The First Year/Sophomore Program
Students entering Columbia Engineering are encouraged to consider the wide range of possibilities open to them, both academically and professionally. To this end, the first and second years of the four-year undergraduate program comprise approximately half the total number of credits required for the degree that expose students to a cross-fertilization of ideas from different disciplines within the University. The sequence of study proceeds from an engagement with engineering and scientific fundamentals, along with humanities and social sciences, toward an increasingly focused training in the third and fourth years designed to give students mastery of certain principles and arts central to engineering and applied science.
Liberal Arts Core for Columbia Engineering Students
27-Point Nontechnical Requirement
This requirement provides a broad liberal arts component that enhances the Engineering professional curriculum to help students meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Our students are destined to be leaders in their professions and will require sophisticated communication, planning, and management skills. The Committee on Instruction established the School’s nontechnical requirement so that students would learn perspectives and principles of the humanities and social sciences as part of a well-rounded and multiperspective education. Through discussion, debate, and writing, students improve their abilities to engage in ethical, analytic, discursive, and imaginative thinking that will prove indispensable later in life.
- Engineering students must take 16 to 18 points of credit of required courses in list A and 9 to 11 elective points chosen from the approved courses in list B. The total combined number of nontechnical points (from lists A and B, below) must add up to at least 27. Neither list can be modified by advising deans or faculty advisers.
- Advanced Placement (AP) credit in appropriate subject areas can be applied toward the 9-point elective nontechnical requirement and for Principles of Economics.
A. Required Nontechnical Courses
(16–18 points of credit)
These courses must be taken at Columbia.
- ENGL CC1010 UNIVERSITY WRITING
- One of the following two-semester sequences: HUMA CC1001 EURPN LIT-PHILOS MASTERPIECS I-HUMA CC1002 EURPN LIT-PHILOS MASTRPIECS II: Masterpieces of Western literature and philosophy or COCI CC1101 CONTEMP WESTERN CIVILIZATION I-COCI CC1102 CONTEMP WESTRN CIVILIZATION II: Any two courses from approved list (6–8 points). If electing Global Core, students must take two courses from the List of Approved Courses for a letter grade.Visit bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/core-curriculum/global-core-requirement for more information.
- One of the following two courses:
HUMA UN1121 MASTERPIECES OF WESTERN ART or HUMA UN1123 MASTERPIECES OF WESTERN MUSIC - ECON UN1105 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS (This course can be satisfied through Advanced Placement; see the Advanced Placement chart.) Note: Engineering students may not take any Barnard class as a substitute for ECON UN1105 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS. (4 points)
B. Elective Nontechnical Courses
(9–11 points of credit)
The following course listing by department specifies the Columbia College, Barnard, or Columbia Engineering courses that either fulfill or do not fulfill the nontechnical requirement.
(Professional, workshop, lab, project, scientific, studio, music instruction, and master’s-level professional courses do not satisfy the 27-point nontechnical requirement.)
