Major Sequence

Frequently Asked Questions

In all of the College degree programs, the Major Sequence is a set of courses, normally taken in the last two years of undergraduate study, in which the student learns to put to engineering use the tools and basic concepts learned in the Basic Sequence.

How do I know if Major Sequence applies to me?

If you are a degree-seeking student, currently enrolled in the Cockrell School of Engineering, you must apply and be accepted to Major Sequence in order to complete your upper-division coursework.

When should I apply for Major Sequence?

You should apply when you have 7 or fewer hours remaining in Basic Sequence. Contact your departmental advisor for more information.

What are the criteria for Major Sequence in my major?

It is important to note that criteria for admission to a Major Sequence vary by major, by catalog, and from semester to semester. All engineering degree plans require a specified grade point average earned in the Basic Sequence courses completed at The University of Texas at Austin (in residence Basic Sequence GPA).

For students entering the College in Summer 2003 or later, the minimum In residence Basic Sequence GPA is a 2.5000 for ASE, BME, CHE, EE, ECE, GEH, ME, and PEN; and a 2.0000 for ARE and CE.

For students who entered the Cockrell School of Engineering before Summer 2003, the minimum In residence Basic Sequence GPA is a 2.5000 for BME, CHE, EE, ECE, ME, and a 2.0000 for ASE, ARE, CE, GEH, PEN.

What are the requirements to be admitted to Major Sequence?

There are four main requirements to be admitted into a Major Sequence:

Must show credit or successful completion of RHE 306 on UT Austin records prior to submitting application.
Completion of all Basic Sequence courses.
Maintain or obtain the required Basic Sequence GPA for the appropriate degree plan.
Satisfactory standing; not on academic or scholastic probation.

Can I take Major Sequence courses before I've been admitted into Conditional or Full Major Sequence?

An engineering student may not register for a course identified as a Major Sequence course in any of the degree plans of the Cockrell School of Engineering unless the student has been admitted to conditional or full Major Sequence.

Are there any application deadlines?

A student who is currently enrolled in the College must submit a completed online application form by the following priority deadlines:

March 1 for admission for the following Summer or Fall
October 1 for admission for the following Spring

What happens if I miss the priority deadline?

You may still submit an application but a decision may not be made before your next registration period. All late applications will be processed in the order received.

The application asks me what my catalog year is; how do I know what catalog I am in?

Undergraduate catalogs are published in two year increments, in even numbered years. The catalog you are under is determined by the first semester that you are enrolled at UT. For example, if you began at UT in the Fall of 2004, you will be in the 04-06 catalog; if you began at UT in Spring of 1999, you will be in the 98-00 catalog.

The application asks me what technical option area I will be pursuing; do I really need to know this now?

You should select the option area that you are most likely to pursue. If you want to change it later, you can. You will need to communicate to your department the tech area you that will pursue no later than your last semester so that your degree profile can be set.

After I submit an application, when can I expect a decision?

Applications submitted by the priority deadline will receive a decision prior to the next registration period. All late applications will be processed in the order received.

What type of decision can I receive?

There are three possible decisions for a Major Sequence application:

FULL MAJOR SEQUENCE -- If you are admitted into Full Major Sequence, you have fulfilled all of your Basic Sequence requirements and you may continue in your upper division engineering courses.

CONDITIONAL MAJOR SEQUENCE -- If you are granted Conditional Major Sequence, you will be permitted to enroll in Major Sequence courses for the next semester along with any remaining Basic Sequence courses. Specific grade and course completion requirements will be indicated in the conditions, and remaining Basic Sequence coursework must be completed in the next available semester.

INELIGIBLE -- You may be ineligible for one or more of the following reasons:

You have not completed the Basic Sequence courses in the requested degree plan.
You are lacking eight or more credit hours of Basic Sequence courses.
You have not earned the minimum basic sequence in residence GPA required of your degree plan.
You are subject to scholastic probation and/or engineering (formerly academic) probation.
You have not completed, nor does your UT-Austin record show credit for, RHE 306.

If you are ineligible, you must either re-apply or appeal the decision. You may enroll in Basic Sequence or other required courses for which you have the proper prerequisites. You may not enroll in any Major Sequence courses. If you are registered for any Major Sequence courses, you must drop them. Failure to do so may result in these courses being dropped at a later date with no possible refund.

When should I appeal an ineligible decision?

You should appeal as soon as possible. Your department will evaluate the appeal and render a decision. In many cases, a decision will not be rendered until after your current semester grades post.

Is there a deadline to submit an appeal?

You should appeal as soon as possible, as described in question 11. Appeals will be routed to the department for a decision and will be accepted so long as a decision can be made. Generally, after the 4^th class day in a long semester and after the 2^nd class day in the summer, it is too late to appeal since students can no longer adjust their class schedules easily.

