Apr 29, 2024  
2023-2024 University Catalog 
    
2023-2024 University Catalog

First-Year Engineering


About the Program

The First-Year Engineering (FYE) Program, at the School of Engineering Education, is the entry point for all beginning engineering students at Purdue. In the FYE program, students complete foundational coursework in math, science, engineering, and communications (oral and written). After this common first year, students choose their discipline of engineering and start to follow the plan of study of a particular degree program. The mission of this student-oriented program is to advise, prepare, and retain outstanding students for degree programs in Purdue’s College of Engineering.

Talk to an FYE Advisor

First-Year Engineering Major Change (CODO) Requirements  

Requirements for First-Year Engineering (FYE) (29-30 credits)


All courses used to fulfill the First-Year Engineering program requirements must have a grade of C- or higher.

Requirement #2: Intro to Engineering II (2-4 credits)


One of the following course options:

Requirement #3: Calculus I (4-5 credits) (satisfies Quantitative Reasoning for core)


One of the following course options:

Requirement #5: Chemistry I (4-6 credits) (satisfies Science #1 for core)


One of the following course options:

Requirement #7: First-Year Engineering Selective (3-4 credits)


One of the following course options:

Requirement #8: Written and Oral Communication (6-7 credits)


Two of the following course options:

Other Options for First Year Engineering


EPICS or GOSS Scholar and VIP First Year Engineering Program Requirements - Other Options  

Grade Average Requirement


To complete the First-Year Engineering (FYE) program:

  1. The student’s cumulative GPA must be of 2.00 or greater.
  2. An Engineering Admissions Index (EAI) must be 2.00 or greater. Calculation of the EAI is equivalent to the calculation of GPA for courses used to meet all FYE requirements above.
  3. If a student meets a requirement in more than one way, only one will be used to calculate the EAI. The FYE Committee will be responsible for keeping an updated, clear, and universal set of rules for determining which course is used in EAI for these situations.
  4. These rules are available to students in the FYE Advising office.
  5. For more information click here or talk with an FYE academic advisor

Grade Requirements


Earned grades must be C- or better for any course used to meet the First-Year Engineering Program requirements, if the grade posts to the Purdue transcript.

Pass/No Pass Policy


Pass/No Pass grades are not accepted for any course used to meet the First-Year Engineering Program requirements.

Transfer Credit Policy


Equivalent credit earned at other universities may meet FYE and degree requirements. Purdue requires a grade of C- or higher for a transfer course to be awarded Purdue credit, but the exact grade will not be included in your Purdue GPA or your EAI. Note that courses taken on Purdue Regional campuses (Purdue-North Central, Purdue-Calumet, IPFW, and sometimes IUPUI – see here for details) are not considered transfer courses; grades from these courses do count on your Purdue GPA and EAI.
Students who are currently enrolled at another university are encouraged to visit the Office of Admissions website for information on transfer requirements. The Purdue Transfer Credit Database may also be useful to determine if courses from the other university have already been evaluated for equivalence to Purdue courses.
Many FYE students take summer courses at a different university. Students can find information about summer options and credit on the First-Year Engineering website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ENE/Academics/Undergrad/FYE/SummerCourses. 

Notes


  • First-Year Engineering students in the EPICS learning community take the ENGR 13300 & EPICS 11100 & EPICS 12100 engineering pathway.
  • First-Year Engineering students in the VIP learning community take the ENGR 13300 & VIP 17911 & VIP 17912 engineering pathway.
  • First-Year Engineering students in the Engineering Honors & Goss Scholars learning community take the ENGR 16100 and ENGR 16200 pathway.
  • First-Year Engineering students with enough coursework to complete program requirements in one semester can take ENGR 13000. Please speak with an FYE advisor about whether this course option is appropriate for you.
  • Early Start (summer) students should take “ENGR-10301- Intro to Engineering disciplines” if enrolled in ENGR-13100.
  • Students considering the following majors, who do not have credit for CHM 11500, must take CHM 11500 in their first Fall term at Purdue: Agricultural, Biological, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Environmental & Ecological, or Materials Engineering.
  • Preferred FYE selective depending on intended engineering major: Some of the Engineering degree programs have recommendations for the specific FYE Selective course. Students are encouraged to talk to an FYE Advisor for more information:
    • Biological Engineering (in ABE) and BME prefer CHM 11600 as the FYE Selective.
    • Agricultural Engineering (in ABE), CHE, CE, EEE, and MSE prefer CHM 11600 as the FYE Selective (and some of them require the course for graduation).
    • AAE, ECE, IE and NE prefer CS 15900 as the FYE Selective (and some of them require the course for graduation).
    • CEM, IDES/MDE, and ME accept any valid FYE Selective course (though some require a particular course for graduation).
  • The following courses satisfy the FYE selective requirement (Requirement #7) if they were taken before students entered the First-Year Engineering program: CHM 12600, 12901, 13600, CS 15800, 18000.
  • The following course satisfies the Chemistry I requirement (Requirement #5) if it was taken before students entered the First-Year Engineering program: CHM 12500.

Non-course / Non-credit Requirements


Students must complete First-Year Engineering Program requirements in a maximum of four semesters (Summers not included). Fourth-semester students who are not completing their First-Year Engineering Program coursework this semester cannot continue to be in the First-Year Engineering Program. They must CODO to another college, school or program at Purdue. More information about the Fourth semester policy can be found on the FYE website. For more details click here.

Sample First Year Engineering Plan of Study


Fall 1st Year


13-14 Credits


Spring 1st Year


16 Credits


Transitioning to a degree program


After completion of the First-Year Engineering (FYE) program, students may transition to one of fifteen degree programs in engineering.

  • This happens through the “Transition to Major” (or T2M) process. As a student nears completion of FYE, he or she will inform FYE of their preferred choices of degree program (major). 
  • If the degree program is not at capacity, all students completing FYE requirements and requesting that degree program will be admitted. 
  • If the program is at capacity, admission will be based on academic record, including GPA, EAI, and grades in specific courses.

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.