Frequently Asked Questions

How do I meet with an advisor?

The ETID Advising office is open Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm. NOTE: When the university is closed, the advising office will also be closed.

ETID Advisors will be offering in-person and virtual walk-in advising hours as well as appointments. Please see the advising schedule below.

January 2nd - May 17th

Walk-in/Drop-in Advising

Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

In-person: Thompson Hall 120

Virtual via Zoom: ETID Drop-in Advising.

Appointment Advising
Friday ONLY: 9:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m., book your appointment via Navigate!

How do I find the emails of my advisors?

Please refer to ETID Advisors for our contact information. To reach all of us, please email etid-advising@tamu.edu.

How do I complete a degree planner?

Go to Howdy and click Degree Planner. Go to the Edit Plan tab. Plan your courses up to your graduation (please see an advisor if you would like an individualized flowchart). If you plan to transfer in courses, please check the course as a transfer course in the planner. Make sure everything is in green and yellow and check the ‘Prereq Check’ Tab to make sure all prereqs are in order. Once you are complete, go to ‘Degree Evaluation’ and click ‘Submit’.

How do I declare a minor?

You do not have to apply for Business, Mathematics, Economics, Philosophy, and Engineering Project Management minors. To declare these minors, meet with an advisor so we can add the minor to your student account.

For any other minors, you will need to apply. Once approved, please meet with an advisor so we can add it to your student account. Here’s the list of the most popular minors for ETID students:

• Cybersecurity Minor (CYBR) This minor is at capacity and not taking applications at the moment.
• Embedded Systems Minor (EMSI)
• Computer Science Minor (CPSC)
• Information Technology Service Management (ITSV)
• Technical Sales Minor (TSAL)

For other minors, please contact the departments where these minors are offered (see Useful Links at the bottom of the page).

What is a closet major?

According to Student Rule 1.5.1: A student must be taking courses toward their current degree. For ETID students, you are required to take either one UCC and a major-specific course – or – all major-based courses, each semester to be making degree progress. Students found in violation of this are considered closet majors and will have a registration block placed on their academic records.

How do I find my registration time?

You log on to your Howdy main page. Then you click on ‘Registration Readiness’ then scroll down to Registration Times.

What should I do to prepare for registration?

1. Check for holds by going to ‘Registration Readiness’ scroll down to the bottom of the page and that is where you will find your holds
2. Contact the offices having placed the registration holds to determine what is needed to remove the holds before your pre-registration date.
3. Complete the Location Update for the term you expect to register (i.e. College Station, Galveston, Qatar, etc.)
4. Complete the Terms of Use acknowledgment for the term you expect to register (i.e. College Station, Galveston, Qatar, etc.)

Are there video tutorials on how to prepare for registration?

Registration Tutorial Videos and Guides are available in Howdy to assist students in preparing for registration.

Log into Howdy > visit the My Record Tab > go to the 'Learn About the My Record Tab' portlet > Click on 'Registration Tutorials' > click on 'Preparing for Registration' for a list of available tutorials

How do I register with the new Aggie Schedule Builder?

Go to Howdy. Click the Registration Tab and go to ‘Aggie Schedule Builder’. Choose a Term you wish to register for. Choose Course Status. Add the courses you would like to register for and make sure to unselect the sections for which you cannot register (Honors, McAllen sections, closed sections, etc).

Restrictions can be found under the "i" button. When you are ready to build your schedule, click Generate Schedules. Choose a schedule you like. Send it to the Shopping Cart. Click Register.

How do I know what catalog I am on?

You log on to your Howdy main page. Then click ‘Degree Planner’ once you click Degree Planner, you will find a summary of your ‘Curriculum Information’ along with your Catalog Term.

What can I do if a course is closed?

Please use the Course Override Form to get on the waitlist for an ETID course that is closed. Choose ‘LIMIT’ as a type of override. We DO NOT force students into classes, you must join the waitlist. This form is only for classes within our department (IDIS, ESET, MMET, MXET, and TCMG/ ITSV). We cannot force you or place you into PHYS, ENGR, MATH, FINC, ENGL, or other classes OUTSIDE of our department. 

If I need to be forced into a Physics or Engineering class, what do I do?

The College of Engineering and the Physics Department DO NOT force students into their classes. If no spots are available, you will need to wait until someone drops the class or postpone it to a different semester. There are no waitlists and no force requests!! Do not reach out to General Engineering advisors because they do not oversee enrollment for these courses.

If there are open sections in PHYS/ENGR 216/217 available, but when I try to register, I get an error. Why?

Always check for restrictions. Even though it may seem that there are open sections, IDIS/ESET/MMET/MXET students can only register for certain sections. If there is an error, the section is not for you, and you cannot be forced into it. For example, you may get a ‘Field of Study/ Major Error’ because you are attempting to register for a section for students at McAllen, Engineering at Blinn (TEAB), Galveston, or engineering academies. Therefore, you must find another section.

I am taking the equivalent of PHYS 206/207 at a community college, but I want to stay enrolled in PHYS/ENGR 216/217. What do I do?

Please send one of your advisors proof of enrollment, such as an unofficial transcript. Make sure that the name of the school, the name of the course, and your name are on the documents you are sending (a screenshot or email will do). Once the override has been placed, an advisor will email you when you can safely drop the course at TAMU.

*Remember that PHYS 216/217 and ENGR 216/217 are the same class with different names. If you cannot find anything for PHYS 216/217, try ENGR 216/217.*

Can I transfer in the PHYS/ENGR labs to Texas A&M?

No, you CANNOT transfer in PHYS/ENGR 216 or 217. PHYS lectures can be transferred to A&M, however, the labs must be taken at Texas A&M.