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| African-American Studies: All courses | ||
| American Studies: All courses | ||
| Ancient Studies: All courses | ||
| Anthropology: All courses in sociocultural anthropology | ||
All courses in archaeology except fieldwork | ||
No courses in biological/physical anthropology 1 | ||
| Architecture: No Courses | ||
| Art History and Archeology: All courses | ||
| Asian American Studies: All courses | ||
| Astronomy: No courses | ||
| Biological Sciences: No courses | ||
| Business: No courses | ||
| Chemistry: No courses | ||
| Classics: All courses | ||
| Colloquia: All courses | ||
| Comparative Ethnic Studies: All courses | ||
| Comparative Literature and Society: All courses | ||
| Computer Science: No courses | ||
| Creative Writing: All courses (This is an exception to the workshop rule.) | ||
| Dance: All courses except performance classes | ||
| Drama and Theatre Arts: All courses except workshops, rehearsal, or performance classes | ||
| Earth and Environmental Sciences: No courses | ||
| East Asian Languages and Culture: All courses | ||
| Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology: No courses except | ||
| HUM NATURE:DNA,RACE ＆ IDENTITY | ||
| RACE:TANGLED HIST-BIOL CONCEPT | ||
| Economics: All courses except: | ||
| FINANCIAL ECONOMICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS | ||
| Applied Econometrics | ||
| ECON OF UNCERTAINTY ＆ INFORMTN | ||
| ADVANCED MICROECONOMICS | ||
| ADVANCED MACROECONOMICS | ||
| INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION | ||
| MARKET DESIGN | ||
| CORPORATE FINANCE | ||
| ECONOMIC GROWTH ＆ DEVELOPMNT I | ||
| ADVANCED ECONOMETRICS | ||
| Econometrics of Time Series and Forecasting | ||
| GAME THEORY | ||
| INTERNATIONAL MACROECONOMICS | ||
| Transition Reforms, Globalization and Financial Crisis | ||
| MICROECONOMICS SEMINAR | ||
| MACROECONOMICS SEMINAR | ||
| SEMINAR IN ECONOMETRICS | ||
| INTRO TO ECONOMIC REASONING 2 | ||
| MATH METHODS FOR ECONOMICS | ||
| STATISTICS FOR ECONOMICS | ||
| Entrepreneurship | ||
| ECONOMETRICS | ||
| INTERMEDTE MACROECONOMC THEORY | ||
| INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMICS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL MONEY ＆ FINANCE | ||
| Education: All courses | ||
| Engineering: Only | ||
BMEN E4010 | ||
| PROTECTN OF INDUST/INTELL PROP | ||
EEHS E3900 | ||
| English and Comparative Literature: All courses | ||
| Film Studies: All courses except lab courses, and | ||
| SENIOR SEM IN SCREENWRITING | ||
| Script Analysis | ||
| French and Romance Philology: All courses | ||
| Germanic Languages: All courses | ||
| Greek: All courses | ||
| History: All courses | ||
| History and Philosophy of Science: All courses | ||
| Human Rights: All courses | ||
| Italian: All courses | ||
| Jazz Studies: All course | ||
| Latin: All courses | ||
| Latino Studies: All courses | ||
| Linguistics: All courses except | ||
CLLN GU4202 | ||
| Mathematics: No courses | ||
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies: All courses | ||
| Middle Eastern and Asian Language and Cultures: All courses | ||
| Music: All courses except performance courses, instrument instruction courses, and workshops | ||
| Philosophy: All courses except | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC | ||
| SYMBOLIC LOGIC | ||
| Non-Classical Logics | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY | ||
| MODAL LOGIC | ||
| MATH LOGIC:COMPLETENESS RESULT | ||
| Math Logic II: Incompletness | ||
| LATTICES AND BOOLEAN ALGEBRA | ||
Courses in logic | ||
| Physical Education: No courses | ||
| Physics: No courses | ||
| Political Science: All courses except | ||
| LOGIC OF COLLECTIVE CHOICE | ||
| RESEARCH DESIGN: DATA ANALYSIS | ||
| RESEARCH DESIGN: SCOPE AND METHODS | ||
| GAME THEORY ＆ POLIT THEORY | ||
| RESEARCH TOPICS IN GAME THEORY | ||
| Advanced Topics in Quantitative Research-Discussion | ||
| Quantitative Methods: Research Topics | ||
| MATH ＆ STATS FOR POLI SCI | ||
POLS GU4765 | ||
| Experimental Research: Design, Analysis and Interpretation | ||
| PRINC OF QUANT POL RESEARCH 1 | ||
| PRINC OF QUANT POL RESEARCH 1-DISC | ||
| PRINC OF QUANT POL RESEARCH 2 | ||
| Psychology: Only | ||
| THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
All courses on perception, attention, and cognition topics numbered 2200s, 3200s, or 4200s can be taken as nontech electives except for PSYC UN2235 and PSYC UN4289 | ||
All courses on social, personality, and abnormal numbered 2600s, 3600s, or 4600s can be taken as nontech electives | ||
| Religion: All courses | ||
| Slavic Languages: All courses | ||
| Sociology: All courses except | ||
| Social Statistics | ||
| Spanish and Portuguese: All courses | ||
| Speech: No courses | ||
| Statistics: No courses | ||
| Sustainable Development: No courses | ||
| Urban Studies: All courses | ||
| Visual Arts: No more than one course, which must be at the 3000-level or higher (This is an exception to the workshop rule.) | ||
| Women and Gender Studies: All courses | ||
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UN1010, UN1011, UN3204, UN3940, GU4147-GU4148, GU4200, GU4700
- 2
Equivalent to ECON UN1105 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
Music Instruction Courses
Music instruction and performance courses do not count toward the 128 points of credit required for a B.S. degree. Please note that this includes courses taken at Teachers College, Columbia College, and the School of the Arts.
