First-Year Programs
No matter your major, you’ll start out in one of our two first-year programs—engage Engineering Fundamentals program or the Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program. These innovative first–year programs prioritize problem solving through collaboration.
engage Engineering Fundamentals Program
All incoming first-year students are automatically enrolled in engage, one of the nation’s most innovative approaches to first-year engineering education. The curriculum includes an overview of our eleven majors, computer tools for problem solving, teamwork exercises, communication skills, and physics. In this success-oriented environment, students learn by interacting with others to create solutions to engineering problems.
Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program
Our most driven students complete both curricular and extracurricular requirements established by the National Academy of Engineering to graduate with honors. The program focuses on undergraduate research, interdisciplinary coursework, entrepreneurship, global experience, and service-learning, with an eye toward solving the world’s most pressing challenges. This program is complementary to the university’s Chancellors Honors Program. Engineering students may choose to pursue both programs.
Planning Your
First-Year
Nuclear engineering alumna Sarah Davis explores the differences between first-year lecture and lab engineering classes and lays down some “real talk” about how first-year engineering students can make the most of their time and succeed.
Community Is
Central
Central to the Engage LLC is its community core. You’ll be mentored by dedicated faculty, as well as upper-level students. Other Engage students you meet will become your study group peers, your social fam, and your support group when coursework gets tough.
Don’t let anyone tell you that engineering is all “study, study, study.” Outside the classroom and residence hall, Engage will take you on educational field trips to places like Oak Ridge National Laboratory. You’ll see the inside of Neyland Stadium, and let off steam at local laser tag, bowling, and Jump Jam locations.
