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Lehigh University College of Arts and Sciences

First-Year Arts-Engineering Curriculum and Course Selection Information

 

As noted in the enclosed letter, the typical First-Year Arts-Engineering program is identical to the program for students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science except for Arts 2 and the College Seminar or First-Year Class (FYC).  The typical Arts-Engineering pattern:

 

            Fall Semester (credits)                                               Spring Semester (credits)

Arts 2 Choices & Decisions (1)                                  Engr 1 Engineering Computations (3)

Engl 1 Composition/Literature I (3)                             Engl 2 Composition/Literature II (3)

Math 21 Calculus I (4)                                                Math 22 Calculus II (4)

Phy 11 Intro. Physics I (4)                                          Chm 25 Intro. Chemical Principles (4)

Phy 12 Intro. Physics Lab I (1)                                   Chm 26 Biochemical Apps. of Chem. Principles (1)

College Seminar or FYC (2 to 4)                                Engr 5 First-Year Design Experience (3)

            Total 15 to 17 credits                                                  Total 18 credits

 

The College of Arts and Sciences prepares a course roster for each first-year student in the program after considering a number of factors.  Advanced placement or transfer credits, the semester of the College Seminar or FYC, and other variations may alter the typical schedule.  We discuss some issues related to placement and alternative courses below.

 

Arts 2

All first-year Arts-Engineering students take this 1-credit pass-fail course.  Students meet weekly with the Director of the Arts-Engineering Program during the Fall semester to discuss academic issues, which for Arts-Engineers tend to be different from other students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.  The Choices and Decisions class is also a vehicle for the students to learn about the University community and the variety of opportunities and support services available.

 

College Seminar or First-Year Class

All first-year students must complete one College Seminar or First-Year Class (FYC) during the Fall ’06 semester as part of the Arts and Sciences degree requirements.  Consult the enclosed College Seminar and First-Year Class Brochure for descriptions.  You will indicate your preferences in rank order when you make your course selections.  If we cannot provide you with one of your choices, we will defer your seminar until Spring ’07.  You may also choose to defer your seminar/FYC until Spring ’07.  The Spring ’07 seminar selections will be similar to these and announced before registration in November, but the spring selections will not offer the flexibility offered by the fall selections.  Priority in assigning seminars and FYCs is determined by the date that you submit your selection using our online course-selection process.  Please make your selection as early as possible so we can avoid the necessity of deferring your seminar to the spring.

 

English

All Lehigh undergraduates take six credits of first year English: English 1 and English 2 (or one of the alternatives to English 2). Exceptions are described in the enclosed Information about Advanced Placement.

 

Mathematics

In the Fall semester, all Arts-Engineering students take Math 21 unless

  1. they receive advanced placement credit, or
  2. the Lehigh Calculus Readiness Assessment indicates the need for a different placement, or
  3. they are offered the option of taking Math 31, the first course in the honors calculus sequence.

 

Students should take the online Calculus Readiness Assessment during the course-selection process.  This assessment is simply designed to determine whether students are already prepared to do well in calculus.  If students prepare extensively for the assessment, it may not provide an accurate indication of the student’s readiness for Calculus.  Arts-Engineers must take calculus, but if the Readiness Assessment indicates a weak preparation, a student should consider Math 75/76 sequence, which covers the material in Math 21 and is designed specifically for students with mathematics background deficiencies.  The enclosures include Information about Mathematics Courses and a practice version of the Calculus Readiness Assessment.

 

Chemistry and Physics

First year Arts-Engineering students ordinarily enroll in Chemistry 25/26 ( anew series of courses replacing the CHM 021 and 022 in the catalog) and Physics 11/12.  AP credit may place a student out of one or both.  You may also attempt to place out of one or both by taking an anticipatory examination during the orientation period at the start of the semester.  If you are considering a major in Biochemistry or Chemistry, consult with Prof. Zeroka about appropriate course selections.

 

Engineering 1

Engr 1 prepares students for further study in engineering courses.  The topics in the course are C++ programming, MatLab programming, spreadsheets (Excel), numerical techniques (including root finding, numerical differentiation and numerical integration), engineering problem solving, and html programming.  An anticipatory examination for Engr 1 may be available; consult with Prof. Zeroka.

 

Engineering 5

Engr 5 also prepares students for further engineering study by introducing engineering projects.  This course also provides the student an opportunity to obtain information about the various areas of engineering available for study at Lehigh before making a final decision on a major.