Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I enroll in ME 490/491?

A: You will first want to find a professor who will supervise your independent study. To find a professor who is doing research in your area of interest, check out the Research section of the ME website. Once you have identified a professor, you will need to submit a proposal using the ME 490 Proposal Submission link at least one week before the Add/Drop deadline of the semester. Then, both the Undergraduate Chair and your professor will review the proposal and either approve it or deny it. If it is denied, they will provide you with feedback and you can submit a new proposal. IMPORTANT: You also need to register for ME 490/491 on Wolverine Access before the Add/Drop deadline! Submitting your proposal does NOT automatically register you. Once your project is complete, you will need to write and submit a Final Report that details the work you did for your independent study. This report needs to be submitted before the last day of finals for the semester. Your professor can then review and either approve or reject your final report.

Q: Are there any exceptions to the requirements listed in the Bachelor's Degree section of the Undergrad Handbook?

A: There are some courses that have been approved as exceptions for various categories such as technical electives and advanced math. These courses are listed below.

Note that if a class is not on this list and you would like it to be approved for an exception, you will need to file a petition with the Undergraduate Chair. You can fill out this petition form and either drop it off at the ASO or email it to me-aso@umich.edu

Q: How do I apply for CPT?

A: You will first need to take the CPT Online Certification Course and print your course completion certificate. You will also need the following documentation:

• A copy of your unofficial transcript from Wolverine Access
• A copy of the job offer letter from the employer (requirements for the letter found here)
• A copy of your current I-20
• A copy of your most recent I-94 card (front side only)
• An Academic Advisor Recommendation Letter for CPT

To get the Recommendation Letter for CPT, you can come into the ASO and fill out a letter request form. You can then drop this off with a staff member and your letter will be complete in 5-7 business days. After you have all of the required documentation, you can take it to the International Center to be turned in.

Q: I'm on a waitlist for a course, how do I get an override?

A: First, if the course is not a Mechanical Engineering course, you will need to contact the department that offers the course and ask them about their override policies. If it is an ME course and if classes have not yet begun, you need to send an email to me-aso@umich.edu with your name, UM-ID number, and section number of the course you need an override for. You do not need to come into the ASO, all overrides are handled through email. Please note that we receive many override requests once registration begins and we handle them on a first-come, first-served basis so we will get to your override as soon as possible.

• You must have a valid time conflict to receive an override.
• The advising team has access to your class schedule, so please be accurate and considerate of other students who truly need a certain section of a course.
• Course overrides will not be provided due to personal preferences, such as, "I'm not a morning person. I prefer not have classes before 10am."
• Being #1 on the waitlist does not ensure you will receive an override for a course. Many factors are considered -- such as class standing, if the student needs the class to graduate this term, etc. -- before an override is issued.

If classes have already begun, then you should attend the lecture and ask the professor for approval to get an override. The professor must send an email to me-aso@umich.edu approving you to be enrolled in the course. We can then grant the override after receiving professor permission (via e-mail).

Q: How do I drop, add, or change a course to pass/fail?

A: First, you will want to check the Registrar's Office Student Registration Deadlines and find the Add/Drop deadlines. If it is before the Add/Drop deadline, then you can add, drop, or modify a course on Wolverine Access. If it is after the Add/Drop deadline, you will have to come into the ASO and pick up an Add/Drop/Modify form. If you are adding or dropping a course, the professor will need to sign the form and you will also need an ASO staff member to sign the form. If you are changing a course to pass/fail, then only a staff member needs to sign it. After you have the required signatures, you can turn the form into the Engineering Records Office in 145A Chrysler. If you drop a course after the Add/Drop deadline, you will receive a "W" on your transcript, indicating that you withdrew from the course later in the term. Note that after the "Add/Drop without petition" deadline you can no longer add, drop, or modify a course without submitting a petition to the Undergraduate Chair.

Q: I took a course that should count as a technical elective/advanced math/etc... but it's not counting it correctly on my degree audit. What should I do?

A: To resolve this issue, you should send an email to me-aso@umich.edu, stating the subject and number of the course in question and what category you believe it should count under. One of the program advisors will then verify that the course has not been counted properly and will manually grant an exception in the degree audit system. You do not need to come into the ASO as all of our exception requests are handled through email.

Q: How do I know if a course is a Humanity or Social Science?

A: To check if a course is a humanity or social science, you will need to go to the LS&A Course Guide and find the course that you are interested in. In the course description, there is a category labeled "Reqs". If, under Reqs, it says HU, then the course is a humanity. If it says SS, then the course is a social science.

Q: What are LACs and PCDCs?

A: LACs are Liberal Arts Courses and include any course marked as SS or HU in the LS&A Course Guide. There are also a number of subjects that, even if the course is not marked as SS or HU, will count as LACs. The full list of these subjects can be found here. PCDCs are Professional and Creative Development Courses and are not required to complete your Intellectual Breadth. However, up to four credits of PCDCs can be counted towards your Intellectual Breadth requirements. PCDCs include courses taught in the Art, Business, Architecture, and Music schools. A full listing of schools that offer PCDCs can be found here.

Q: I am a transfer student (or took classes at a different institution) and when I transferred my math or science courses, not all of the credits transferred over. What do I have to do to make up these credits?

A: If you are missing two or less credits in the CoE math and science category (this includes Math, Chemistry, Physics, and ENGR 100/101), then you can make up those credits with general electives. However, if you are missing more than two credits, then those credits must be made up by taking an additional math or science course. If you are unsure as to how many credits you are missing, feel free to send an email to me-aso@umich.edu or stop by our office during the Peer Advisor's walk-in hours.

Q: I heard that LS&A students can only transfer up to 60 credits from another institution for their undergraduate program. Does this apply to College of Engineering students as well?

A: No, there is no restriction on the number of credits that a CoE student may transfer from another institution. However, each student still has to fulfill the residency requirement by taking a minimum of 50 credits at UofM - Ann Arbor. Also, 30 of these credits must be technical courses at the 300 level or above. Please refer to the Transferring Credit section of the Undergrad Handbook for more details.