First-Year Engineering Transition Program

Overview of the First-Year Engineering Transition Program

The objective of the First-year Engineering Transition Program is to provide first-year engineering students with an opportunity before the start of second year to:

  • complete first-year courses for which they have not obtained credit,
  • upgrade their GPA (grade point average),
  • improve their academic standing, and
  • better prepare for subsequent years.

The Program involves a second offering of demanding first-year courses, according to the following schedule and subject to sufficient enrolment:

Winter semester

  • MATH 1010U Calculus I
  • PHY 1010U Physics I

Summer semester

  • MATH 1020U Calculus II
  • PHY 1020U Physics II
  • MATH 1800U Linear Algebra for Engineers
  • ENGR 1200U Introduction to Programming
  • CHEM 1800U Chemistry for Engineers
  • ENGR 3200U Engineering Graphics and Design

At the end of the fall semester, engineering students who have failed or are missing Calculus I (MATH 1010U) or Physics I (PHY 1010U) are encouraged to take the course(s) during the winter semester. Students on academic warning will have to repeat some courses as required. In the summer, Calculus II (MATH 1020U) and Physics II (PHY 1020U) are offered, along with the other above-noted first-year courses. Students who successfully complete the Transition Program courses will have their academic standing re-evaluated, taking into account all the grades received in Transition Program courses.

Why is the First-Year Engineering Transition Program Needed?

First-year engineering students may experience academic difficulties because of the demanding nature of many of the courses, and challenges in adapting to university life. UOIT's First-Year Engineering Transition Program can help engineering students succeed in the first year and, as a consequence, fair better in their remaining studies. The First-Year Engineering Transition Program also enables students to spread the demanding workload over a longer period, thereby providing more time to better understand the course material.

The Program can help first-year students overcome three of the main barriers to success:

  • Timing: Some fall-term courses (Calculus I and Physics I) are prerequisites for the winter-term courses Calculus II and Physics II. Students who fail either Calculus I or Physics I, or who have not taken either course, are not allowed to register in Calculus II and/or Physics II. These students typically would need to spend one more year to complete all the required first-year calculus and physics courses. Moreover, a significant number of second-year engineering program courses have first-year calculus and physics courses, as well as Linear Algebra, Chemistry and Introduction to Programming, as prerequisites. Consequently, students who fail or are missing these first-year courses would not be able to register in some second-year courses and would have to extend their studies by one or two years.
  • Academic Standing and Grade Point Average (GPA): First-year engineering students who receive a low GPA will have a hard time improving their cumulative GPA throughout their academic careers and can subsequently have problems with academic standing. The First-Year Engineering Transition Program provides students with an opportunity to increase their first-year GPA and possibly avoid future difficulties with academic standing.
  • Preparation for and Performance in Subsequent Years: The first-year courses normally lay the groundwork for studies in subsequent years. Therefore students who do not do well in first year often fair poorly in more advanced courses. By allowing engineering students to retake unsuccessful first-year courses, or by spreading their first-year courses over three terms (fall, winter and spring), the First-Year Engineering Transition Program provides students with a stronger foundation, vital to their future success.

Objective of the First-Year Engineering Transition Program

The objective of the First-Year Engineering Transition Program is to provide first-year engineering students with an opportunity, before the start of the second year, to complete their first year, to upgrade their GPA and academic standing, and to improve their preparation for studies in subsequent years. At the completion of the Transition Program, successful students will be able to move onto their respective second-year programs in pace with their classmates.

Structure of the First-Year Engineering Transition Program

The First-Year Engineering Transition Program involves having select demanding first-year courses offered a second time during the first year of the program according to the following schedule:

(I) Phase I of First-Year Engineering Transition Program: The following fall-term courses are offered in winter term:

  • Calculus I
  • Physics I

(II) Phase II of First-Year Engineering Transition Program: The following fall- and winter-term courses are offered in spring term:

  • Calculus II
  • Physics II
  • Linear Algebra for Engineers
  • Introduction to Programming
  • Chemistry for Engineers
  • Engineering Graphics and Design

At the end of the fall term, engineering students who have failed or are missing one or more of the Phase I Transition program courses (Calculus I and Physics I) are encouraged to take the failed or missing courses that are offered in Phase I of the Transition program. Students who receive a Letter of Warning will likely be required take or repeat these courses if they have not already passed them.

The Phase II Transition program courses represent (1) a repeat of the winter-term regular program courses that were not taken by students enrolled in Phase I, and (2) other first-year courses that student may need to take. Students who have failed and/or are missing these first-year courses have an immediate chance to complete them and to upgrade their GPA and academic standing through Phase II of the Transition program.

Due to the prerequisites of many second-year courses, engineering students who do not complete all of the required first-year courses will not be able to register in all required second-year courses. Students who drop courses or fail to obtain the required course credits will have to obtain acceptable credits in the failed or dropped first-year courses during the following academic year.

Evaluation of Academic Standing for Transition Program Students

Students who register and complete the Transition Program courses will have their academic standings re-evaluated at the completion of the Transition Program. This re-evaluation will include all the grades received in the Transition Program courses.

Operation of the First-Year Engineering Transition Program

Phase I of the Transition program runs parallel to the regular second semester engineering program. A select number of challenging first semester courses failed, missed or completed unsatisfactorily are repeated during the winter term.

Phase II of the transition program for an academic year will normally start early-May and run until the end of June or August (depending on the format of the course). A limited selection of missed, failed, or poorly completed first and second semester courses can be taken in phase II. Registration is to occur in early May. The final examinations in these courses will be scheduled around the first week of July or the end of August.

By the end of August, the academic standing of the students enrolled in Phase II of the Transition Program will be determined. Those students who successfully complete all the Transition Program courses are allowed to register in second-year engineering program courses that have the Transition program courses as prerequisites.

In some instances, Transition Program courses may run during the July – August time frame.

Space may be limited in the Transition Program courses. Therefore, students who are missing first-year courses will have priority consideration. Students wishing to upgrade their grades may enrol the last day of the registration period, given availability.

Transition Program courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrolment.

Fees for the First-Year Engineering Transition Program

Additional fees are not charged for Phase I Transition Program courses, provided the student takes no more than a full load in the winter term. Fees are charged for Phase II Transition Program courses, which are taken in the spring term. Payment of the Transition Program fees is the student's responsibility. Students should pay the full Transition Program fee by the date specified by the Registration Office. The tuition fees for the courses in Phase II of the Transition Program are available at the Registration Office.