Junior Eligibility the (2.25) Rule

Junior Eligibility - the 2.25 Rule

The Junior Eligibility (2.25) Rule: To qualify for registration in ECE or Technical Elective courses at the 300/400 level, a student must have demonstrated proficiency in the technical core of 100/200 level mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, and electrical and computer engineering courses. A student with a 2.25 GPA or higher in these 100/200 courses can begin taking:

a)     300/400 level courses if all 100/200 core courses are complete or

b)    300 level courses if the remaining 100/200 courses will be completed that semester.

The 100/200 level technical core courses counted for the Junior Eligibility Rule consist of Math 221(220)/231/241, 257, and 285; Physics 211/212/213/214; ECE 110/120/220/210; for EE students, Chemistry 102/103 is also included, while for CompE students, Math 213 or CS 173 is included along with CS 225. In the calculation of the technical core GPA (or TCGPA), only the best grades of repeated technical core courses are used.

Why we have the rule

The Junior Eligibility Rule functions as a checkpoint midway through the undergraduate ECE degree programs to determine whether a student is likely to be successful in the ECE curricula, an outcome that is highly correlated with the ability to do well in the beginning technical classes. The rule has the largest impact on students receiving relatively poor grades in technical core courses but are still in good standing because of strong performances in courses in humanities and social sciences.

Options for students

Students with cumulative TCGPAs lower than 2.5 at any time after second semester will receive a letter indicating their TCGPA to alert them about their risk for not being able to meet the Junior Eligibility Rule and to advise them to take one of the following corrective actions:

1.     Re-take the technical core courses with low grades to improve the TCGPA as well as the understanding of core concepts needed for higher-level ECE courses. With repetition and careful course planning, many students graduate even if they initially struggle in their courses. TCGPA needed to satisfy the Junior Eligibility Rule is computed with the best grades achieved in multiply taken (repeated) courses.

2.     Scale back the number of technical classes taken each semester based on the performance seen in the previous semesters. Increasing technical load will inevitably lead to lower grades and lower the TCGPA to unacceptable levels.

A student may be advised to transfer to another program outside ECE if/when strategies (1) and/or (2) are failing to help. You can look up your TCGPA and overall GPA on the DARS database linked to your myECE web page.

Other notes

·       Exceptions: A student may take ECE 316 prior to satisfying the Junior Eligibility Rule.

·       Transfers: Internal transfers between EE and CE programs are only confirmed after the fulfillment of the Junior Eligibility Rule. Students can place their transfer application in the same semester they are completing the full set of technical core courses required for Junior Eligibility in their original major.