Welcome to P.C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science
This page provides course selection guidance for students intending to declare a major in the Rossin College of Engineering. Students participating in Intercollegiate (IC) Programs, IBE (Integrated Business and Engineering), IDEAS (Integrated Degree in Engineering Arts and Sciences), CSB (Computer Science and Business) and AE (Arts and Engineering) students have different college requirements and should visit the page related to each program.
Note: If you were admitted to the Bachelor’s to Master’s Accelerated (4 + 1) Program, you will receive information regarding special advising sessions for students intending on degree acceleration from Dr. Derick Brown (dgb3@lehigh.edu).
Here are some important parameters
The standard load for a first semester engineering student is 14-16 credits with a maximum of 17 credits. Typically, you will reach your credit target by enrolling in ENGR 005, possibly ENGR 010, a chemistry or physics course, a calculus course, and either a writing course, a humanities or social sciences. Unless you have AP credit, you will generally pick the courses listed on this page. However, these are suggested schedules and there are many variations possible.
There are two levels of physics and three levels of calculus. Only the versions listed below are acceptable for engineering students. If you have many AP credits, feel free to contact our Advising Team at rossinadvise@lehigh.edu with questions about selecting courses.
Engineering 005
All students in the Rossin College of Engineering must take ENGR 005 - Introduction to Engineering Practice (2 credits) in the fall semester. It is strongly recommended that you plan and register for this course first so that you can build your schedule around it.
You may take ENGR 010 - Applied Engineering Computer Methods (2 credits) along with ENGR 005 in fall or plan to take it in spring depending on how many credits you plan to carry.
Calculus
The Mathematics Department uses a Calculus placement tool, ALEKS, from McGraw-Hill. ALEKS is an evaluation that provides a second recommendation for your Calculus course based on your results. ALEKS does not give credit like an AP exam. Instead, its purpose is to make sure students are ready for calculus. It also indicates the topics in which you can improve and provides modules to work through to prepare you for the fall semester. After completing the suggested modules, you have the opportunity to test again and improve your placement recommendation. More details about ALEKS will come in time for registration.
All students intending to take Calculus in the fall semester must use the ALEKS system for placement unless you expect AP or transfer credit for Calculus I-MATH 021. You will not be allowed to register for a Math class until your ALEKS score is on record or your AP credit is on your Lehigh transcript in Banner. If you expect your AP scores to be delayed arriving at Lehigh, we strongly suggest that you take the ALEKS assessment so you are not blocked from registering for a Calculus class.
Chemistry or Physics
Students typically enroll in either CHM 030 (4 credits), CHM 040 (4 credits) or PHY 011 & 012 (5 credits). CHM 040 is intended for students considering a major in chemistry, biochemistry, or any of the related science or engineering fields that require a strong background in chemistry. (Please review additional details regarding Chemistry placement.) Chemistry builds the lab into their lecture course, so CHM 030 and CHM 040 include both lecture and lab. Physics offers the lecture and lab as two different courses, PHY 011-Introductory Physics I and PHY 012-Introductory Physics Laboratory I.
Special Note about Physics: Students who register for PHY 011 in the fall may or may not be able to register for PHY 012 (the lab) with it due to space limitations, and will take PHY 012 in the spring. The Physics Department has indicated this is an acceptable plan and will not impede learning. Students who do not take PHY 012 in fall should plan to include ENGR 010 in their fall schedule.
For all students in the College of Engineering, except those considering a major in Bioengineering, it does not matter whether you take Physics or Chemistry first. The other course can be taken in the spring.
*Students considering Bioengineering should take PHY 011 & PHY 012 first semester, rather than Chemistry. These students must take BIOS 041 and BIOS 042 in spring which conflict with PHY 011 & PHY 012 class times offered.
Generally speaking, bioengineering, chemical engineering, and environmental engineering take more chemistry in their degree programs. Civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering take more physics than chemistry. A student who has a preference for a given major might use this for guidance in the first course. Note: DO NOT take PHY 005 or PHY 010. They will not meet the engineering requirement for PHY 011.
If you have AP or transfer credit for either CHM 030 or PHY 011 & 012, then you should take the other science (e.g. if you have CHM 030 credit, enroll in PHY 011 & 012). If you have AP or transfer credit for both CHM 030 and PHY 011 & 12, you will have room for another course such as ECO 001 or an option from the list of humanities (HU) or social science (SS) courses. These courses will meet HSS elective requirements for all degree programs in engineering.
If you are taking CHM 030 or CHM 040 in fall, you may want to register for ENGR 010 as well since there will be room in our schedule for it. If you are taking PHY 011 & 012 in fall, you may want to wait until spring to take ENGR 010 as a way to manage your workload; however you still have the option of taking it in fall.
English
All students in the Rossin College of Engineering must earn credit in two English courses (6 credits total) specified by the College. Students without credit from achievement test scores (AP, IB, or transfer credit) will start with ENGL 001 (3 credits), the first English course in the series. If you are unable to take ENGL 001, you may register for ECO 001 or an option from the list of humanities (HU) or social science (SS) courses, which are degree requirements for all engineering majors.
Students who demonstrate required proficiency on either of the English AP exams (English Language & Composition OR English Literature & Composition) with a score of 4 will receive 3 credits for WRT 001, which fulfills the first of the two required writing courses. These students should enroll in WRT 002 in fall or spring. A score of 5 on either exam earns credit for both WRT 001 and WRT 002, completing the English requirement for any engineering degree. (If you are unable to register for WRT 002 in fall, you may register for ECO 001 or an option from the list of humanities (HU) or social science (SS) courses.
If you have transfer credit for WRT 001, you will fulfill your remaining writing requirement with WRT 002 (3 credits). However, typically WRT 002 has fewer seats offered in the fall semester and might need to be deferred until the spring semester. To reiterate, alternatives to an English course in fall could be ECO 001 or an option from the list of humanities (HU) or social science (SS) courses to round out your schedule.
In summary, if you do not have Advanced Placement or transfer credit, one possibility your fall semester courses could be: WRT 001, MATH 021, ENGR 005 and either PHY 011 & 012 or CHM 030 & ENGR 010.
Students may add one-credit or two-credit free electives with the most common choices from Music, Theater, or Computer Science. Those with little or no computer science background who are considering a computer science major or minor may want to consider taking CSE 003 (2 credits) in fall followed by CSE 004 (2 credits) in spring. For students with experience, CSE 007 (4 credits), which covers material in CSE 003 & CSE 004 in one semester, is an option. Taking these CSE courses does not allow students to waive the ENGR 010 requirement of the college. The courses have some overlapping material, but they are different.
If you have credit for both Chemistry and Physics, have transfer credit for WRT 001, or are unable to register for WRT 002, you should register for ECO 001 or an option from the list of humanities (HU) or social science (SS) courses. Another possibility is including one-credit or two-credit electives referenced above in order to fill your schedule.
Remember, have patience during registration. You may continue to make changes to your schedule during the Add/Drop period, which is the first 10 days of class, and you will have a fall schedule filled with classes toward your engineering degree. Feel free to email rossinadvise@lehigh.edu with questions. We are here to help.