First-Year Engineering at Purdue
Beginning engineering students enroll in the First-Year Engineering Program and complete a common first year curriculum before moving to their major (Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc.). The First-Year Engineering program serves about 2,500 students each year, including new students, students transferring from other universities, and students moving from another academic unit at the West Lafayette campus to engineering.
First-year students take math, chemistry, physics, English, and communications courses plus the ENGR 131-132 sequence or equivalent engineering design course sequence which is taught by Engineering Education (ENE) faculty. In ENGR 131-132, students cover topics such as data visualization and analysis, ethics, engineering design, application of basic programming to the solution of engineering problems, development of mathematical models to solve engineering problems, teamwork skills, and professional communications. In First-Year Engineering, students from a wide range of backgrounds develop a common knowledge base and skill set they will need as they move through their engineering degree program. ENE employs ten advisors who help the first-year students plan their course of study and provide many of the resources students need as they make the transition to college life.
The mission of this student-oriented program is to advise, prepare, and retain outstanding students for degree programs in Purdue's College of Engineering.
Advising Information
- make an appointment to meet with your FYE advisor
- check the FYE advisor's walk-in schedule
- other common advisor questions
- list of required courses and a typical plan of study for FYE students
- general education requirements in FYE
- guidance on the Science Selective
- courses that can be substituted for FYE requirements
- information about how the EAI is calculated
- information about AP credit
- substitute courses at Purdue regional campuses and transfer courses at other universities
- the "four semester" rule
Registration portal (mypurdue.purdue.edu), including MyPurduePlan
Transition to Major (T2M) process
- opportunities for taking courses in the summer
- opportunities for professional advancement in summer
- link to the Purdue Transfer Credit Database to see if a summer course elsewhere will transfer in as an FYE course
Entering First-Year Engineering
Information for Transfer Students
CODO (change of major) from other programs at Purdue (For Fall 2020, please have your current advisor submit the electronic CODO application anytime between January 20, 2020 to May 8, 2020, 3:00 PM. Late applications will not be accepted.)
Engineering Schools and Disciplines
Degree Programs and four-year plans of study
Learn about Engineering disciplines
Help and Resources
Career Planning for FYE Students
ENE Facilities - the Ideas to Innovations Laboratory
Information about the Engineering Honors Program
Engineering Student Organizations
Last Updated: May 27, 2020