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Home > SI 502 Place Out Policy
SI 502 Place Out Policy
Revised: June 16, 2009
SI 502 (Networked Computing) is a foundations course designed to introduce students to a wide range of technology skills which are needed to be successful in the rest of the courses for their SI degree. SI 502 is targeted at students who have received a non-technical degree or students with no prior technical experience. Students who have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science or extensive programming experience may not need to take SI 502. In order to allow students with sufficient experience to meet the SI 502 requirement without taking SI 502, we provide a place out test. Students must take the SI 502 place out test in the first or second semester in which they are enrolled in the School of Information. The suggestion is to take the SI 502 place out test as soon as you are admitted, so that you know whether you will need to include SI 502 in your course plan for the year. Note that placing out of SI 502 does not reduce the 48 credit total needed for the MSI degree; but rather allows students who place out to select a more appropriate course.
The place out test is an assessment test -- there is no harm in attempting the test and not getting a high enough score -- those students simply should take SI 502. Students do not have to take the place out test -- they can simply skip the test and take SI 502 and meet the requirement.
The place out test is given twice each year and is scheduled so as to allow students to take the test and receive their grade after they have been admitted and before registration begins. The approximate dates for each semester are as follows:
- Place out for Fall Semester - early in July
- Place out for Winter Semester - early in December
The exam will be available for a range of dates -- students can take the exam at any time while the exam is open. Each year the exact dates of the exam will be announced via email.
Students interested in taking the place out exam should contact the advising staff to be added to the appropriate CTools site (CTools is U-M's learning management system) in order to be registered to take the exam.
Students can take a look at the topics covered in SI 502 at www.si502.com -- this Web site also has archival lecture materials from previous semesters. While students may find some review to be helpful, it is not likely that a student with no technical background will be able to self-study to pass the place out examination.
When the exams are scored, students will be given one of three grades on the place out exam: (1) Strong Pass, (2) Marginal Pass, or (3) Not Passing. Students who receive a strong or marginal passing score do not have to take SI 502. Students who receive a marginal pass can make their own decision as to whether they should take SI 502 or not based on the feedback they receive on the exam.
Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the SI advising staff and the SI 502 course coordinator (Charles Severance, csev@umich.edu).
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