Through its small size and open access to faculty and research facilities, the School of Engineering offers an outstanding engineering education that has enabled our graduates to find success in graduate or professional school (such as medical or law school), and the engineering profession. For these men and women, success in engineering can be traced to having the advantage of a great first-year program. Are you ready to join them?
Start your engineering education off on the right track
Engineering is one of the most rigorous academic disciplines you may choose to study at Western New England College. Recognizing this, the School of Engineering has developed a dynamic First Year Program to help students succeed in the all-important first year of their undergraduate engineering education.
Learn from Our Engineering Experts in Your First Year
One facet of the First Year Program that truly sets us apart is the participation of expert faculty members as course instructors and first-year student advisors. While some schools leave teaching such courses to graduate students, we feel it is critically important to offer students true engineering experiences taught by faculty who will engage student intellect and inspire a desire to pursue a career in engineering. The cross-disciplinary courses allow faculty to become valued mentors early in each student's engineering education.
At the School of Engineering, freshmen spend six hours a week in a supportive learning environment with these outstanding educators and mentors.
Fall Semester: Introduction to Engineering
In this hands-on course, you'll learn about engineering design through such projects as the "Mars Rover," a prototype robot you and your team will design using the LEGO Dacta System. Your team must design for efficient energy utilization and good maneuverability by using onboard sensors. As you design and build your prototype to compete against other teams, you'll learn about problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, building blocks for a successful career in engineering.
Spring Semester: Computer-aided Engineering Problem Solving
The computer will be one of your most valuable tools throughout your engineering education and career. This course introduces you to methods in solving engineering problems that require the use of computers. These methods (involving interpretation of problem statements and their translation into language that can be understood by the appropriate software) are learned through the use of such software packages as MATLAB and MathCAD.
These courses challenge students to begin to understand the engineering process, which starts with the essential question-"what is the need?" As students determine how to work toward satisfying that need, they begin to think in new ways, to think critically and creatively— to look at the world through the eyes of an engineer!
Advising and Mentoring
This First-Year Program features regular advising and mentoring meetings, part of a system designed to smooth student transition from high school to the School of Engineering. These meetings, including the first one just two weeks into the semester, provide opportunities for advisors to get early feedback about how students are doing and discuss their professional needs and goals.