Program Placements Process

To qualify for a program placement you must meet the following requirements:

• have a minimum Fall/Winter term GPA of 1.95*, and
• successfully complete a minimum of 30 units by the end of Spring term, excluding ENGG 100 and ENGG 160. Courses taken in Summer term are not included in placement decisions.

To begin the program assignment process all students are ranked according to their Program Admission Factor (PAF). Students with the highest PAF are placed in their first program choice, so long as space is available. As space in each program fills up, students with lower PAFs may be placed into programs further down their list of selections from the Program Selection Form. You will still be placed into a program if your PAF falls below 2.0.

*If Y1Q1 students have a Fall/Winter GPA between 1.65 and 1.94 and successfully complete 30 units by the end of Spring Term they will be granted a second Common/Foundational year (Y2Q2). Y1Q2 students are not usually eligible for a second qualifying year.

Note: You cannot be placed into another Qualifying year if you meet the requirements above. There is an opportunity for you to change programs after second year.

Students who do not meet the requirements to qualify for an engineering program are encouraged to meet with an Academic Advisor to review the different options available to them.

PAF Calculation

The PAF calculation is based on a full course load (37 units) excluding ENGG 100 and ENGG 160. If you complete a full course load of 37 units, then your PAF equals your Fall/Winter term GPA. If you complete less than 37 units, you will receive a deduction of .05 for every unit below 37 units.

PAF = Fall/Winter term GPA – y

y = (37 – total units completed in Fall/Winter) x 0.05

GPA - y = PAF

Where the following definitions apply:

• GPA = assessed on Fall and Winter grades only; truncated to two decimal places.
• PAF = rounded to two decimal places; used for Engineering ranking purposes only
• Total units completed in Fall/Winter = all graded courses in Fall/Winter; does not include CR/NC courses such as ENGG 100 and 160

Important notes regarding units

The calculation of units is based on engineering units. Engineering units differ from the units shown in Bear Tracks. Engineering units reflect the weekly lecture hours of the course with the addition of .5 units for every one hour of lab and/or seminar time in the course. The University of Alberta Calendar descriptions will have engineering units listed.

In the example below, EN PH 131 consists of 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of seminar, and 1.5 hours of lab per week. The equation to calculate the number of engineering units for this course is:

3+0.5x(1+1.5)=4.3

To qualify for a program placement you must meet the following requirements:

• clear Academic Warning at the end of Fall term;
• present a minimum Fall/Winter term GPA of 1.95;
• attempt a minimum of 28 units in Fall/Winter term (14.0 units of which must be in Fall term), excluding ENGG 100, ENGG 160, ENGG 200, or withdrawn courses; and
• successfully complete 28 units by the end of Spring term. Courses taken in Summer term are not included in placement decisions.

To begin the program assignment process all students are ranked according to their Program Admission Factor (PAF). Students with the highest PAF are placed in their first program choice, so long as space is available. As space in each program fills up, students with lower PAFs may be placed into programs further down their list of selections from the Program Selection Form. You can still be placed into discipline if your PAF falls below 2.0.

Note: You cannot be placed into another Qualifying year if you meet the requirements above. There is an opportunity for you to change programs after your first year in a program.

Students who do not meet the requirements to qualify for an engineering program are encouraged to meet with an Academic Advisor to review the different options available to them.

PAF Calculation

PAF = Fall/Winter term GPA – 0.3

All students in Y2Q2 receive a straight 0.3 PAF deduction on their ranking GPA for placement into a program.

Important notes regarding units

The calculation of units is based on engineering units. Engineering units differ from the units shown in Bear Tracks. Engineering units reflect the weekly lecture hours of the course with the addition of 0.5 units for every one hour of lab and/or seminar time in the course. The University of Alberta Calendar descriptions will have engineering units listed.

In the example below, EN PH 131 consists of 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of seminar, and 1.5 hours of lab per week. The equation to calculate the number of engineering units for this course is:

3+0.5x(1+1.5)=4.3