1. How are classes organized? 
2. How many students are in a class?
3. Will there be any orientation classes?
4. Which courses are taken concurrently? 
5. How many clock hours are scheduled per course? 
6. How will mid-term and final exams be administered? 
7. What types of course projects will students engage in? 
8. How will the faculty selected for the Weekend Format program differ from those providing instruction for the non-Weekend Format degree tracks? 
9. What percentage of your faculty has industry experience? 
10. Can I miss one semester and make it up later? 
11. If a group size goes below 12 students because of dropouts, will the class be canceled? 
12. Can I transfer courses previously taken to count towards this degree? 
13. Can I choose my own electives? 

1. What are the entrance requirements? 
2. My GRE scores are at least seven years old. Will I need to retake the test? 
3. Is an engineering undergraduate degree required? 
4. How do I apply? 
5. What are the application deadlines? 
6. What is considered in evaluating applications?
7. If required, how do I enroll for leveling or articulation courses? 
8. Do I need to submit a resume with my application? 
9. Can students be admitted conditionally? 
10. Do I need to submit my final transcript for previous graduate or undergraduate work, or do I need to provide every transcript from each school in which I was registered for course work? 
11. If I am attending classes in a classroom and am 30 years of age or younger, do I need a meningitis vaccination?

1. What degree will I receive?
   Students in the Weekend Format earn the same Masters of Science degree they would earn attending traditional campus courses. Examples would be the M.S. in Engineering Management, M.S. in Systems Engineering, M.S. in Software Engineering and the M.S. in Security Engineering. <top>
2. What are the degree requirements?
   All degrees offered through the Weekend Format are 30-hour degrees (requires ten three-semester-hour courses). <top>
3. Where will the classes be held?
   The main location for Weekend Format cohorts is the SuperMedia Center and American Airlines Training Center near DFW Airport. Select cohorts are also taught at SMU in Plano, the Lockheed Employee Recreation Center and the main SMU campus. Additionally, certain corporately affiliated cohorts are taught on-site at major corporations. <top>
4. When will the classes start?
   New classes typically start in January (Spring Term) and August (Fall Term) of each year. <top>
5. How long does the Weekend Format program take to complete?
   Five semesters for an open enrollment group. Groups exclusive to certain corporation's employees can have a customized schedule. <top>
6. What are the differences between the Weekend Format and the standard Masters programs?
   Primarily scheduling format, teaching style, and peer group. A group of students is admitted and complete the program together, all taking the same classes. Classes for groups are taught in five full-day sessions on Saturdays, giving students the same number of class hours as in traditionally delivered three-hour courses taught on campus. Instructors’ teaching styles will be more interactive and less lecture driven in Weekend Format. Some instructors may use more case-study or other experiential teaching approaches; others may have in-class exercises and group activities. Otherwise, in terms of the courses taught and material covered, there is no difference between the Weekend Format and traditional-format degree programs. In terms of peer group, industrial experience is more heavily emphasized in processing applicants. <top>
7. Will there be any international trips required/offered during this program?
   Not at this time. <top>
8. Can these programs be customized for onsite delivery?
   Yes. Please contact the Director of Business Development for details (Patrick Hicks, 214-768-1992 or phicks@lyle.smu.edu). <top>

