College of Engineering
New Student Orientation
Welcome to the College of Engineering!
We are excited to meet you during your New Student Orientation session. During the college meeting, you will meet staff and faculty from our Engineering One-Stop (EOS) team and our First-Year Engineering Program (FEP). You’ll learn about which courses to take during your first semester, our EOS and FEP support services, and much more. Students will meet one-on-one with an academic advisor and register for all their courses before the end of their orientation session.
Parents and supporters, we encourage you to attend with your student. We will have specific sessions designed just for parents and supporters to learn about how to best support your student during their time in the College of Engineering. Additionally, the College of Engineering is now offering Parent and Supporters information sessions in Spanish. Please see the College of Engineering FAQ section for more details.
What to do Before your New Student Orientation Session
As you plan to attend your orientation session, you will need to complete the following steps to prepare for your one-on-one advising appointment. Write down questions you have.
You are not required to bring a laptop to orientation, but all first-year engineering students and first-year data science students are required to have a laptop that meets the minimum standards required before classes start in August.
Check your UARK email account to ensure you do not miss any important communication.
Complete the Onboarding required for Workday Student as soon as possible. We will not be able to reserve seats in courses for you until you have completed your onboarding.
Verify that all Transfer Credit and Test Scores have been sent to the UofA.
- Students can view their posted transfer credit in Workday Student. From the homepage, click on the Profile Icon in the upper right hand corner and select View Profile. Click on Academics on the left-hand side, and then Transfer Credit at the top of the page to view all incoming Dual Credits, Transfer Credits, and AP/IB scores.
- If the credits have not posted, verify that you have paid to send transcripts from the college or university you earned credit.
Determine starting math class using the Math Placement Criteria or completing the Fall Math Verification Form to determine your starting math class.
- If your starting math class is College Algebra or Precalculus, we encourage you to take the ALEKS Math Placement Exam or consider taking one of these courses during the summer semester.
Familiarize yourself with Workday Student. You can find information on how to use Workday Student here.
What to Expect During your New Student Orientation Session
Students can either choose to do a traditional two-day orientation session or an accelerated one-day orientation session. If you are doing a one-day session, you will join us in the College of Engineering sometime before lunch. If you are doing a two-session session, you will join us in the College of Engineering sometime before lunch on the second day of your orientation session.
Once you get to the college of engineering, we will have a large group session that is focused on general information, support services, and a discussion on starting math placement. We will then break out into smaller groups led by an academic advisor to discuss specific course options and requirements before we break for lunch. Parents and Supporters will join their students in both the large and small group sessions.
After lunch, Parents and Supporters will attend a session designed specifically to learn how to best support your student in the College of Engineering, and students will meet on-on-one with an academic advisor to finalize their schedule and register for courses. It is important to note that we do not allow parents and supporters to join their students during their one-on-one advising appointments.
Although we will start advising after lunch, students will most likely not be done with the entire process until 4-5pm. Please make your arrangements to stay for the duration of the day.
We recommend you consider bringing the following to your orientation session.
- A charger and/or power bank for your phone
- A jacket if you tend to get chilly or layered clothing in general because you’ll go from inside to outside throughout the day(s)
- Anything to help you with the weather – check the forecast a few days in advance! You might want an umbrella, poncho, sunglasses, light jacket, etc.
- Shoes you feel comfortable walking in
- A good attitude!
College of Engineering Frequently Asked Questions
I am planning to major in engineering, what kind of laptop do I need?
If you have already purchased a laptop, do not feel the need to purchase another one at this time. While a laptop running Windows 11 is highly recommended across all Engineering departments, it is required in the following departments. Keep in mind that students will likely not start coursework in these departments until their second year.
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biological Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
These departments rely on specialized software that is optimized for the Windows operating system, ensuring compatibility and functionality necessary for coursework and projects.
For other engineering disciplines, although not required, having a Windows laptop is still recommended to access a wide range of engineering software and applications commonly used across the field. If you plan on using a different operating system (e.g., macOS), it may require additional setup, such as running virtual machines or dual-boot configurations.
Engineering One-Stop has loaner laptops for College of Engineering students if their laptop needs to go in for repairs. You can visit ENGR 304 for more information.
