Handbooks can be awfully handy.
Check this list for a one-stop-shop for departmental handbooks.
When in doubt...
Ask Connie. She's an excellent resource for all Pratt undergrads and you should not hesitate to sign up for an appointment with her. But before you do that, see if we've covered your question already in the policies and procedures section of our website.
Planning Your Degree
The first year of study in the Pratt School of Engineering is largely common to all engineers, with seven of the eight first year courses being completely transferable between the five engineering majors. The first year curriculum offers:
- a general education in the fundamentals of mathematics, physics and chemistry, on which the science and practice of engineering are based;
- instruction in modern engineering problem solving skills, including the use of digital technology for both computational and laboratory applications;
- an exposure to the range of career opportunities in engineering; and
- the opportunity to explore intellectual opportunities in Trinity College, through satisfaction of the University writing requirement and selection of a humanities and social sciences elective.
Students predisposed toward a particular Pratt major use the eighth course to begin fulfilling degree requirements for that major as indicated below, while undecided students are encouraged to use this eighth course to aid in their subsequent selection of a major. EGR 10 (Introduction to Engineering), a seminar course in which both disciplinary and multi-disciplinary opportunities in engineering are explored, is also strongly recommended to first year students to aid in this process of intellectual discovery.
The general layout for the curriculum is as follows:
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Mathematics 31L | Mathematics 32L |
| Chemistry 21L | Physics 61L |
| Writing 20 or Humanities/Soc. Sci. Elective | Writing 20 or Humanities/Soc. Sci. Elective |
| Engineering 53L* | Technical Course (see below) |
| Engineering 10 ** | |
The above assumes no advanced placement credit. In the event that such credit is granted for one or more of the above courses, substitutions of upper level technical requirements can be made or other curricular interests may be pursued (including freshman focus programs, or initiation of a Trinity or Pratt double major/minor). The first year technical course should be selected according to the student's intended major, if known:
- Undecided: Engineering 20 or one of the classes listed below
- Biomedical Engineering: Chemistry 22L
- Civil Engineering: Engineering 25L
- Electrical and Computer Engineering: Electrical & Computer Engineering 27L
- Mechanical Engineering: Engineering 20
*Note: All engineering students must take EGR 53, Computational Methods in Engineering, preferably in the fall semester. Only under special circumstances should students plan to take this course in the spring semester.
**Half credit course not required but very strongly recommended.