New to Elon Engineering?

Congratulations on being accepted into the Elon Engineering program! This page is a resource for students new to Elon Engineering. If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, please contact Dr. Richard Blackmon.

Laptop Requirements

Students may choose to purchase a laptop to complete coursework, which includes using engineering software to find design solutions. All necessary software is available to students to download and on university computers found in several locations convenient to the engineering program. The laptop specifications should meet the minimum requirements for operating the Computer-Aided Design software SOLIDWORKS:

  • RAM – 16GB (32GB preferred)
  • Processor – 3.3GHz or higher
  • Operating System – Windows 10, 64-bit
  • Graphics Cards – NVIDIA Quadro P1000, AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100, or better (visit this link for a comprehensive list of graphics cards)

Please visit the SOLIDWORKS systems requirements page for more information. Meeting these requirements will enable students to operate the software packages used in Elon Engineering courses on their devices.

Curriculum

We want our students to have the same opportunities other Elon students enjoy, including the opportunity to study abroad, minor in other disciplines, and stay active in clubs. This can be challenging for typical Engineering majors, but at Elon, we have designed our curricula such that students enjoy all the benefits of being an Elon student while excelling in their studies.

All students should connect with their EGR 1210 professor during the first week of class to ensure they are registered for the correct courses. Learn about course requirements for the Engineering B.S. and Engineering Dual-Degree.

Students pursuing a four-year Engineering degree at Elon are strongly recommended to take the following courses during their first year:

Fall Semester

MTH 1510 – Calculus I (4sh)
ENG 1100 – Writing: Argument and Inquiry (4sh) or COR 110 – Global Experience (4sh)
PHY 2210 – University Physics I & Lab (4sh)
EGR 1210 – Grand Challenges in Engineering I (3sh)
EGR 1220 – Introduction to MATLAB (2sh)
Elon 1010 – Orientation (1sh)

Winter Semester

COR – Core Curriculum (4sh)

Spring Semester

MTH 2510 – Calculus II (4sh)
COR 1100 – Global Experience (4sh) or ENG 110 – Writing: Argument and Inquiry (4sh)
PHY 2220 – University Physics II & Lab (4sh)
CSC 1300 – Computer Science I (4sh)
EGR 1230 – Grand Challenges in Engineering II (2sh)

Tips for New Students

Office Hours

All your professors will hold office hours each week throughout the semester. Students are encouraged to take advantage of office hours to get help on assignments, get to know your professors, and to discuss course content in more depth.

Keep Your Course Materials

Engineering courses build upon each other as you progress through the curriculum. For example, a course such as Signals and Systems will require skills in Calculus, Circuit Theory, and Physics. By keeping your course materials, you have a personal library to reference for these upper level courses. Additionally, once you graduate, you will need to demonstrate your qualifications to potential employers and/or graduate schools. A great way to do this is to maintain a portfolio of your Engineering projects to showcase your skills.

Study Habits

Effective study habits is a skill set that must be learned and practiced. Some students find they do not need to study often in their high school courses, but may feel they do not have enough time to study once in college. If you find yourself overwhelmed with your coursework, it could be that there are more efficient ways of studying that you can learn to better manage your time. The book Teach Yourself How to Learn by Saundra McGuire is an excellent evidenced-based resource for finding new efficient and effective study habits.