First-Year Engineering Course Selection

As a first-year student interested in exploring engineering, the first semester is common across ALL of our engineering majors.

Whether you are confident of your intended engineering major or are looking forward to exploring when you get here, you should enroll in the following courses in the fall semester:

  • ES 101 Introduction to Engineering Design
  • FYS First Year Seminar
  • Calculus (161 or xxx depending on the result of the Math Advising Test)
  • Chemistry 107*

If you are unsure whether or not you would like to study engineering at Lafayette, we encourage you to take the recommended first-semester engineering courses. It is easier to switch from engineering to another major because the courses will count towards other majors. It is more difficult to switch into engineering without taking the foundational courses.

*You are required to complete a Chemistry placement exam. If your score places you into Chemistry 108, you will also receive credit for Chemistry 107 after completing Chemistry 108 with a passing grade. (You will earn two course credits for taking one course.)

AP or IB Credit?

Lafayette College awards credit from College Board Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge General Certificate of Education (GCE/A-levels). More information is available from the Registrar.

If you have credit for Chemistry 107, you may choose any other course. Here are some recommendations:

  • Choose something that interests you! There are many courses to choose from.
  • Choose a language course. Elementary proficiency in a second language is a requirement of the Common Course of Study. More information on language course placement can be found here.
  • Interested in chemical engineering? The major also requires Chemistry 108, so you should enroll in this course instead.
  • Interested in electrical and computer engineering? The major requires CS 104 or CS 105, so you may want to select this introductory computer science course.

If you have credit for Calculus, you should enroll in the next course in the math sequence. Engineering students are required to take Math 161, Math 162, Math 263, and Math 264. (Note: AB Engineering students are not required to take Math 264.)

Have Questions?

Please reach out to Ms. Lisa Karam (karaml@lafayette.edu) with questions or to schedule an appointment with Dean Anderson.