Academic Standards/Policies

The following standards apply to all students in the Civil Engineering program. These standards may apply in addition to other academic standards at the University of Washington Tacoma.

• Each required TCE course must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 before advancing to the next course. If a grade below 2.0 is earned, the course must be repeated. Course credit will be awarded only once, but both grades will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. The higher grade will be used when computing the CE major grade point average.
• If a student does not achieve the required grade of 2.0 after repeating a required TCE course, the student must request permission to take the course a third time. The petition to repeat a course and instructions are located on the School of Engineering and Technology website.
• Courses in the Civil Engineering program may not be taken by correspondence (distance learning) without prior CE faculty approval.
• Courses in the Civil Engineering program may not be taken as S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
• If a student wishes to substitute a course taken at another institution for a TCE required course, the student must submit a petition to substitute a course form along with course syllabi to their academic advisor. The form can be found on the Undergraduate Resources Page. The CE faculty will review the petition and inform the advisor if the substitution is approved. If a course is more than seven years old, the student will be required to repeat the course at UW Tacoma. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same course. A maximum of 15 credits may be awarded through course substitution.
• Civil Engineering transfer courses are held to the same 2.0 grade standard required for all Civil Engineering coursework.
• Current UW Tacoma students wishing to change to a Civil Engineering major from another major are required to apply for admission to the major and must follow the major requirements in place at the time of admission.

Low Scholarship

• Any undergraduate Civil Engineering student who is dismissed from the University for Low Scholarship will be removed from the Civil Engineering major.
• Any undergraduate Civil Engineering student who is denied permission to repeat a required course, or who does not earn the required grade of a 2.0 or higher after repeating the course for a third time will be removed from the Civil Engineering major.
• After being removed from the Civil Engineering major, a student must re-apply for admission in order to continue as a CE student in any status, matriculated or otherwise. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the student's application requesting re-admission, and any extenuating circumstances, and will then recommend action.

Engineering Labs

• The School of Engineering and Technology has dedicated laboratories containing specialized equipment to support its programs. These laboratories are accessible to admitted School of Engineering and Technology students via key card 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Research and Internship Opportunities

• Research, directed reading, and internship opportunities allow senior-level students to explore their unique areas of interest complemented by the expertise of the faculty and industry.

Program Educational Objectives

Program educational objectives, as defined by ABET are the abilities, skills, and accomplishments expected of graduates within a few years of graduation. The Program Educational Objectives of our Computer Engineering program are as follows:

Within three to five years of graduation from the Computer Engineering program, it is expected that many graduates will have:

1. Developed a product or process by applying their knowledge of mathematics, computing, systems and development tools, and product life-cycle management.
2. Applied the principles of mutual respect, safety, quality, integrity and inclusion as a member of a multi-disciplinary development team and undertaken a leadership role when appropriate.
3. Improved their skills and abilities by taking graduate courses, professional development training, or voluntary experiential learning opportunities.
4. Made positive contributions to their community and society by applying skills and abilities learned during their undergraduate program in computer engineering.
5. Made decisions related to their work that demonstrate an understanding of the importance of being an ethical engineering professional.
6. Applied their technical communication skills to effectively promote their ideas, goals, or products.

Since the objectives are fairly broad, it is not expected that every graduate will achieve every objective.

Student Outcomes

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

Students who complete the B.S. in Computer Engineering program will achieve the following ABET-based student outcomes:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Academic Standards/Policies

• The following standards apply to all students in the Computer Engineering program. These standards may apply in addition to other academic standards at the University of Washington Tacoma.
• Each required TCES and TCSS course must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 before advancing to the next course. If a grade below 2.0 is earned, the course must be repeated. Course credit will be awarded only once, but both grades will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. The higher grade will be used when computing the TCENGR major grade point average.
• If a student does not achieve the required grade of 2.0 after repeating a required TCSS or TCES course, the student must request permission to take the course a third time. The petition to repeat a course and instructions are located on the School of Engineering and Technology website.
• Courses in the Computer Engineering program may not be taken by correspondence (distance learning) without prior TCENGR faculty approval.
• Courses in the Computer Engineering program may not be taken as S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
• If a student wishes to substitute a course taken at another institution for a Computer Engineering required course, the student must submit a Petition to Substitute a Course form along with course syllabi to their academic advisor. The Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty will review the petition and inform the advisor if the substitution is approved. If a course is more than seven years old, the student will be required to repeat the course at UW Tacoma. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same course. A maximum of 15 credits may be awarded through course substitution.
• Computer engineering transfer courses are held to the same 2.0 grade standard required for all Computer Engineering coursework.
• Current UW Tacoma students wishing to change to a Computer Engineering major from another major are required to apply for admission to the major and must follow the major requirements in place at the time of admission.