When I try to register for the M01-M99 sections, the portal gives me an error. Can you force me into this one?

No. This section is reserved for Texas A&M students at the Higher Education Center at McAllen. If you are in College Station, you cannot take this class even if this class is online.
When I search for a class on the Aggie Schedule Builder, it does not pop up. What does it mean?
It means that the class is either not offered this semester or does not have seats open. To see full classes, go to the home page of the Aggie Schedule Builder, click on Course Status at the top of the page, and choose Open and Full. (This will not allow you to register for a closed course, but it will allow you to look at the course details).

How do I know which classes are offered during the minimesters?

On the Aggie Schedule Builder, choose Sessions and choose a minimester session you are interested in. Save the settings and starts searching for classes. If classes do not pop up, the course is not offered or is full.

I need to co-enroll in two classes because one of them is a prerequisite for the other. What do I do?

Please submit a Course Co-Enrollment form. The approval is not guaranteed!! The form is ONLY for IDIS, ESET, MMET, MXET, and TCMG/ITSV courses.

I took a class at a different school, and I think I can substitute it for the one I have in my degree. What do I do?

Please submit a Course Substitution Form. The approval is not guaranteed, so always plan for the course in case the course substitution does not get approved

How do I get my experience to count as a High Impact Experience course (ENTC 399)?

Please submit a High Impact Experience Approval Form.

How do I know if my “experience” counts as a High Impact Experience?

Refer to the Preapproved Experiences PDF.

I need to override a prerequisite, a class restriction, or a major restriction. What do I do?

Please submit a Course Override Form.

How do I know when a class is usually offered?

Go to your Degree Planner. Look for a tab Course History. Input the class you are interested in, and you will see when it was offered in the past. It is subject to change, but it’s a good tool to predict whether a class is offered in the semester you are interested in.

Two of my classes conflict with each other. What do I do?

Please submit a Time Conflict Override Form. The overlap should not be more than 20 minutes. The approval is not guaranteed!!

Where do I find core curriculum classes?

Please refer to the University Core Curriculum. If you are missing ICD/CD requirements, make sure to include them in your search.

ENGL 210 does not have an open section, what do I do?

ENGL 210 is a class known for filling up fast. Please note that the English Department DOES NOT process force requests, nor do they have a waitlist. Please consider taking it at a local community college. The common transfer code for public, Texas community colleges is ENGL 2311; however, always refer to the Transfer Course Equivalency Portal.

What are the types of academic probation?

There are three types of probation: Term, Cumulative and 3-Peat Probation.

• Term Probation - A student’s term GPA is below 2.0 after semester grades post.
• Cumulative Probation - A student’s cumulative (overall) Texas A&M GPA is below 2.0.
• 3-Peat Probation - A student is attempting a course for the third time. 

What happens if I do not complete my probation terms?

You will be dismissed from the ETID Department if you do not make/complete probation terms. However, as a student, you have the right to appeal the decision. Please note that your grade point deficiency, semester GPA, and/or overall GPA can also lead to dismissal from the College of Engineering or suspension from Texas A&M University.

What is 3 Peat?

According to student rule 10.21, an undergraduate student may attempt a course no more than three times, courses graded Q or W but excluding those graded NG, unless approval has been received from both the student’s Dean or designee and the department offering the course. Students who do not complete a course with a grade of C or better on the third attempt will be dismissed from the College of Engineering.

How do I Q-drop a course?

Submit a Q-Drop Request online in Howdy from the ‘My Dashboard’ tab under the ‘My Requests’ Dropdown. Advisors are NO LONGER accepting paper or PDF signed Q-Drop forms. The Q-Drop must be submitted via the Howdy Portal. Students are not required but are highly encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss how dropping the course will affect their degree progress.

How many Q-Drops are permitted?

Students are allowed 4 Q-Drops during their undergraduate tenure at Texas A&M.

How do I submit a withdrawal request?

Withdrawal requests are processed by the dean's office. Refer to the withdrawal webpage for procedures.

What happens if I do not enroll for a Spring or Fall term?

If a student does not enroll for a full semester (Fall or Spring), the student must reapply as readmit student. Please check Admissions Office Readmission Information.
If you withdraw from summer classes, you will NOT have to reapply in Fall.

How do I apply for graduation?

You log on to your Howdy main page. Then click ‘My Record’ then scroll down to the middle of the page under the ‘Degree Evaluation’ section you will find a hyperlink for ‘Application for Graduation.’

How do I find out graduation information?

Please refer to the Registrars Graduation Information page, and then you can also check out their Quick Links page.

Our requirements:

• Industrial Distribution (IDIS)
• Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET)
• Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMET) 
• Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Track (MXET) 
• Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology, STEM Education Track
• Information Technology Service Management (ITSV)

To send transcripts from other colleges, follow the prompts on the website of the college where you took a class. Send the transcripts to these addresses:

• If you are not a degree candidate for the semester in which you submit the transcript:
  Office of Admissions
  Texas A&M University
  P. O. Box 30014
  College Station, TX 77842-3014
  
  
• If it’s your last semester and you’re a degree candidate for this semester:
  Degree Audit
  Texas A&M University
  P. O. Box 30018
  College Station, TX 77842-3018

• ETID Academic Forms
• Core Curriculum Classes
• Transfer Course Equivalency
• MSET Fast Track Program
• University Calendar
• Archived Catalogs
• Graduation Information
• Academic Support Services (Tutoring)
• Registration Schedule
• Student Rules, Part I: Academic Rules
• Engineering Career Center
• Counseling & Psychological Services in ZACH
• College of Engineering Probation and Block Policies