As a freshman, each student is assigned an academic advisor. The academic advisor is a full-time faculty member of the department of the student's chosen major. If the student continues with the major (s)he chose as an incoming freshman, the faculty advisor will remain unchanged for the full term of the program with a few exceptions. Thus, it is incumbent upon students to get to know their academic advisor. The academic advisor can help students adjust to university life or point them in the right direction for answers. Students should consult with their advisor at least once a semester during pre-registration to ensure proper course selection and advancement in the academic program. The academic advisor can assist in helping the student select minors and concentrations, and answer questions about career choices, internships, post-graduation employment, and graduate school. It is important to note that while a student’s academic advisor may be called upon for assistance in making decisions, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand the requirements of the chosen degree program and to plan for the orderly fulfillment of graduation requirements. To this end, at pre-registration time each semester the academic advisor will provide the student with a up-to-date summary of the courses (s)he has taken and will be required to take in the future to obtain the target degree.
During the freshman year a student is especially encouraged to speak with his/her academic advisor to learn about the engineering profession in order to make a more-informed choice of a major field of study. Given the common freshman year in the College of Engineering, students select their majors just before pre-registration in the spring semester. In addition to the academic advisor who can provide career planning advisement and referrals when appropriate, the College of Engineering provides information about the engineering profession through annual sponsorship of programs that inform freshman students about career opportunities available in each major field of engineering. In addition, all freshmen are required to take EGR 1200 (Interdisciplinary Projects I) and EGR 1205 (Interdisciplinary Projects II). These courses provide both an overview and hands-on experience in all fields of engineering offered by the College.