Low Scholarship

• Any undergraduate Computer Engineering student who is dismissed from the University for Low Scholarship will be removed from the Computer Engineering program.
• Any undergraduate Computer Engineering student who is denied permission to repeat a required course, or who does not earn the required grade of a 2.0 or higher after repeating the course for a third time, will be removed from the Computer Engineering program.
• After being removed from the Computer Engineering major, a student must re-apply for admission in order to continue as a TCENGR student in any status, matriculated or otherwise. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the student's application requesting re-admission, and any extenuating circumstances, and will then recommend action.

Engineering Labs

• The School of Engineering and Technology has dedicated laboratories containing specialized equipment to support its programs. These laboratories are accessible to admitted School of Engineering and Technology students via assigned key card 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Program Educational Objectives

• The Computer Science and Systems program has six objectives for its BA and BS graduates. The career path a graduate takes will affect the accomplishments they achieve but within three to five years after graduation they should have accomplished some of the following:
  • Developed a product or process by applying knowledge of mathematics, computing, systems and development tools
  • Participated effectively as a member of a development team and undertaken leadership roles when appropriate.
  • Taken graduate courses or continuing education classes to improve skills and abilities
  • Made positive contributions to the community and society by applying skills and abilities learned during the undergraduate program in computing
  • Made decisions related to work that demonstrate an understanding of the importance of being an ethical computing professional
  • Applied communication skills to effectively promote ideas, goals, or products

Student Outcomes

• The Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) has defined a set of educational outcomes that all graduates of computer science programs must meet. TCSCI students must demonstrate the following attributes and abilities by the time of graduation:
  • Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
  • Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
  • Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
  • Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  • Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
  • Apply computer science theory and software development fundamentals to produce computing-based solutions.

Academic Standards/Policies

• The following standards apply to all students in the Computer Science and Systems program. These standards may apply in addition to other academic standards at the University of Washington Tacoma.
  • Each required Computer Science and Systems course must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 before advancing to the next course. If a grade below 2.0 is earned, the course must be repeated. Course credit will be awarded only once, but both grades will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. The higher grade will be used when computing the Computer Science and Systems major grade point average.
  • If a student does not achieve the required grade of 2.0 after repeating a required TCSS course, the student must request permission to take the course a third time. The petition to repeat a course and instructions are located on the School of Engineering and Technology website.
  • Courses in the Computer Science and Systems program may not be taken by correspondence (distance learning) without prior TCSS faculty approval.
  • Courses in the Computer Science and Systems program may not be taken as S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
  • If a student wishes to substitute a course taken at another institution for a CSS required course, the student must submit a Petition to Substitute a Course form along with course syllabi to their academic advisor. The CSS faculty will review the petition and inform the advisor if the substitution is approved. If a course is more than seven years old, the student will be required to repeat the course at UW Tacoma. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same course. A maximum of 15 credits may be awarded through course substitution.
  • Computer Science transfer courses are held to the same 2.0 grade standard required for all Computer Science and Systems coursework.
  • Current UW Tacoma students wishing to change to a Computer Science and Systems major from another major are required to apply for admission to the major and must follow the major requirements in place at the time of admission.

Low Scholarship

• Any undergraduate Computer Science and Systems student who is dismissed from the University for Low Scholarship will be removed from the Computer Science and Systems major.
• Any undergraduate Computer Science and Systems student who is denied permission to repeat a required course, or who does not earn the required grade of a 2.0 or higher after repeating the course for a third time, will be removed from the Computer Science and Systems major
• After being removed from the Computer Science and Systems major, a student must re-apply for admission in order to continue as a CSS student in any status, matriculated or otherwise. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the student's application requesting re-admission, and any extenuating circumstances, and will then recommend action.

