University of Virginia Library

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

For admission to the Freshman Class in the Department of Engineering the
candidate must be at least sixteen years old. He must present a certificate of
honorable withdrawal from the school last attended, or other valid proof of general
good character. He must further satisfy the Dean of the University as to
his adequate preparation for the work by passing the Entrance Examinations
specified below or by the presentation of equivalent certificates of preparation
signed by the president of a recognized institution of collegiate rank, or by the
principal of an accredited high school. The topics required for entrance and
their values in units are as follows, the unit being one year's work on the
subject in an accredited high school:

                     

English A.—Grammar and Grammatical Analysis	1
English B.—Composition and Rhetoric	1
English C.—Critical Study of Specimens of Literature	1
Mathematics A1.—Algebra to Quadratics	1
Mathematics A2.—Quadratics, Progressions, Binomial Formula	1
Mathematics B.—Plane Geometry	1
Mathematics C.—Solid Geometry	½
Mathematics D.—Plane Trigonometry	½
History.—Ancient; Medieval; English; American (any one)	1
Electives	7
Total	15

High school students who expect to study Engineering are advised to
include among their electives at least one Foreign Language (Latin or French
or German), one Science (Chemistry or Physics with adequate laboratory
work) and an additional unit of History. Other electives which may be
profitably offered are History of English and American Literature, Greek,
Botany, Zoölogy, Physical Geography.

A candidate may be admitted as a Conditioned Student in spite of some
deficiencies in required entrance subjects, provided these are not such as
will impair the integrity of his work, but he must submit not less than 15
units. No such candidate will be conditioned except upon subjects actually
taught in this University, nor will any candidate be conditioned on more than
two units; and all conditions must be absolved before the beginning of the
next session after initial registration. Courses taken for the removal of entrance
conditions may in no case be counted as part of the work credited for any
degree. No conditions will be allowed in English A or B or in Mathematics
A1, A2, or B.

As the table of Entrance Requirements shows, the full High School course
in Mathematics is required for entrance to the Department of Engineering, but
unfortunately the graduates of the High Schools are often deficient in Solid
Geometry and Plane Trigonometry and can be admitted only upon conditions in
those subjects. High School principals are advised to urge their graduates, with
this status, to attend a Summer Session at the University before entering the
Department of Engineering so that these deficiencies may be overcome. If
the prospective student finds it impossible to attend a Summer School previous
to his regular matriculation, a course has been planned which will allow him
to make up his deficiencies by taking work in the Summer School following
his first year in Engineering. This course provides for Trigonometry, Solid
Geometry and College Algebra in the three terms of the regular session, with
the other work as outlined for the regular student, and in addition, in the two
terms of the Summer School, Analytical and Coördinate Geometry are taken.
Such a program will prepare the student for Sophomore standing and will save
him from the failure usually encountered by students who attempt to make up
the deficient work in regular session in addition to the full course of required
subjects.

A candidate may be admitted as a Special Student, without formal examination,
provided he is more than twenty years old if a Virginian and not less
than twenty-three years old if a non-Virginian, and gives evidence of serious
purpose and of fitness to pursue with profit the courses for which he is registered.
No special student may be a candidate for any degree. No conditioned
student may register later as a special student.