Academic Policies

Academic Integrity

  • You are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Read the honor code adopted by the student body here: https://studentconduct.dasa.ncsu.edu/code/
  • Violation of academic integrity.When charged with violating academic integrity, two possible events occur. First, you and the instructor attempt to resolve the matter (the most punitive measure is to receive an F in the class). If unresolved, the instructor refers the matter to the student judicial board (the most punitive measure is expulsion).

Student Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to make his or her own decisions regarding the selection and scheduling of courses and the satisfaction of graduation requirements. These decisions are not made by the advising office, a friend, a parent, or by anyone else. The purpose of the undergraduate student advising office is to provide the student with all of the necessary information about courses, the scheduling of courses, and related policies and procedures so that the student can make the most informed decisions possible.  Also, advice given does not and should not be construed as relieving the student from his or her responsibilities, as described herein.

Class Attendance

It is your responsibility to uphold the NCSU attendance policies. Accordingly, full participation in classes, laboratory period and examinations is expected of all students.

Students are granted excused absences in cases of emergency and serious illness to oneself or someone in the immediate family (parents, brothers and sisters). Excuses are granted when adequate documentation is provided. Note that students are not granted absences in cases of job interviews, field trips, and life-threatening illnesses in non-immediate family members.

Tests and Homework

Students in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering are required to complete their homework and tests on engineering paper (green grid) unless otherwise stated.

The calculators allowed for tests and exams are those listed on the calculator policy page of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

Class Withdrawal Policy

Any student who undergoes an extreme medical, psychological, hardship, or military circumstance and wishes to apply for a withdrawal may do so through the MyPack Portal. Withdrawals after the first day of classes, but prior to census date, will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript without course information or grades. Withdrawals after the Drop/Revision Deadline must be submitted prior to 30 days after the last day of the term. More information on the Withdrawal Policies of the University is located here.

If the semester withdrawal is granted after the Drop/Revision Deadline for an extenuating circumstance, all of the student’s classes during that semester will have their courses recorded on the transcript with a W grade in addition to a withdrawal notation.

The student must later retake the classes to receive credit for them. Dropped classes from the withdrawn semester, in whole or in part, cannot be retroactively reinstated.

Course Repeat Policy

Grade Exclusion Policy

Students who earn a grade of C- or lower in courses at NC State have the opportunity to exclude up to two poor grades from the GPA calculation. The original grade will be removed from the GPA calculation. However, the repeated courses will still appear on the transcript with a note indicating the grade was excluded.

In order to exclude grades, students must apply online through the MyPack Portal. Students must apply grade exclusions BEFORE applying for graduation.

After Both Grade Exclusions Have Been Exhausted

After both grade exclusions have been exhausted, students who fail or do not meet a C-wall requirement in courses are responsible for retaking the course and earning a satisfactory grade. There is no grade exclusion. Both grades will factor into the GPA. Courses in which a student earns a C or better may not be retaken.

Two-Repeat Limit on Courses

In accordance with NC State University’s two-attempt limit on courses, students who attempt the same course two times unsuccessfully will be expelled from the MAE department after the second attempt. Unsatisfactory credit only (U) and failure to meet a C-wall are all counted as unsuccessful attempts. Expelled students are transferred to TRU, a temporary curriculum for students leaving the College of Engineering. The MAE department DOES NOT approve waivers for a third attempt.

C-Wall and Credit Only Courses

C-wall means students must earn a C- or better in a course to get credit and move one to other courses for which it is a prerequisite. (Some courses require C or better.) Following is a list of C-wall courses for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering students.

  • CH 101 (C or better)
  • CH 102 (C or better)
  • E 101 (C- or better)
  • ENG 101 (C- or better)
  • MA 141 (C or better)
  • MA 241 (C or better)
  • PY 205 (C or better)
  • MAE 201 (C- or better)
  • MAE 206 (C- or better)
  • MAE 208 (C- or better)
  • MAE 214 (C- or better)
  • MAE 251 (C- or better)

Courses taken for credit only are awarded an S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) grade. Students must make a C- or better to earn an S. A U is any grade below a C-. Credit only courses do not effect a student’s GPA. ALL courses in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering curricula must be taken for a letter grade with the following exceptions: E 115 and HES courses.

Exception Policy

Students with special circumstances may appeal to the MAE undergraduate advisory committee for an exception. A student requesting any exception to an MAE pre-/co-requisite, rule or regulation must submit the request and a copy of the planner and degree audit from My Pack. Exception requests can be submitted through the MAE Exception Request Form.

The request will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Advisory Committee, and the student normally receives an email reply within two weeks.

Permission to Add a Class

Any student who is blocked from enrolling in an MAE class needs to seek permission to add the class.  A class block can be a result of (1) violating course pre-requisites, (2) a GPA restriction, or (3) degree status.

  1. Pre/co-requisites not met:  If the requisite course has not been completed successfully, you cannot enroll in the class. If there is a requisite substitution or a requisite course is in progress at a different school, an enrollment request can be made through the MAE Course Enrollment Request Form.
  2. GPA restriction:  MAE 251 requires a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA. New incoming transfer students who do not have an NCSU GPA can request enrollment via the MAE Course Enrollment Request Form.
  3. Degree status: MAE courses are for NC State students who have completed the CODA process and accepted into either of the AE and ME majors. The exceptions are MAE service courses (MAE 206, MAE 208, MAE 201, and MAE 214), which are available to students pre-CODA as long as prerequisites are met. (Note: Students in some other majors at NCSU are able to enroll in MAE courses that are required as part of their degree or allowed as electives.)
  • If an NC State student is not majoring in AE or ME, or a student is enrolled in a comparable engineering curriculum at another university, the permission to enroll in an MAE course can be made through the MAE Course Enrollment Request Form.  The request needs to stipulate that the student meets the necessary class prerequisites, and that the class is required as part of the student’s curriculum requirements per a highlighted transcript (or Degree Audit) attached with the request.
  • If a student is a visiting international student, the permission to add must be made in writing to the MAE Coordinator of Advising by the acting advisor from the Study Abroad Office (SAO) or the Office of International Services (OIS).  The request needs to stipulate that the student meets the necessary class prerequisites, and that the class is required as part of the student’s curriculum requirements per a highlighted transcript (or Degree Audit) attached with the request.
  • Non-degree-seeking (NDS) students are not eligible to enroll in MAE classes.
  • If a student has already received a BS degree and has been admitted to a graduate degree program at NC State University, he or she is allowed to enroll in an MAE class with permission from the Director of Graduate Programs in his/her department and a copy of the transcript showing the BS degree. Enrollment requests can be made through the MAE Course Enrollment Request Form.
  • Undergraduate students who wish to enroll in any graduate-level MAE course must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and completed all 300-level MAE (or equivalent) coursework or have been admitted to the MAE accelerated BS/MS program. Students who are eligible can request enrollment in 500-level MAE courses via the MAE Course Enrollment Form.