Computing Labs

• The School of Engineering and Technology has dedicated laboratories containing specialized equipment to support the Computer Science and Systems program. These laboratories are accessible to admitted Computer Science and Systems students via assigned key card 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access to facilities is also available through Internet connections.

Program Educational Objectives

• Program educational objectives, as defined by ABET are the abilities, skills, and accomplishments expected of graduates within a few years of graduation. The Program Educational Objectives of the Electrical Engineering program are as follows:
  • Within three to five years of graduation from the EE program, it is expected that many graduates will have:
    • Developed a complex product or process by applying their knowledge of engineering principles, science, mathematics, design and implementation.
    • Participated effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
    • Undertaken a leadership role applying communication skills to effectively promote their ideas, goals, or products.
    • Made decisions related to their work that demonstrate an understanding of the importance of being an ethical engineering professional.
    • Improved their skills and abilities by taking graduate courses, professional development training, or voluntary experiential learning opportunities.
    • Made positive contributions to their community and society by applying skills and abilities learned during their undergraduate program in electrical engineering.
  • Since the objectives are fairly broad, it is not expected that every graduate will achieve every objective.

Student Outcomes

• The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. Students who complete the BSEE program will achieve the following ABET-based student outcomes:
  • An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  • An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  • An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  • An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  • An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  • An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  • An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Academic Standards/Policies

• The following standards apply to all students in the Electrical Engineering program. These standards may apply in addition to other academic standards at the University of Washington Tacoma.
  • Course credit will be awarded only once but both grades are averaged together to compute the cumulative UWT grade point average. Once a student earns a 2.0 or above in a repeated course, only the passing grade will be used to compute the major grade point average.
  • If a student does not achieve the required minimum grade of 2.0 after repeating a required TEE course, the student must request permission to take the course a third time. The petition to repeat a course and instructions are located on the School of Engineering and Technology website at: tacoma.uw.edu/School of Engineering and Technology-technology/ undergraduate-resources.
  • If a student wishes to substitute a course, a Petition to Substitute a Course form and supporting documents must be submitted to the TEE faculty for approval. If a course is more than seven years old, the student will be required to repeat the course at UW Tacoma. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same course.
  • Courses in the Electrical Engineering program may not be taken by correspondence (distance learning) without prior faculty approval.
  • Courses in the Electrical Engineering program may not be taken S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
  • Upper-division Electrical Engineering courses used for transfer credit are held to the same minimum 2.0 grade standard required for all courses in the Electrical Engineering major.
  • Students changing to the Electrical Engineering major from another major will be required to meet program and academic performance requirements in effect at the time the major is changed.

Low Scholarship

• An undergraduate Electrical Engineering major who is dismissed from the university for low scholarship will be removed from the Electrical Engineering major.
• An undergraduate Electrical Engineering major who's petition to re-take a course for a third time is denied by TEE faculty, will be removed from the Electrical Engineering major.
• After being removed from the Electrical Engineering major, a student must re-apply for admission to continue as a TEE student in any status. 

Engineering Labs

• The School of Engineering and Technology has dedicated laboratories containing specialized equipment to support its programs. These laboratories are accessible to admitted School of Engineering and Technology students via assigned key card 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access to facilities is also available through Internet connections.

