What majors/programs weed out directly admitted students?

Parents Social Lounge
1

What majors/programs weed out directly admitted students?

“Weed out” means academic criteria higher than earning C grades and/or 2.0 GPA to stay in the major/program.

“Directly admitted” means that one is in the major/program on entry to the school, rather than entering undeclared or in a pre-major/program where one may have to compete for admission to the major/program.

Examples:

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Many graduate programs have minimum GPA requirements well above 2.0. For example, approximately 40% of Stanford engineering students do a co-terminal BS+MS, which has at least a 3.0 min GPA (some departments have greater requirements), as discussed at https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/graduate-degree-progress/graduate-minimum-progress-requirements .

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A lot of BFA and MFA programs in theater have cuts each year and eliminate students who don’t meet performance standards.

4

Speech pathology used to…even undergrad programs. My program required a 3.0 GPA AND no more than 2 C grades to graduate.

I clearly remember one student who got her third C grade her last term of her senior year…she was not awarded a degree from that department.

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All of UW majors have minimum gpa requirements to my knowledge. Just makes sense. If you can’t do well enough in any major you don’t belong in it. Once in there doesn’t seem to be a pyramid structure where there is room for fewer than those admitted who maintain required standards can get the degree. Not meeting performance standards (grades) in any major occurs. A student should check beforehand on how many admitted students are likely to be able to meet standards. Red flag to those with too many who don’t succeed- something is wrong with the admission process or teaching.

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Remember orientation where you were this told one in three students will not continue on to the next years. Close reading of college materials indicate minimum GPAs to continue into the next grade but you maybe allowed to submit an academic appeal. Schools are very protective of their academic reputations and students must tend to their grades and learning. Individual majors have several ways to separate out poor students such as requiring a minimal GPA to remain enrolled in the program, others such as the above example have performance expectations, some follow the regular GPA requirements and require a particular level of grade in key profesional classes and some programs such as psychology dismiss students with violation of professional ethics or standards. College allows students to follow their inclinations as long as they demonstrate professional or content knowledge.