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College of Engineering

Join a Department – Change of Degree Application (CODA)

The CODA process was designed to help undergraduates in joining an engineering degree-granting program. Undergraduates will follow the CODA guidelines listed below to officially join degree programs in the College of Engineering.

CODA Guidelines

Engineering First-Year Students

All entering engineering freshmen are classified as “Engineering First-Year” (EFY) students with no direct acceptance into degree-granting programs. Upon completion of specified required courses, students will have the opportunity to “CODA,” which is now used to describe a student’s Change of Degree Audit. When students are eligible to CODA, they officially request to join a degree program.

CODA Requisites

Success Courses

Students begin the CODA process, steps to officially joining a professional degree program, by compiling a CODA GPA based solely on their performance in the following six pre-engineering Success courses:

  1. MA 141 – Calculus I
  2. MA 241 – Calculus II
  3. PY 205 – Physics for Engineers and Scientists I
  4. PY 206 – Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory
  5. CH 101 – Chemistry – A Molecular Science
  6. CH 102 – General Chemistry Laboratory

Students must complete each of the courses above with a C or better to receive credit and advance toward acceptance into an engineering department.

CODA GPA

The CODA GPA is the GPA calculation of the six required Success Courses (listed above). The CODA GPA must be greater than or equal to 2.0 as students must complete each Success Course with a C or better. The best grade, of no more than two NC State attempts, in any one of these courses will be factored into the CODA GPA calculation.

Students who have completed any of the six Success Courses through Advanced Placement testing, transfer credits, other pre-college program options, or transfer equivalence will be assigned comparable grades for scores received by these other methods to be used in the calculation of their CODA GPA. To determine how these various credit options may affect the CODA GPA, students can view the Credit and Placements Charts (pdf) listed below.

Students should consult their advisor about early college credit that is not reflected in the chart.

Additional Required Courses

In addition to the Success courses listed above, students will be required to complete the following courses, with a C minus or better.

  1. ENG 101 – Academic Writing and Research
  2. E 101 – Introduction to Engineering and Problem Solving
    • Note: Students who did not start as freshmen in the College of Engineering are not required nor permitted to enroll in E 101.
  3. E 102 – Engineering in the 21st Century
    • Note: Students who did not start as freshmen in the College of Engineering are not required to enroll in E 102, but the course is available to all first-year students; first-year students interested in transferring into an engineering program are encouraged to enroll.
  4. E 115 – Introduction to Computing Environment, credit-only grading: Satisfactory (S)

Time Limit for Academic Qualification

Students will be academically qualified to CODA if they complete all of the above CODA requisites within four (fall/spring) semesters at NC State.

Essay Requirement for Biomedical Engineering

The Department of Biomedical Engineering would like to learn more about the students who are applying and requires an essay in addition to the CODA score as part of the matriculation process.

Go to the online essay form to submit your essay.

When students complete all CODA requisites, they are considered academically qualified and can apply to CODA – join – one of the degree-granting departments.

Advising and Degree Plans

New incoming EFY freshmen will be assigned an advisor upon arrival on campus. If a student indicated an “Intended” major in their admissions packet, then their assigned advisor will be a faculty member in the chosen department. In addition, the student will be assigned the associated “sub-plan” on their degree audit, such as 14MSI (Materials Science Intended), 14ECI (Electrical and Computer Engineering Intended), etc. (Note: This is not a commitment to the degree program.)

Students who apply with no intended program affiliation will be assigned a general engineering advisor in Academic Affairs. These students will not have an assigned sub-plan on their degree audit.

Once a student joins a department (CODA), they will be assigned a permanent faculty advisor in the associated program. In addition, their degree plan will be changed to reflect their new status as a student who has joined a department, i.e., 14MSE (Materials Science and Engineering).

Student CODA Preferences and Departmental CODA Granting

EFY students will be required to list the top three programs in which they wish to major. Program preferences will be completed online and will be submitted within their first academic year. Afterward, changes to a student’s preferences will be allowed.

Departmental CODA Granting

The College will incorporate a ranking system based on a student’s CODA GPA and any other criteria (i.e., essays) necessary to determine placement into their programs.

Each department will set a seating capacity for each cohort. Academically qualified students who do not receive acceptance into their first desired program will automatically be considered to CODA into their other preferred programs in the College. The College will consider students’ second and subsequent choice for determining seating.

Only students in the Engineering First Year program with a CODA GPA greater than or equal 2.0 and a “continuation” GPA of 2.0 will be guaranteed entrance into at least one of the remaining programs with available seats.

Three times a year, the College will review students’ requests to CODA into their program(s). Applications will be reviewed after fall, spring and summer semesters. Students will receive notice of their program seating prior to the start of classes the next semester.

All EFY students must CODA into an engineering program within the first four semesters after entry into the University.

Students unable to gain entrance into any engineering program (academically unqualified or below 2.0 for continuation) within four semesters will be transferred into the Transitional College Program (TRU) for assistance with intra-campus CODA into other programs in the University.

Non-Engineering Students or Intra-Campus Transfers

Students in other degree programs outside the College of Engineering at NC State University, who wish to pursue a degree in engineering must submit a CODA application. In order to apply, all students must complete the “Success Courses” with a CODA GPA greater than or equal to 2.0 and a “continuation” GPA of 2.0 or greater. Capacity in each department for non-EFY students is limited and seating is not guaranteed for intra-campus transfer students.

CODA FAQs

“CODA” stands for “Change of Degree Application.”* It is synonymous with “matriculation,” which occurs when a student officially joins a degree program. After Fall 2012, however, the College of Engineering no longer used matriculation. There are similarities between the matriculation and CODA processes, but elements have been added to the CODA process that help make sure engineering students earn an engineering degree. For example, as of Fall 2012, entering freshmen are required to complete all CODA requisites within four semesters to join an engineering department. These requisites include pre-engineering courses called “Success” courses. It has been shown that a student who successfully completes these courses stands a much better chance of excelling academically and graduating with an engineering degree. In addition, seating capacities now match departmental resources to ensure that the programs maintain their high academic standards.

*Note: The Change of Degree Application was formerly called the Change of Degree Audit. The acronym is still CODA.

All entering freshmen are classified as Engineering First Year (EFY) students. You will not be accepted directly into a program.

It is the GPA calculation of the six required Success courses. To CODA, the CODA GPA must be greater than 2.0.

The best grade of no more than two attempts in any one of the Success courses is allowed.

No, if you have completed these courses through Advanced Placement (AP) testing, transfer credits, other pre-college program options, or transfer equivalence, you will be assigned comparable grades for scores received. These grades will be used to calculate your CODA GPA.

To determine how AP, transfer and other pre-college program credit may affect the CODA GPA, students can view the Credit and Enrollment Chart for Math (PNG), as well as the Credit and Enrollment Chart for Physics (PNG). A complete Credit and Enrollment Chart (PDF) is coming soon.

Students should consult their advisor about early college credit that is not reflected in the chart.

Yes, in addition to the five Success courses, students are required to earn a C minus or better in ENG 101, E 101 and E 115. Please note that grades in these courses will not be used to calculate your CODA GPA.

Yes, if you’ve completed all CODA requirements, you can apply to CODA or officially join a department. Students will be required to list the top three programs in which they wish to major. Program preferences will be completed online and will be submitted within their first academic year. Afterward, changes to a student’s preferences will be allowed prior to a final submission representing the student’s formal request to CODA.