Completion of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Bachelor of Science program requires approval to enroll in upper division (300 and 400-level) courses. Students may declare Electrical or Computer Engineering as a major at any time after enrolling at Portland State University, but may not enroll in upper division courses without approval.
Upper division approval takes place once a year for fall term. We encourage you to start planning your application to the program when you are nearing the end of your lower division (100-200-level) required coursework. Students should submit the Upper Division Approval Request Form in the winter or spring terms immediately preceding the fall term in which they intend to start upper division coursework.
Students majoring in Electrical or Computer Engineering approved to enroll in upper division courses may also participate in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Honors Track.
If you have any questions about this form, program requirements, or you are interested in earning a second bachelor's degree (postbaccalaureate) in Electrical or Computer Engineering, contact eceinfo@pdx.edu. Postbaccalaureate students may also go directly into the master’s program through the ECE bridge program.
Requirements for Upper Division Approval
Students who meet the following requirements are guaranteed approval to enroll in upper division coursework.
- Admitted to PSU
- Completion of the required lower division courses with C or higher
- Meet the selective GPA requirement (selective GPA is the average for all major-related classes taken prior to approval for upper division enrollment):
- Selective GPA of 3.0 or higher are guaranteed approval
- Selective GPA of 2.25 - 2.99 are reviewed by the department
Review specific details for how selective GPA is calculated in the PSU Bulletin.
Timeline
January 2: Upper Division Approval Request Form opens.
April 15: Deadline to submit approval form for the upper division program.
Students may submit the request form after April 15, an explanation will be required to explain the deadline was missed, but there is no guarantee that their request will be approved.
Approval Notification
Students will be notified of their approval via email during spring term.
Upper Division Approval Request Form
When you submit the form, you may be asked to submit the materials and information below as part of your request. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.
- Students who earned college credits at another institution: Unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended.
- List of relevant courses you plan on completing before admission. Include the course subject and number, offering institution, and term you plan to take it (e.g. ECE 103, PSU, Summer 2025).