In the Texas A&M University Department of Computer Science of Engineering (CSCE), undergraduate students participating in the ENGR[x] program are required to complete a computing-centric activity that is in line with the department's mission and goals.
All students in the Texas A&M College of Engineering are required to participate in the ENGR[x] program. The program is a zero-credit-hour requirement for graduation. See below for requirements that computer science and engineering students must fulfill to participate in the program.
Policies
ENGR[x] requires that undergraduate students in Bachelor of Science programs within the College of Engineering complete an engineering-centric, high-impact learning experience as a requirement for their degree. In the department, we require that our students complete a computing-centric activity that is consistent with the mission and goals of our programs.
The requirement applies to computer science and computer engineering students in 2017 catalogs or later. It does not apply to students in earlier catalogs or to students minoring in computer science.
CSCE activities fall into four different categories:
- Coursework-centered activities that are credited automatically (no further student action is required to receive the credit):
- Any course with the study abroad attribute (SABR)
- Any CSCE course with the research experience attribute (QRES; e.g., CSCE 291 and CSCE 491)
- Coursework-centered activities that are not credited automatically (student action is required but no additional courses need to be taken):
- ENGR 385 with the cooperative education attribute
- CSCE undergraduate honors classes
- CSCE graduate-level class used on undergraduate degree plan
- Pre-approved activities that are not associated with coursework (documentation and CSCE 399 registration is required but no application for consideration is needed):
- Internships of sufficient level of effort (see below)
- CSCE graduate-level class reserved for graduate degree plan (including Fast Track)
- Peer teaching for the CSCE department
- Activities that require an application and documentation (CSCE 399 registration is required):
- Significant leadership activities in service of the department
- Other activities that the student wishes to propose for consideration
CSCE 399
When necessary, the student should register for the zero credit CSCE 399 class in a semester after the completion of the activity. In the case of activities requiring an application, approval of the application should be received before registering for CSCE 399.
CSCE 399 will require a description of the activity, a short reflective essay of the value of the experience and justification of its relevance to computing, and documentation of the successful completion of the activity. In the case of internships, sufficient documentation of the completion will be a letter from the employer.
Level of Effort
The level of effort can be treated either as overall hours spent or overall time duration. We draw upon our pre-approved activities for guidance. Consequently, we look for at least 40 hours of activity (as in the co-op and study abroad cases) or a consistent commitment of time and effort consistent with a one-credit semester-long class (which we will define as at least one hour a week spread out over at least a 10-week period).
Required Documentation
When required, documentation should provide external confirmation of the activity and its significance. This can include letters from employers or sponsors, newspaper articles, etc.