Organization of Classes FAQ

1. How are classes organized?
   Classes are taught over five Saturday sessions beginning at the start of the academic term. Each term features two scheduled courses for a total of 10 class sessions. <top>
2. How many students are in a class?
   The minimum cohort size is 12 students, the maximum cohort size is 25 students. <top>
3. Will there be any orientation classes? 
   Yes. There will be orientation session prior to the first semester. <top>
4. Which courses are taken concurrently?
   These are determined based on a natural progression of courses, instructor availability, and a desire for diversity of topics in a given semester. <top>
5. How many clock hours are scheduled per course?
   As many as in a traditionally delivered class: approximately 40 contact hours. <top>
6. How will mid-term and final exams be administered?
   This is left to the discretion of the individual instructor. <top>
7. What types of course projects will students engage in?
   This also is left to the discretion of the individual instructor. <top>
8. How will the faculty selected for the Weekend Format program differ from those providing instruction for the non-Weekend Format degree tracks?
   Many will be the same faculty, although their teaching approaches may differ significantly from those used on campus and by LOGin distance education instructors. <top>
9. What percentage of your faculty has industry experience?
   Most of the faculty are either in industry now or have significant industry experience. <top>
10. Can I miss one semester and make it up later?
    Possibly. Classes go through the program together as a group. If circumstances cause you to drop out, you can transfer to the non-executive degree program to take the remaining classes for your degree. Or, if a future cohort is in the same place as your previous cohort when you dropped out you can join that group. But the school makes no assurances that this will be possible. <top>
11. If a class size goes below 12 students because of dropouts, will the class be canceled?
    No. Once an Weekend Format class is begun, it will be run to completion. <top>
12. Can I transfer courses previously taken to count towards this degree?
    Yes. The Lyle School of Engineering allows up to six hours of transfer credit at the discretion of the department. But, this may not speed up degree progress since Weekend Format groups take all 10 courses together in sequence. Weekend Format students with transfer credits must stay with their group, although they may have times when they do not take a particular course with their group because they have received transfer credit for that course. <top>
13. Can I choose my own electives?
    No. All students in a given group will take the same set of classes that have been pre-selected by the department. <top>

Applications and Admissions FAQ

1. What are the entrance requirements?
   To receive full admission, you need a bachelors degree (preferably in a technical area), a grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0-point scale and letters of recommendation. Additionally, applying students should have completed Calculus I and Calculus II. Students not meeting this criteria may still be considered for conditional admission. <top>
2. My GRE scores are at least seven years old.  Will I need to retake the test?
   GRE scores are not required for admission to the Weekend Format, although they will be considered if you have a grade-point average below the minimum required for full admission. <top>
3. Is an engineering undergraduate degree required?
   No. However, a degree in a technical area is preferred. Those without a engineering or technical degree will most likely be consider for conditional admission. <top>
4. How do I apply? 
   The application can be completed online. <top>
5. What are the application deadlines? 
   Applications for groups starting in the Spring Term is July 15. Applications for groups starting in the Fall Term is August 15. There are no groups that start the program during the summer.<top>
6. What is considered in evaluating applications?
   The student’s previous university record, work experience, letters of recommendation, and other evidence of readiness for, and likely success, in the program. Weekend Format candidates are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until a given class is full. <top>
7. If required, how do I enroll for leveling or articulation courses?
   In some instances, leveling courses may be required for students entering a program without a undergraduate degree in that area of expertise. Leveling courses may not necessarily need to be taken at SMU. <top>
8. Do I need to submit a resume with my application?
   Yes. See the application instructions. <top>
9. Can students be admitted conditionally?
   Yes. If a student does not meet the requirements for full admission, conditional admission may be offered at the discretion of the Admissions Commitee on an individual basis. Conditional admission decisions are based on factors such as work experience, GRE scores (although the GRE is not required), letters of recommendation. These and other factors are considered in agregate when decisions are made regarding conditional admission. <top>
10. Do I need to submit my final transcript for previous graduate or undergraduate work, or do I need to provide every transcript from each school in which I was registered for course work?
    All previous college and university transcripts are required. See the application instructions or contact Janis Jessen in the Weekend Format Engineering Admissions office at (214) 768-3037 or jjessen@lyle.smu.edu. <top>
11. If I am attending classes in a classroom and am 30 years of age or younger, do I need a meningitis vaccination?
    Yes. Texas State Law effective January 1, 2012: Any entering student at any Texas college or university who is under 30 years old must be immunized for meningitis before attending classes (and must have received the vaccine within the preceding 5 years and at least 10 days prior to the first class day) or provide exemption information. Information on submitting your immunization records or request for a waiver is provided by the SMU Memorial Health Center. <top>