Program Educational Objectives

• The intent of the Information Technology program is to produce graduates who are able to achieve the following objectives:
  • Developed a product or process by applying knowledge of programming, web, database, human computer interaction, networking and security tools
  • Participated effectively as a member of a development team and undertaken leadership roles when appropriate
  • Taken graduate courses or continuing education classes to improve skills and abilities
  • Made positive contributions to community and society by applying skills and abilities learned during undergraduate program in information technology
  • Made decisions related to work that demonstrate understanding of the importance of being an ethical computing professional
  • Applied communication skills to effectively promote ideas, goals or products

Student Outcomes

• Students graduating from our information focused programs will be able to choose many different roles; becoming IT and IS consultants, project planners, project managers, interface designers, information systems researchers, web developers, and systems analysts. To emphasize, consider some of the general tasks that an information technology and systems specialist is likely to perform depending on where she works:
• Graduates of the program will have an ability to:                        
  • Analyze a complex computing problem and to apply principles of computing and other relevant disciplines to identify solutions.
  • Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of computing requirements in the context of the program’s discipline.
  • Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts.
  • Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  • Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in activities appropriate to the program’s discipline.
  • Identify and analyze user needs and to take them into account in the selection, creation, integration, evaluation, and administration of computing-based systems. [IT]

Academic Standards/Policies

The following standards apply to all students in the Information Technology program. These standards may apply in addition to other academic standards at the University of Washington Tacoma. 

• Each required prerequisite course as well as each required IT course must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 before advancing to the next course. If a grade below 2.0 is earned, the course must be repeated. Course credit will be awarded only once, but both grades will be used in computing the grade point average. The higher grade will be used when computing the IT major grade point average.
• If after repeating a required IT course a student does not achieve the required grade of 2.0, the student must request permission to take the course a third time. The Petition to Repeat a Course form and instructions are located on the School of Engineering and Technology
• Courses in the Information Technology program may not be taken by correspondence (distance learning) without prior faculty approval.
• Courses in the Information Technology program may not be taken S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
• If a student wishes to substitute a course taken at another institution for a required Information Technology course, the student must submit a Petition to Substitute a Course form along with course syllabi to their academic advisor. The IT faculty will review the petition and inform the advisor if the substitution is approved. If a course is more than seven years old, the student will be required to repeat the course at UW Tacoma. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same course.  A maximum of 15 credits may be awarded through course substitution.
• Information Technology transfer courses are held to the 2.0 grade standard required for all courses for Information Technology.
• Current UW Tacoma students wishing to change to an Information Technology major from another major are required to apply for admission to the major and must follow the major requirements in place at the time of admission.

 Low Scholarship

• Any undergraduate Information Technology student who is dismissed from the University for Low Scholarship will be removed from the Information Technology major.
• Any undergraduate Information Technology student who is denied permission to repeat a required course, or who does not earn the required grade of a 2.0 or higher after repeating the course for a third time, will be removed from the Information Technology major   
• After being removed from the Information Technology major, a student must re-apply for admission in order to continue as an IT student in any status, matriculated or otherwise. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the student’s application requesting re-admission, and any extenuating circumstances, and will then recommend action. 

Program Educational Objectives

• The objectives of the BSME curriculum are based on ABET program criteria, the National Academy of Engineering’s The Engineer of 2020, and the ASME Vision 2030. These objectives are:
  • Technical Competence
    • Apply principles of engineering, basic science, and mathematics (including multivariate calculus and differential equations).
    • Model, analyze, design, and realize physical systems, components or processes in thermal and mechanical systems.
  • Creativity and Innovation for solving real-world problems
    • Apply engineering design to solve societal problems in areas such as energy, water, health, and poverty.
  • Practice-based Engineering and Design
    • Use a systems perspective and codes & standards to design thermal and mechanical systems.
  • Professional Skills
    • Cultivate project management, inter-disciplinary teamwork, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills in the ethical practice of mechanical engineering.
• Since the objectives are fairly broad, it is not expected that every graduate will achieve every objective.

Student Outcomes

• The new BSME degree program will seek accreditation through ABET. Students who complete the program would achieve the following ABET-based learning outcomes:
  • An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  • An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  • An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  • An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  • An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  • An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  • An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Academic Standards/Policies