Visual Arts Courses
Students are allowed to take courses in the Visual Arts Department for general credit to be applied toward the B.S. degree. However, no more than one visual arts course, which must be taken at the 3000-level or higher, may count toward the nontechnical elective requirement. This 3000-level course is an exception to the rule that no workshop classes can fulfill the nontech elective requirement.
Technical Course Requirements
The prescribed First-Year/Sophomore Program curriculum requires students to complete a program of technical coursework introducing them to five major areas of technical inquiry: engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science.
All first-year Engineering undergraduate students take ENGI E1102 THE ART OF ENGINEERING (4 points). In this course, students see how their high school science and math knowledge can be applied in an engineering context to solve real-world problems through classroom presentations and participation in an in-depth, hands-on project. Along the way, guest lecturers discuss social implications of technology, entrepreneurship, project management, and other important nontechnical issues affecting the practicing engineer.
While students need not officially commit to a particular branch of engineering until the third semester, most programs recommend, and in some cases may require, that particular courses be taken earlier for maximum efficiency in program planning. For information concerning these requirements, students should turn to the individual program sections in this bulletin.
Professional Development
Professional-Level Courses
The courses listed below may be taken by first- and second-year students. Some departments require one of these courses; please consult with departmental charts for more information.
Each course serves as an introduction to the area of study and is taught by department faculty. The courses are:
CHEN E2100 Material and Energy Balances. 3.00 points.
Lect: 2.5
Prerequisites: First-year chemistry and physics or equivalent.
Serves as an introduction to the chemical engineering profession. Students are exposed to concepts used in the analysis of chemical engineering problems. Rigorous analysis of material and energy balances on open and closed systems is emphasized. An introduction to important processes in the chemical and biochemical industries is provided
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Fall 2024: CHEN E2100
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| Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEN 2100 | 001/11098 | T Th 10:10am - 11:25am 503 Hamilton Hall |
Christopher Vic Chen | 3.00 | 25/30 |
CIEN E3000 THE ART OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN. 3.00 points.
Lect: 3.
Basic scientific and engineering principles used for the design of buildings, bridges, and other parts of the built infrastructure. Application of principles to analysis and design of actual large-scale structures. Coverage of the history of major structural design innovations and of the engineers who introduced them. Critical examination of the unique aesthetic/artistic perspectives inherent in structural design. Consideration of management, socioeconomic, and ethical issues involved in design and construction of large-scale structures. Introduction to recent developments in sustainable engineering, including green building design and adaptable structural systems
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Spring 2024: CIEN E3000
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| Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIEN 3000 | 001/12379 | M W 2:40pm - 3:55pm 313 Fayerweather |
George Deodatis | 3.00 | 54/78 |
EAEE E2100 A BETTER PLANET BY DESIGN. 3.00 points.
CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement
Lect: 3.
