Engineering Foundations student team presents their design during a final exam

Building the foundation for a successful college experience

The First-Year Engineering Center is the home of our Engineering Foundations curriculum.

Engineering Foundations is a two-semester course sequence that integrates engineering design skills, sociotechnical issues, communications skills, career development programming, and academic advising. Based on a successfully piloted model, the course is taught by a dedicated faculty cohort who are trained to advise students about academics, careers, and navigating the University's structure and options.

As a first-year engineering student, you'll see your advisor at least twice per week for the entire first year.

Engineering Foundations in Action

Student groups in each section of Engineering Foundations presented posters and prototypes of their design projects to wrap up the semester. Each project tackled a different barrier to accessibility for the UVA community.