Advising

Undergraduate Advising

The Office of Students Services is responsible for advising first-year students, beginning at orientation. Students are advised on first-semester courses based on math placement as well as results from AP, IB and dual enrollment credit received.

During the first and second semester of the freshman year, the first-year adviser is responsible for seeing students assigned to his or her caseload a minimum of two times per semester. The first-year adviser assists students with ensuring they are in the proper courses, as well as helps them deal with scheduling issues and transition issues.

In addition to the advice provided by the first-year adviser, each student is assigned a faculty adviser in their home department. Undeclared and pre-engineering students are advised by the director of student services. Faculty advisers are expected to meet with students once per semester to review the curriculum of their chosen major.

Please email us at engradvise@vcu.edu to schedule a meeting.

Enrollment services

Even before you step on campus, our office assists you through all steps of your engineering or computer science education – from freshman and transfer admissions to understanding financial aid and fees as well as information on scholarships.

Planning and registration

Once you have been accepted, we will assist you with your registration needs, from advising to adding, dropping or withdrawing from a class to understanding registration holds.

Each semester you should meet with your adviser to discuss plans for the next semester. The College of Engineering places an academic hold on your record that can only be removed after you have met with your academic adviser. Your adviser will assist you with choosing the appropriate classes and making sure you have met all prerequisites.

Academic resources

You should review the course schedule and the university academic calendar online to help in the planning process. Your curriculum will be made up of core courses, electives and general education classes. At times you may find you will need assistance. We encourage you to speak with your adviser and tap into the tutoring services available in the College of Engineering. For an outline of the various curricula, resources and policies in the College of Engineering, refer to the VCU Bulletins.

General education requirements

Students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the College of Engineering are required to complete general education requirements. You should refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin for a listing of these requirements and meet with your adviser.

Add/drop and withdrawals

Students registered for classes may make adjustments to their schedules during the first five days of the first week of classes (add/drop period). The university Office of Records and Registration highly recommends that you use the online registration system. After the first week, you may only withdraw from classes. This adjustment may or may not have a financial impact on your student bill. You also may register late during the first week of classes.

You may withdraw from a course before the withdrawal date, which occurs approximately midway through each semester. You will not receive credits for a withdrawn course, nor does it impact your GPA. However, the course appears with a mark of W on your transcript. You may withdraw in person at the Student Services Center (Grace E. Harris Hall, 1015 Floyd Ave.) or by the phone registration system. Withdrawal does not eliminate financial responsibility for the class. Students who withdraw from a course may or may not be entitled to a refund.

Holds

If you try to register for the upcoming semester and get a message saying you have a hold, you can check the personal information section in eServices to find out what type of hold you have and the contact information for seeking a resolution. Should you continue to have problems, please contact the Office of Student Services. Because registration and financial holds often are placed well before registration time, you can check eServices prior to registration to make sure you are free from holds.


Graduate advising

In order to complete the requirements for M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the College of Engineering, students must design and implement an original research project. The progress of this project is guided by a faculty adviser and monitored by an advisory committee.

Students receive guidance and counsel on their research project from the graduate program director before the permanent adviser is appointed. The permanent adviser holds primary responsibility for directing the development of the student in the program and providing the appropriate guidance and counsel.

An advisory committee is appointed shortly after the permanent adviser is chosen. The advisory committee serves as both an examining and consultative body. Committee members hold a special responsibility as a source of counsel for the student. For details, students should contact either the graduate program director or the program chair.