Introduction to design for a sustainable planet. Scientific understanding of the challenges. Innovative technologies for water, energy, food, materials provision. Multi-scale modeling and conceptual framework for understanding environmental, resource, human, ecological and economic impacts and design performance evaluation. Focus on the linkages between planetary, regional and urban water, energy, mineral, food, climate, economic and ecological cycles. Solution strategies for developed and developing country settings
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Fall 2024: EAEE E2100
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| Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAEE 2100 | 001/14994 | M W 2:40pm - 3:55pm 413 Kent Hall |
Adeyemi Adeleye | 3.00 | 60/70 |
ELEN E1201 INTRO-ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. 3.50 points.
Lect: 3. Lab:1.
Prerequisites: (MATH UN1101) MATH V1101.
Basic concepts of electrical engineering. Exploration of selected topics and their application. Electrical variables, circuit laws, nonlinear and linear elements, ideal and real sources, transducers, operational amplifiers in simple circuits, external behavior of diodes and transistors, first order RC and RL circuits. Digital representation of a signal, digital logic gates, flipflops. A lab is an integral part of the course. Required of electrical engineering and computer engineering majors
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Spring 2024: ELEN E1201
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| Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELEN 1201 | 001/13296 | M W 4:10pm - 5:25pm 301 Pupin Laboratories |
David Vallancourt | 3.50 | 103/120 |
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Fall 2024: ELEN E1201
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| Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
| ELEN 1201 | 001/11262 | T Th 4:10pm - 5:25pm 207 Mathematics Building |
David Vallancourt | 3.50 | 105/120 |
Physical Education
Two terms of physical education (PHED UN1001 PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES or PHED UN1002 PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES) are a degree requirement for Columbia Engineering students. No more than 4 points of physical education courses may be counted toward the degree. The physical education requirement can be fulfilled with Barnard dance studio/technique courses. A student who intends to participate in an intercollegiate sport should register for the appropriate section of PHED UN1005 INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS. Intercollegiate athletes who attend regularly receive 1 point of credit up to a maximum of 4. Student-athletes who leave the team in mid-term but still wish to receive academic credit must notify the Physical Education Office and be placed in another physical education activity to complete the attendance requirement. Students who are advised to follow a restricted or adapted activity program should contact the Director of Physical Education and Recreation. The physical education program offers a variety of activities in the areas of aquatics, fitness, martial arts, individual and dual sports, team sports, and outdoor education. Most activities are designed for the introductory/beginner levels. Intermediate/advanced courses are indicated on the schedule.
Advanced Placement Credit Chart
In order to receive AP credit, students must be in possession of appropriate transcripts or scores and send official score reports to Columbia. The CEEB code is 2116.
| Subject | AP Score | AP Credit | Requriements or Placement Status Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art History | 5 | 3 | No exemption from HUMA UN1121 |
| Biology | 5 | 3 | No exemption |
| Chemistry | 4 or 5 | 3 | Requires completion of CHEM UN1604 with grade of C or better |
| 4 or 5 | 6 | Requires completion of CHEM UN2045-CHEM UN2046 with grade of C or better | |
| Computer Science A | 4 or 5 | 3 | Exemption from COMS W1004 |
| Computer Principles | 4 or 5 | 3 | Exemption from COMS W1001 |
| Economics Micro & Macro | 5 and 4 | 4 | Exemption from ECON UN1105. Exams must be taken in both micro and macro, with a score of 5 in one and at least a 4 in the other. |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 3 | No exemption |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 3 | No Exemption |
| French Language | 4 or 5 | 3 | |
| French Literature | 4 or 5 | 3 | |
| German Language | 4 or 5 | 3 | |
| Government and Politics United States | 5 | 41 | Exemption from POLS UN1201. |
