Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering First-Year Experience

The Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering First-Year Experience program is designed to help first year students transition smoothly into college from high school.

The School of Engineering at Alfred University prides itself on providing the best engineering education in all of its major degree programs right from the start. Unlike most all other universities, Alfred University engineering programs immerse students into real engineering courses the first year, while encouraging personal accountability of students and emphasizing independence and time management skills as the key indicators to a successful college career in engineering.

Discover your kind of engineering.

Engineering is a diverse field with many disciplines and choosing the right field for you is stressful. Our first-year curriculum lets you explore what a career in engineering looks like and gives you a taste of six different engineering fields before you have to decide.

Engineering 101

This is a project-based course focused on a creating and building a prototype to solve a grand challenge in engineering. Each year is a new theme for students to think creatively as an engineer. The course introduces students to technical drawing, 3D models, engineering tools, and most importantly, how to work as a team – all of which are crucial to being a successful engineer.

Engineering 117

A lab-based course focused on helping you discover which field of engineering you want to pursue in addition to learning fundamental skills in engineering. Every two weeks, you will get hands-on experience and a taste of the six different engineering majors that Alfred University offers. This includes being in the glass and ceramics laboratories working with furnaces, to building trebuchets, to understanding key scientific concepts important for all fields of engineering.

Engineering 160

This once-a-week seminar course is to help students familiarize themselves with the resources available on campus as well as prepare them for the expectations of the engineering major. In addition, guests lectures from successful graduates will provide their advice and insights into their careers to help you understand what a future in engineering looks like.