Being a student at Michigan Tech opens many doors for you. There are countless opportunities to enhance your degree and apply the skills you have learned. Check out this listing of some of the ways that you can enrich your educational experience.
All students are required to complete the University's general education curriculum in addition to the course work required for their majors. During your first two years you will take four core courses: Perspectives on Inquiry, World Cultures, Revisions, and Institutions.
Your general education experience will begin with Perspectives on Inquiry. You will learn how knowledge from a wide variety of perspectives can contribute to a better understanding of the way we think, read, write, and speak. A few examples of the various course sections include: Africa in the Popular Imagination, Hockey History and Culture, Great Voices in Religion, and Wolves and Humans. A list of Perspectives on Inquiry sections will be provided during Orientation, and also will be posted on the Perspectives on Inquiry website.
During Orientation, you will register for a Perspectives on Inquiry course based on your personal preference and course availability.
The General Education core courses chart can be found here.
Michigan Tech offers a variety of minors to broaden your academic study. A typical minor consists of 16-20 credits. For more information about minors or other degree options, consult the Undergraduate Catalog.
Guidelines for chemistry include math course placement as well as performance in high school. Consider your grade in your last semester of high school chemistry and algebra when uysing the guidelines. Where there is any question about your math preparation, you are encouraged to complete a math course(either MA0099 or MA1032) and Preparatory Chemistry (CH1000).
All students whose curriculum requires them to take Chemistry should follow the placement guidelines on this page.
Contact Lois Blau at 906.487.2297 or at lablau@mtu.edu with questions.
Computer Science Placement Test - This test is for all incoming Computer Science Majors with any programming experience. If you perform well on this test, you will be advised to take Computer Science I (CS1131), which is an accelerated introduction to Computer Science.
This test is offered during Orientation, but you are encouraged to take this test over the summer. It can be found online here.
Contact the Computer Science Department at 906.487.2209 or at cs-quest@mtu.edu with questions.
Spatial Visualization Test - All engineering majors will take this test during Orientation. This test measures your ability to visualize a 3-D object from different perspectives. If you have difficulties with this test, it is recommended that you enroll in Intro to Spatial Visualization (ENG1002), which is an introduction to spatial visualization, a skill that has been proven to enhance engineering student success.
Contact Brett Hamlin at 906.487.3057 or at engfun@mtu.edu with questions.
Initial math course placement is made using the guidelines given in The Tech Guide booklet. If you wish to challenge your placement, you may want to take the Math Diagnostic Test offered in the spring (information will be sent to you). Students who were accepted after May 1, 2008 or do not have an ACT or SAT scores are required to take this test which includes algrebra and trigonometry. Calculators are NOT permitted during this exam. A Sample Math Diagnostic Test can be found online. For more information on math placement or the first-year math program, visit www.math.mtu.edu (first-year students link).
Contact Ann Humes at 906.487.3126 or at amhumes@mtu.edu with any math placement questions.
Modern Language Placement Test - If you plan to continue your modern language studies, you should take the French, German, or Spanish placement test that is available to incoming students either online or during Orientation. Michigan tech offeres a Minor and an International Minor in Modern Languages. Certificates and Advanced Certificates in Modern Language and Area Study in French, German, and Spanish are also awarded.
The Modern Language Plaement Test is used as a guide to place you at the appropriate level of study. If the test scores indicate you should be placed in the second or thurd year of a language program, you can receive six credits for the first year upon satisfactory completion (grade C or better) of a second-year course, or twelve credits (for first and second year) upon satisfactory completion of a third-year course. The Modern Language Placement Test, therefore, can save you time and effort in completing your Minor or earning your Certificate.
In addition, students may take two semesters of a modern language and the World Cultures Activities course (UN1003) to fulfill the World Cultures general education requirement. Students with previous language experience who wish to fulfill the requirement in this way must take the Modern Language Placement test either (1) online, (2) during Orientation, or, at the latest, (3) in early December of their first year.
To take the Modern Language Placement Test, you must pre-register via mail. Please fill out the registration form on page 41 of The Tech Guide or printed from here and mail it in along with your payment by Monday, August 7.
For questions, contact Diane Shoos, Placement Test Coordinator, at 906.487.3247 or at dshoos@mtu.edu.
The first-year engineering program is designed to provide an overview of the engineering profession. In addition to providing students with engineering fundamentals, this program groups students together in cohorts. Each cohort exists of 20-24 students who will all be enrolled in the same calculus, physics, and engineering courses. Engineering students who are enrolled in or have received credit for calculus will be placed in a cohort together.
Students enrolled in Data, Function, Graphs Plus and Engineering and Science Application in Precalculus will be scheduled in common classes. This common schedule provides the same benefits as a cohort. If you aren't enrolled in both of these courses, you will be placed in a cohort when you are ready to take Calculus I.
Engineering students will be automatically scheduled for their core courses based on math ACT, Advanced Placement Test scores, or the online Math Placement Test. Any additional courses will be scheduled during Orientation.
If you have questions about the first-year engineering program or scheduling, pelase contact Tina Sarazin at 906.487.3057 or at engfun@mtu.edu.
Wondering what you can do to help your success at Michigan Tech? What are the major differences between high school and college? Here are some Tips for Success at Michigan Tech!
Do you know who your academic advisor is? During your Michigan Tech career, your advisor will be an invaluable resource for academic and scheduling support. For information on how to contact your academic advisor, visit our Academic Advisors page.
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