| Government and Politics Comparative | 5 | 41 | Exemption from POLS UN1501. |
| History European | 5 | 3 | |
| History United States | 5 | 3 | |
| Italian Language | 4 or 5 | 3 | |
| Latin Literature | 5 | 3 | |
| Mathematics Calculus AB2 | 4 or 5 | 3 | Requires completion of MATH UN1102 with a grade of C or better. Credit is reduced to 0 if MATH UN1101 is taken. |
| Mathematics Calculus BC2 | 4 | 3 | Requires completion of MATH UN1102 with a grade of C or better. Credit is reduced to 0 if MATH UN1101 is taken. |
| Mathematics Calculus BC2 | 5 | 6 | Requires completion of APMA E2000 with a grade of C or better. Credit is reduced to 0 if MATH UN1101 is taken, or to 3 if MATH UN1102 is taken. |
| Physics C-E&M | 4 or 5 | 3 | Maximum of six credits. Credit is reduced to 0 if PHYS UN1401 or 1601 is taken. Credit is reduced to 0 if PHYS UN2801 is taken and the final grade is C- or lower. |
| Physics C-MECH | 4 or 5 | 3 | Credit is reduced to 0 if PHYS UN1401 or 1601 is taken. Credit is reduced to 0 if PHYS UN2801 is taken and the final grade is C- or lower. |
| Physics 1 and 2 | 4 or 5 | 3 | No exemption. Both AP Physics 1 and 2 must be taken to receive credit. |
| Spanish Language | 4 or 5 | 3 | |
| Spanish Literature | 4 or 5 | 3 |
- 1
AP credits may be applied toward minor requirements depending on the specific rules of the minor. When the rules of the minor allow AP credit to fulfill a requirement, then only one course for a minor may be replaced by advanced placement credit.
- 2
Columbia Engineering students with a 4 or 5 on Calculus AB or a 4 on Calculus BC must begin with MATH UN1101 CALCULUS I or MATH UN1102 CALCULUS II. If a Columbia Engineering student with these scores goes directly into APMA E2000 MULTV. CALC. FOR ENGI ＆ APP SCI, they will have to go back and complete MATH UN1102 CALCULUS II. Students with A-level or IB calculus credit must start with MATH UN1102 CALCULUS II. They cannot self place into APMA E2000 MULTV. CALC. FOR ENGI ＆ APP SCI. If they start with MATH UN1101 CALCULUS I, they will not receive any advanced standing credit.
The majority of the activities are offered in ten time preferences. Additionally, there are early-morning conditioning activities, Friday-only classes at Baker Athletics Complex, and special courses that utilize off-campus facilities during weekends and vacation periods. The courses offered by the department for each term are included in the online Directory of Classes, and a description of the scheduled activities for each time preference is posted on perec.columbia.edu. Students may only register for one section of physical education each term.
Advanced Placement
Prior to entering Columbia, students may have taken Advanced Placement examinations through the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) in a number of technical and nontechnical areas. A maximum of 16 points may be applied. Students may be assigned to an advanced-level course in mathematics or physics based on their AP scores.
In the required pure science areas, the number of advanced placement academic credits awarded to students of engineering and applied science varies from the levels awarded for liberal arts programs, notably in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science. The benefit of advanced placement is acceleration through certain First-Year/Sophomore Program requirements and thus the opportunity of taking specialized courses earlier.
Each year the School reviews the CEEB advanced placement curriculum and makes determinations as to appropriate placements, credit, and/or exemption. Please see the Advanced Placement Credit Chart.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Entering students may be granted 6 points of credit for each score of 6 or 7 on IB Higher Level Examinations if taken in disciplines offered as undergraduate programs at Columbia. Students should consult their adviser at the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising for further clarification.
British Advanced Level Examinations
Students with grades of A*, A, or B on British Advanced Level examinations may be granted 6 points of credit if the examinations were taken in disciplines offered as undergraduate programs at Columbia University. The appropriate transcript should be submitted to the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising, 403 Lerner.
Other National Systems
Students whose secondary school work was in other national systems, such as the French Baccalauréat, may be granted credit in certain disciplines for sufficiently high scores. The appropriate transcript should be submitted to the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising, 403 Lerner.