What should I say in my appeal?

You should be honest and describe/explain any special circumstances that you believe have contributed to your situation. You should discuss why you are in the situation you are in, what your plan is to improve your situation, and what your academic and career goals are.

How do I know what my Basic Sequence GPA is?

Your Basic Sequence GPA consists of the grades you have earned, in residence, in the courses considered basic for your degree plan. These courses may vary by major and catalog year. You can use the Basic Sequence calculator (link below) to check your GPA and to see what courses are contained in the Basic Sequence for your major and catalog year.

Click here to calculate your Basic Sequence GPA

How do I know what courses are required in the Basic Sequence for my major?

The Basic Sequence courses in your degree plan may vary from one catalog year to the next. You can use the Basic Sequence calculator (link below) to check your GPA and to see what courses are contained in the Basic Sequence for your major and catalog year.

Click here to calculate your Basic Sequence GPA

I've been calculating my Basic Sequence GPA and I don't understand why there is a difference. Help!

Only the courses taken in residence (excludes AP, Credit-by-exam, transfer work, dual credit, correspondence/distance education and extension) are used to calculate the Basic Sequence GPA. Transferred work is credited to the student in hours but does not count into the Basic Sequence grade point average.

I haven't claimed some Credit-by-exam or AP credit; how do I do that?

You should petition for any earned credit by examination through the Measurement and Evaluation Center website:

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/mec/index.shtml

Do I have to claim credit for remaining Basic Sequence courses now, in order to be accepted into Conditional or Full Major Sequence?

Yes, now is the time that the required credits must be claimed. You should petition for any earned credit by examination through the Measurement and Evaluation Center website:

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/mec/index.shtml

I haven't transferred some credits; how do I do that?

You should contact the institution where you completed the credit and ask their Registrar's office to transfer the work to UT.

How do I know if I'm on probation (Academic or Scholastic)?

You can refer to the following site for probation information. http://www.engr.utexas.edu/current/academics/pol_probation.cfm

I've just applied and been accepted to change my major within the College of Engineering; do I have to apply for Major Sequence for my new major?

Yes, you must re-apply for Major Sequence for your new major because the admission criteria are likely different.

I would like to apply to change my major within the Cockrell School of Engineering; do I have to apply for Major Sequence for my new major?

Students applying for internal transfer (change of major) with the Cockrell School of Engineering must be approved for the internal transfer before their Major Sequence application for the new major will be considered.

I'm an Engineering undeclared student and would like to apply to change my major within the Cockrell School of Engineering; do I have to apply for Major Sequence for my new major?

Students applying for internal transfer (change of major) within the Cockrell School of Engineering must be approved for the internal transfer before their Major Sequence application for the new major will be considered. Only degree-seeking students may access the Major Sequence application system.

I have just been admitted to UT in the Cockrell School of Engineering as a transfer student; do I need to apply for Major Sequence?

A student seeking to transfer from another institution must first be admitted to the University by the Office of Admissions. Admission to the University does not imply or guarantee admission to a Major Sequence in the Cockrell School of Engineering. A student's application to the Major Sequence is considered only after the student has been admitted to the University. You should discuss your situation with the transfer advisor in your department during your advising session at orientation.

I'm already in Conditional Major Sequence; do I need to re-apply to get into Full Major Sequence?

No, your record will be automatically reviewed at the end of the current semester to determine if your conditions have been successfully satisfied. You are not required, nor will the system allow you to resubmit a new Major Sequence application.

I'm in Conditional Major Sequence and did not meet my conditions; what do I do now?

If you fail to satisfy the conditions, there are two possible outcomes:

You may be granted an automatic one semester extension to complete the lacking requirements.
You may be dropped to Basic Sequence standing and you must re-apply for entry in a future semester.

I tried to submit an appeal online but received an error message; what do I do now?

You may only submit an appeal for the same semester that you submitted an application and received an ineligible decision. If you have an application from a previous semester and have become ineligible, you must re-apply for Major Sequence for a new semester

I have been on a Major Sequence Appeal with conditions; do I need to re-apply for Major Sequence or submit another Major Sequence Appeal?

No, you need to meet the conditions set by your department and your record will be automatically reviewed at the end of the current semester to determine if your conditions have been successfully satisfied. You are not required, nor will the system allow you to submit a new Major Sequence application.

My Major Sequence Appeal was denied by my department; what do I do now?

You should schedule an appointment with an Advisor in the Office of Student Affairs to discuss your options. ECJ 2.200, 471-4321

Frequently Asked Questions

SUBMIT MAJOR SEQUENCE APPLICATION

Submit Major Sequence Application

Submit Major Sequence Appeal

Applications & Procedures