., Math 140 and 141), additional math or science credits must be scheduled to satisfy the 16 credit math and science minimum. Specific questions regarding math substitutions should be directed to the Head of the SEDTAPP.
(2) -- Students who are considering enrollment into one of the baccalaureate ET programs at Penn State Harrisburg should be aware that the Capital College requires all graduates to have a minimum of six credits of physics, and at least three of these credits must be earned prior to admission to the baccalaureate program. This requirement may influence the decision to substitute chemistry credits for physics credits in an associate degree program.
Remedial Courses
The following courses cannot be used to satisfy graduation requirements in any Engineering Technology program in the School of Engineering Design, Technology and Professional Programs:
- CHEM 6
- MATH 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- PHYSICS 100, 191
- PH SC 7, 8
- ENGL 4, 5
- LL ED 5, 10
- CAS 126
However, if taken, these courses will appear on a student's transcript, and the grade earned will be included in the calculation of cumulative gradepoint average.