Admission and Deadlines
Whether you need information on deadlines, requirements or have questions, feel free to contact Undergraduate Admissions for help. We want to help you become a Knight. Let us help you get started.
Two Pathways to the Degree
In partnership with Valencia College, you have two pathways to a Bachelor of Science in Photonic Science and Engineering. You can either start and finish the degree here at UCF or start at Valencia and then transfer to us to continue the core classes. Learn More>>
Enrolling in the Photonic Science and Engineering Program
UCF is an open access university; you first apply to UCF, and then once admitted, you select Photonic Science and Engineering, Pending. This allows you to take your first courses in Calculus, Physics, Chemistry and General Education.
Don’t worry about the details at this point. At orientation, you will meet with an advisor who will help you select the courses you need, taking into account any courses transferred from other state colleges or universities. Any AP or IB credit will also be evaluated to determine which classes you should take.
Students who wish to major in Photonic Science and Engineering can declare their major as “pending” in my.ucf.edu at any time.
To move from pending in the major to the PSE major you must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or above) and must have a “C” (2.0) or better in each of the following courses or their equivalents: MAC 2311C, MAC 2312, PHY 2048, PHY 2048L, and either CHS1440 or CHM 2045C.
What Every Student Should Know
The year in which you select a major is your “Catalog Year.” This catalog year is important because it determines the policies and coursework you will follow for your academic program. However, some items are not entirely bound to a catalog year. For example, when a course applies a prerequisite change, that change occurs for all catalog years, not just the year in which the change is made.
When policies are adopted, they are bound to the catalog in which you selected the pending major. So if a new policy is adopted in a catalog year after your selection, it won’t apply to you.
As you prepare for your program, always meet with the PSE Academic Advisor, Mike McKee. He can assist with schedule planning taking into account person work and life schedules.
And always check your myKnights Audit. It is an important tool in tracking your degree progress.
The following Academic Program information is gathered from the UCF catalog and the Undergraduate Policies and Procedures Manual. This web site should not be considered a legal document, is not necessarily exhaustive and is subject to change without notice. Please refer to the UCF Catalog for the most up-to-date information.
Within the UCF Student Center, found at my.ucf.edu, is a way to view the courses required for your major along with the posting of grades and courses that are used to satisfy courses within the major. Called myKnight Audit, a listing of courses is displayed, showing those you have completed and those that are in progress, scheduled, and needing to be completed. It also displays your cumulative, UCF, and major GPA. If you suspected courses are not displaying correctly, contact Mike McKee.
All UCF students must complete a 36 semester hour General Education Program (GEP). This requirement is automatically satisfied if the student received a B.S. degree from an accredited institution, or an A.A. degree from a Florida public college or university. Some of the coursework required for the PSE major will help satisfy the Mathematics and Physical Science requirements of the GEP. Please consult the UCF Catalog for specific details.
PSE students must complete 128 semester hours total (of which 36 hours are GEP requirements) and must satisfy all University and Photonic Science and Engineering program requirements to earn a B.S. in Photonic Science and Engineering.
Students in the Photonic Science and Engineering major are expected to make consistent good progress toward their degrees to remain enrolled in, or eligible for, any major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) or the College of Optics and Photonics (COP).
There are two parts to this policy:
- Any student majoring in Photonic Science and Engineering who repeats any UCF course and does not earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better on the second attempt will be placed on Lack of Progress Probation and remain on Lack of Progress Probation as long as the student is enrolled in a CECS or COP major. If a student on Lack of Progress Probation does not receive a grade of “C” (2.0) or better by the third attempt in the same UCF course, the student will be excluded from all CECS and COP majors.
- Any student majoring in Photonic Science and Engineering who has accumulated 7 or more unsuccessful attempts (i.e., grades below “C” (2.0) and withdrawals) over all courses taken at UCF will be placed on Lack of Progress Probation and remain on Lack of Progress Probation as long as the student is enrolled in a CECS or COP major. If a student on Lack of Progress Probation has a tenth unsuccessful attempt over all courses taken at UCF, the student will be excluded from all CECS and COP majors.
A student who is excluded from CECS and COP majors may seek readmission to a major in CECS or COP after at least one full year has passed since exclusion. Readmission is not automatic and is dependent upon a high probability of success after readmission. Any student who is readmitted to the Photonic Science and Engineering major will be subject to all probation conditions that applied at the time of exclusion.
It is highly recommended that a prospective or pending student meet with an academic advisor prior to registering for courses. Mike McKee, the PSE program advisor is located in CREOL A213. You can schedule an appointment here.