Academic Standing

Academic Honors

Dean’s List

To be eligible for Dean’s List honors, an undergraduate student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or better and complete at least 15 graded credits with no unauthorized incompletes, UWs, or grades lower than C.

Honors Awarded with the Degree

At the end of the academic year, a select portion of the candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree who have achieved the highest academic cumulative grade-point average are accorded Latin honors. Latin honors are awarded in three categories (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) to no more than 25 percent of the graduating class, with no more than 5 percent summa cum laude, 10 percent magna cum laude, and 10 percent cum laude. Honors are awarded on the overall record of graduating seniors who will have completed a minimum of four semesters at Columbia upon graduation. Students who enter Columbia through the Combined Plan program are eligible for honors based on four semesters at Columbia. Students may not apply for honors.

Academic Monitoring

The SEAS Faculty Committee on Instruction determines academic policies and regulations for the School.

The Undergraduate Committee on Academic Standing and the Office of Engineering Student Affairs are expected to uphold the policies and regulations of the Committee on Instruction and determine when circumstances warrant exceptions to them.

Academic performance is reviewed by advisers at the end of each Fall and Spring semester. The Undergraduate Committee on Academic Standing, in consultation with the departments, meets to review undergraduate grades and progress toward the degree. Indicators of academic well-being are grades that average above 2.0 each term, making adequate progress for the completion of their degree program, with no incomplete grades.

For graduate students, the Office of Engineering Student Affairs and its departments monitor the academic progress of graduate students. If a student's academic performance (based on GPA and/or degree progress) indicates cause for concern, they may be put on Academic Action and be guided toward resources and support. Examples of Academic Actions may include Academic Warming, Academic Probation, Strict Academic Probation, or Academic Dismissal. 

Possible academic sanctions include:

  • Warning: C– or below in any core science course or in a required course for their major; low points toward degree completion
  • Academic Probation: Students will be placed on academic probation if they meet any of the conditions below:
    • fall below a 2.0 GPA in a given semester
    • have not completed 12 points successfully in a given semester
    • have not completed chemistry, physics, University Writing, The Art of Engineering, and calculus during the first year
    • receive a D, F, UW, or unauthorized Incomplete in any first-year/sophomore required courses
    • receive a D, F, UW, or unauthorized Incomplete in any course required for the major
    • receive straight C’s in the core science courses (chemistry, calculus, physics) or in required courses for their major
    • not making significant progress toward the degree
  • Continued Probation: Students who are already on probation and fail to meet the minimum requirements as stated in their sanction letter.
  • Strict Probation: Students who are already on probation, fail to meet the minimum requirements as stated in their sanction letter, and are far below minimum expectations. This sanction is typically applied when there are signs of severe academic difficulty.
  • Suspension and Dismissal: Students who have been placed on academic probation and who fail to be restored to good academic standing in the following semester can be considered either for suspension or dismissal by the Undergraduate Committee on Academic Standing. The decision to suspend or dismiss a student will be made by the Committee on Academic Standing in the Berick Center for Student Advising and the Dean’s Office in close consultation with the student’s departmental adviser when the student has declared a major. In cases of suspension, the student will be required to make up the deficiencies in their academic record by taking appropriate courses at a four-year accredited institution. Students must be able to complete their degree requirements in their eighth semester at Columbia after readmission. If this is not achievable, then students should be considered for dismissal instead. 

The courses that the student must take will be determined by the Undergraduate Committee of Academic Standing and by the student’s departmental adviser when the student has declared a major. All proposed courses will be reviewed by the appropriate faculty who teach the equivalent classes at Columbia University. All courses that are being taken to fulfill a major requirement or as a technical elective must be approved by the student’s departmental adviser. Courses being taken to count as a nontech elective or to count as general credit would only require the approval of the student's Advising Dean in the Berick Center for Student Advising. The existing procedures for the approval of outside credit will be followed in these cases. Students must receive a grade of B or better for the credit to be transferred.

Students will be placed on Academic Action if their cumulative GPA is below 2.5 or the minimum GPA required by the academic department, whichever is higher. Students may also be placed on Academic Action if they are not making satisfactory progress toward their degree. Doctoral students can also be placed on Academic Action if they are not making satisfactory progress toward their dissertation and doctoral milestones. Students who are on Academic Action and do not return to good standing after one semester may be dismissed from the program.