• The following standards apply to all students in the Mechanical Engineering program. These standards may apply in addition to other academic standards at the University of Washington Tacoma.
  • Each required TME course must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 before advancing to the next course. If a grade below 2.0 is earned, the course must be repeated. Course credit will be awarded only once, but both grades will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. The higher grade will be used when computing the ME major grade point average.
  • If a student does not achieve the required grade of 2.0 after repeating a required TME course, the student must request permission to take the course a third time. The petition to repeat a course and instructions are located on the School of Engineering and Technology website.
  • Courses in the Mechanical Engineering program may not be taken by correspondence (distance learning) without prior ME faculty approval.
  • Courses in the Mechanical Engineering program may not be taken as S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
  • If a student wishes to substitute a course taken at another institution for a TME required course, the student must submit a Petition to Substitute a Course form along with course syllabi to their academic advisor. The ME faculty will review the petition and inform the advisor if the substitution is approved. If a course is more than seven years old, the student will be required to repeat the course at UW Tacoma. Credit will not be awarded twice for the same course. A maximum of 15 credits may be awarded through course substitution.
  • Mechanical Engineering transfer courses are held to the same 2.0 grade standard required for all Mechanical Engineering coursework.
  • Current UW Tacoma students wishing to change to a Mechanical Engineering major from another major are required to apply for admission to the major and must follow the major requirements in place at the time of admission.

Low Scholarship

• Any undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student who is dismissed from the University for Low Scholarship will be removed from the Mechanical Engineering major.
• Any undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student who is denied permission to repeat a required course, or who does not earn the required grade of a 2.0 or higher after repeating the course for a third time, will be removed from the Mechanical Engineering major.
• After being removed from the Mechanical Engineering major, a student must re-apply for admission in order to continue as an ME student in any status, matriculated or otherwise. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the student’s application requesting re-admission, and any extenuating circumstances, and will then recommend action.

• Program Learning Outcomes
  Upon successful completion of the PhD in Computer Science and Systems program, graduates will be able to:
  • Read, understand, and evaluate professional literature on advanced topics in computer science
  • Use current techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computing practice
  • Independently conduct original research by identifying important computer science problems (e.g. performing a gap analysis), developing solutions through creative problem-solving and rigorous design, designing and performing experimental evaluation, and conducting rigorous analyses of results
  • Communicate computer science concepts in verbal and written forms to effectively
  • Disseminate results to a technical audience
  • For more information, please visit the School of Engineering and Technology website.

• Student Learning Outcomes
  Upon completion of this GC-SDE program, students will be able to:
  • Solve computer-programming problems by applying commonly used algorithms and data structures.
  • Implement computer programs using a modern high-level programming language.
  • Explain fundamental concepts in software engineering and software design.
  • Acquire hands-on collaborative, software development project experience using version control and configuration management tools.
  • Apply computer systems concepts in support of software development.

For more information, please visit the School of Engineering and Technology website.

• Independent Study (TCSS 600): After taking the core courses, a student may develop a strong interest in a specific area of computer science that is not covered in any elective course being offered. In this case, the student may propose to substitute an independent study course for an elective course. To do this, the student must first find a faculty member who will supervise the independent study and then submit the proposed plan of study to
  the Graduate Committee for approval in the quarter prior to being undertaken.
• Graduate Non-matriculated (GNM) Status: Graduate non-matriculated (GNM) enrollment is beneficial to those who are interested in professional development or beginning work toward a graduate degree. A GNM is a post-baccalaureate student who wants to take graduate courses, but who has not been admitted by the Graduate School to a degree program. GNM status allows qualified students to earn graduate credits in an area of interest. A total of
  12 credits can apply toward a graduate degree. This status is not available to international students on F1 visas. Acceptance as a GNM student does not imply nor does it confer priority for later admission to the Graduate School for pursuit of a degree. GRE scores are not required to apply for GNM status.

Educational Objectives

• MSECE graduates will be able to:
  • Design complex engineering devices by applying advanced technology, engineering methodologies and tools.
  • Develop deeper understanding of a subfield of ECE.
  • Communicate professionally and effectively.
  • Collaborate effectively on professional or research teams (Thesis/Coursework-only options).

Learning Outcomes

• MSECE graduates will be able to:
  • Master a specific subfield of study within electrical and computer engineering.
  • Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying advanced technology, engineering methodologies and tools.
  • Design and validate a complex device or process that meets realistic constraints.
  • Communicate professionally and effectively with a range of audiences.
  • Collaborate on projects.