Choosing a Major

As a first-year engineering student at Penn State, you are admitted to the College of Engineering rather than to a specific major. This gives you the opportunity to experience a variety of areas before applying to a major in the spring semester of your second year.

Admission to this pre-major status has a distinct advantage. During your first year, you will take courses that are common to most majors and meet requirements for entrance to a major in the College of Engineering. This allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and provides you with direction in selecting your major. In addition, you will take University-required General Education courses in English, health and physical activity, arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences.

Students apply to specific majors in the spring semester of their second year. However, qualified students will have the option of being admitted to their major after the spring semester of their first year. Courses, career fairs, access to corporations and their representatives, and faculty contacts are available to help students decide on a major.

The faculty and staff of the college are committed to helping students realize their goals and objectives and develop their potential. Opportunities are provided to develop skills in leadership, communication, collaboration, and organization,
among others.

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*The actual first-year curriculum may vary, depending on the student's background and plans