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Advice for Undeclared Students

First-Year Academic Planning for Undecided/Undeclared Engineering Students

The following guidelines can be used to put together a first-year plan of studies if you are truly undecided about an engineering major. Most students decide on a tentative major after one or two quarters. The required fall term Engineering 1 course, “Introduction to Engineering”, will be particularly useful in helping students distinguish between the different fields of engineering and decide on a major field of studies.

Fall Quarter Winter Quarter Spring Quarter
MATH 11 MATH 12 MATH 13
CHEM 11 PHYS 31 PHYS 32
CTW 1 <2> <4>
<1> <3> <5>
ENGR 1    

The course selections provided below are recommended to put together a full first-year program of study and to ensure an easy transition into a chosen major. Please note that some introductory level engineering courses will only be available during specific academic terms.
You must enroll in a Critical Thinking and Writing (CTW) sequence of two courses. The course you choose for the fall will determine the second half of the sequence (which will occur in either winter or spring).
 
 
If truly and completely undecided:
a) CTW 1 & 2 should be done fall & winter <2>
b) <1> should be replaced with either COEN 10 (if no programming experience), or RTC 1 (the first Religion, Theology, and Culture course) if you have “sufficient” programming experience (see handout: advising guideline for first-year programming sequence).
 
 
If you have eliminated Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, and Web Design and Engineering from consideration: Electrical, and (some) Mechanical engineering majors will ordinarily take CTW sequences that run fall and spring. If you believe you want one of these majors, take a CTW sequence running fall and spring<4>, and Cultures & Ideas sequence running fall<1> and winter<2>.
 
Be sure to meet with your academic advisor to discuss your options for the rest of the year BEFORE registration for the winter term.