FAQs

Have questions about the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program, First Year Engineering (FYE) Program, college life, classes or anything else related to Purdue? This page is meant for you! Scroll through to find everything you need to know!

 

This FAQ page contains three major sections:

1.    The Women in Engineering Program

2.    Academics

3.    Student Life

For answers to questions related to these topics, navigate to that section! If you do not see an answer to your question, please reach out to us at welink@purdue.edu, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

The Women in Engineering Program

What is the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program?

The mission of the Women in Engineering Program is to enrich “the profession of engineering through the full participation of women,” through the development and direction of activities that encourage women to study engineering, learn more about careers and opportunities within the profession, and create an environment conducive to the successful completion of students’ studies. Learn more about the history of the program as well its objectives, staff, and other facts and figures here. 

What is the WE Link Team?

The WE Link Team is team of WiE Program student leaders who serve as the “link” between prospective students and the Purdue student perspective. The team works to connect with future students through social media content, newsletters, and other forms of outreach to encourage future students through the college admission and decision process. The WE Link  program also provides volunteer opportunities for current students to help in recruitment initiatives.

What does the Women in Engineering Program offer current students?

For current students, there are numerous resources designed to support student growth and community building.

Academically, WiE—along with the Women in Science Program—provides free tutoring for first-year student classes. Tutors are fellow students who have taken and successfully completed the coursework for which they provide help. Tutoring takes place in one of the centrally located residence halls on campus and is open to everyone. WiE also offers a 1 credit hour seminar course for first-year students—ENGR 19400: Women in Engineering Seminar—where students will hear from alumnae about their experiences working as engineers. Learn more about the course here. WiE also offers a study abroad class, ENGR 29400:  Gender in the World, and a upperclass student seminar course, ENGR 49400:  Gender in the Workplace.

To build community, WiE offers the Mentees and Mentors (M&M) program, which facilitates connections between underclass and upperclass students through monthly meetings, pair or group mentoring, and other social events. The program is designed for students to build their networks and receive advice from other women in engineering (both mentors and alumni speakers).  The WiE Learning Community residential program clusters FYE students together in a particular residence hall, which makes forming study groups and meeting new engineering friends super easy.

Professionally, the Women in Engineering Program hosts “Access Alum” events where students connect with and learn from alums and other corporate representatives about their experiences as engineering professionals in various roles and industries, sprinkled with advice about academic and professional success.  At many of these events, resumes are taken which creates an opportunity to network more closely with a company representative.

If you want to participate in inspiring the next generation of women engineers, there are a number of WiE K-10 outreach programs. The WiE Outreach Team travels to local schools or coordinates large events to engage younger students in STEM activities. Learn more about Women in Engineering Program Outreach here.

To develop leadership skills, there are a number of paid program assistant teams within WiE. Among these teams are the Operations (Ops) Team, the M&M Leadership Team, the Outreach Leadership Team, the ENGR 194 Teaching Assistants Team, and the WE Link Leadership Team. Student leaders help ensure that WiE continues to offer relevant and engaging programming through fresh ideas, and help WiE expand its reach.

Academics

What does the FYE schedule look like and what classes should I take?

The first-year engineering schedule varies from person-to-person based on previously earned college credits, your interests, professional goals, and chosen FYE pathway. However, most students typically take 13-15 credits (about 4-5 classes) of coursework in the fall and 16-18 credits (about 5-6 classes) in the spring. You will work with an academic advisor to best tailor your schedule to you! The FYE curriculum has 9 required courses including your engineering course(s), 2 mathematics courses, a chemistry course, a physics course, a science selective, an oral communications course, and a written communications course. Learn more about the different FYE course curriculums here.

What are the different “pathways” of First-Year Engineering?

There are five pathways through the First-Year Engineering (FYE) Program that allow you to complete the first-year engineering course requirements. The first and most popular pathway is the ENGR 13100 (Transforming Ideas to Innovation I) and ENGR 13200 (Transforming Ideas to Innovation II) course series. These courses focus on the fundamentals of engineering such as project management, technical communication, and the use of modern engineering tools (Excel / MATLAB / python). You will work in teams on various projects to gain a better understanding of how to use what you've learned in an engineering context.

Two other FYE pathways are the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) or Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Learning Communities, in which you will take ENGR 13300 (Transforming Ideas to Innovation – EPICS). Like ENGR 131/132, this first-year engineering course teaches you the engineering fundamentals, and adds on two semesters of a project-based course working with a community (EPICS track) or industry sponsor (VIP track).

For students in the Purdue Honors College or in the Goss Scholars Learning Community, the typical FYE pathway is the ENGR 16100/16200 (Honors Introduction to Innovation and the Physical Science of Engineering Design 1 & 2) course series. The coursework in this series integrates the FYE physics course (PHYS 17200). You learn the same engineering fundamentals as in the other tracks,  but you’ll take the concepts just a bit further. You will also work in teams on various projects to implement the engineering principles you learn in class.

Finally, there is an FYE pathway option that allows students to complete the FYE course series in one semester by taking ENGR 13000 (Transforming Ideas to Innovation I and II). This is a fast-paced course that combines the concepts from ENGR 131/132 classes into a one-semester course, covering the same engineering fundamentals as the first-year engineering courses. If you come in with a lot of degree-appropriate college credits, , this course allows you to begin your engineering major after only one semester.

Can engineers study abroad?

Yes! Engineers can certainly study abroad and many do! Study abroad programs can range in duration from full semesters to week-long opportunities. While abroad, you can take classes that fulfill degree requirements and immerse yourself in another culture. Many majors have specific study abroad programs, but there are also options for a more traditional study abroad program, usually run through the Global Engineering office. Purdue Engineering offers a unique opportunity to both study and work abroad through the Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE) Program. Learn more about GEARE here.

Student Life

What is the Women in Engineering Learning Community?

The Women in Engineering Learning Community is an opportunity for first-year students to live amongst each other to navigate the first-year engineering experience together.

Do I have to be a part of the learning community to participate in WiE?

Nope. If you are studying or are going to study) engineering at Purdue, the Women in Engineering Program welcomes your participation in any offered activities. You do not have to be in the learning community to take full advantage of what the Women in Engineering Program has to offer. Watch your email inbox for a weekly newsletter about different opportunities for you to take advantage of regardless of your residence, engineering major, or year in program.

Can I balance studying engineering with extracurriculars? If so, how?

You absolutely can balance studying engineering with extracurriculars! In fact, you may be bored if you aren’t involved in something. There are thousands of student organizations and other opportunities for involvement around campus. A few of the keys to success are finding an organizational system that works for you (to help keep track of your to-do lists), using your resources (office hours, study groups, free tutoring from the WiE program, etc.), and maintaining good time management through prioritization. Once you finish the work that needs to get done each day, you are free to do whatever else you want to do!