Important: Chromebooks, iPads, and other ARM-based devices do not meet the minimum requirements for the College of Engineering. These devices are not compatible with many of the specialized engineering tools and software required for coursework and may limit your ability to fully participate in certain classes and projects. Please see the minimum requirements here.
I am planning to major in Data Science, what kind of laptop do I need?
Data Science majors are required to have a laptop with at least an M3 Pro or Intel Meteor Lake (Core Ultra 9 185H) or higher, 32GB of RAM, 2TB solid state hard drive and accidental damage protection warranty for at least 3 years.
Why can’t I join my student during their one-on-one advising appointment?
We make sure that parents and supporters are involved in the sessions before lunch that allow their students to learn what kinds of courses they can and should take during their first semester. This gives parents and supporters plenty of time to discuss possible questions and options with their students. However, after lunch, we do not allow parents and supporters to join their students during their one-on-one advising appointments during orientation. This ensures that all students have the opportunity to engage directly with their academic advisor and make decisions independently, allowing for a more personalized and focused advising experience. It also helps maintain the integrity of the advising process by fostering students' ownership of their academic journey.
When are the Parent and Supporter sessions offered in Spanish?
Below are the orientation sessions when Parent & Supporters information sessions in Spanish will be offered. No additional registration is required.
- Tuesday, May 27 (1-day schedule)
- Monday, June 9 (1-day schedule)
- Friday, June 20 (2-day schedule)
- Monday, June 23 (1-day schedule)
- Friday, June 27 (2-day schedule)
- Monday, August 4 (1-day schedule)
When should I plan to be done for the day at orientation?
Please plan for your college meeting and advising session to take the entire day and wrap up around 4pm for a two-day session and 5pm for a one-day session.
What if I am not eligible to start in Calculus I or higher?
Regardless of whether you test into a higher math class or choose to stay in College Algebra or Precalculus, we’re here to support you throughout the process and help you navigate your math progression in engineering. Our goal is to ensure you understand the importance of math in your future success and help you make the best choice for your academic path.
There are a handful of options to consider, which an advisor will discuss with you during your orientation session. Calculus I is the first math course that counts towards our engineering and data science degrees. Students who are eligible to begin in College Algebra need to take two math courses before reaching Calculus I (College Algebra and Precalculus/Trigonometry), which can delay taking some science and major-specific courses by at least a year, potentially extending your time to graduation to five years.
Students who are eligible to start in Precalculus need to take one math course before reaching Calculus I (Precalculus/Trigonometry), but we’ve found that students who start in at least Precalculus or a higher-level math course tend to have a better chance of continuing in engineering.
If you haven't yet met the criteria for starting in Calculus I, we strongly encourage you to take the ALEKS Math Placement Test prior to your orientation session to try to test into Precalculus or Calculus I. It’s best to start preparing for the test sooner rather than later, so you have enough time to study and utilize the learning modules included.
Alternatively, you can take College Algebra or Precalculus/Trigonometry this summer at the University of Arkansas or another institution to help you get ready.
When do I need to decide on my major?
If students are interested in engineering or data science, you are in the right place and you do not need to make any specific decisions right away. All students are initially declared as Engineering First-Year students or Data Science First-Year students. This gives students time to explore different disciplines before officially declaring a major or concentration. Students will announce their engineering discipline or data science concentration during a special celebration in March, and moved to their specific discipline or concentration later in their coursework.
We encourage students to explore the various engineering disciplines and data science concentrations throughout the year to help guide their decision. You’ll learn more in your introduction courses during your first-year but you can learn more about each engineering discipline on our website here and each data science concentration on our website here. These can provide valuable insights as you start thinking about the fields that interests you most.
If you are not quite sure about engineering or data science, that’s ok! We’d still love for you to join us at orientation to learn more about our programs before you make any decisions. We have a page dedicated to help you explore careers and different major options, including a My Majors assessment you can take with your UARK login credentials to receive a list of your best-fit majors at the University of Arkansas.
Any other questions?
If you have any questions about what your overall New Student Orientations session will be like, scheduling, fees, or changing your major prior to your orientation session, please see our New Student Orientation FAQs.