Pre-Baccalaureate Studies in Engineering
Forge your path to engineering excellence with Pre-Baccalaureate Studies in Engineering. Build your foundation.
Overview for Pre-Baccalaureate Studies in Engineering
The pre-baccalaureate studies program is available to students who are accepted by RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and are close to, but not fully ready for, direct entry into a baccalaureate-level program through one of the other colleges of RIT. It is a bridge program for qualified students, based on academic transcripts, scores on admissions tests, and other evidence that supports a reasonable expectation of success in baccalaureate course work. Qualified students who are undecided as to a program of study may choose the career exploration studies program.
Enrollment in the pre-baccalaureate studies program is appropriate for students who need to further develop mathematics, English, or discipline-related skills. The academic program is flexible and individualized and allows students to focus on needed skills while concurrently progressing toward their chosen field of study. Students may take courses taught by NTID faculty, as well as entry-level courses taught in other RIT colleges. While in the program, students receive academic advising as well as career counseling.
Students cannot receive a degree in pre-baccalaureate studies. Rather, they will apply for admission into a baccalaureate program as soon as they are academically ready and the college offering their chosen baccalaureate program reviews their application for admission. After completing an entire academic year in the program, a student must transfer to a degree-granting program in NTID or one of the other colleges of RIT.
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Apply for Fall 2025
First-year students can apply for Early Decision II by Jan. 1 to get an admissions and financial aid assessment by mid-January.
Curriculum for 2024-2025 for Pre-Baccalaureate Studies in Engineering
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Pre-baccalaureate Studies, Engineering Option, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| NCAR-010 | Freshman Seminar The course provides incoming deaf and hard-of-hearing students admitted to NTID undergraduate programs with opportunities to develop/enhance academic skills, personal awareness, and community involvement in order to maximize their college experience. Students will have opportunities to explore and navigate the college environment, develop/reinforce academic skills, and participate in experiential learning opportunities while establishing meaningful connections with faculty, staff and peers. The course promotes the development of plans for ongoing growth and involvement in class and in the RIT/NTID and/or broader community. (NTID Supported Students.) Lec/Lab 2 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
| PHYS-211 | University Physics I This is a course in calculus-based physics for science and engineering majors. Topics include kinematics, planar motion, Newton's Laws, gravitation, work and energy, momentum and impulse, conservation laws, systems of particles, rotational motion, static equilibrium, mechanical oscillations and waves, and data presentation/analysis. The course is taught in a workshop format that integrates the material traditionally found in separate lecture and laboratory courses. (Prerequisites: C- or better in MATH-181 or equivalent course. Co-requisites: MATH-182 or equivalent course.) Lec/Lab 6 (Fall, Spring). |
4 |
| PHYS-212 | University Physics II This course is a continuation of PHYS-211, University Physics I. Topics include electrostatics, Gauss' law, electric field and potential, capacitance, resistance, DC circuits, magnetic field, Ampere's law, inductance, and geometrical and physical optics. The course is taught in a lecture/workshop format that integrates the material traditionally found in separate lecture and laboratory courses. (Prerequisites: (PHYS-211 or PHYS-211A or PHYS-206 or PHYS-216) or (MECE-102, MECE-103 and MECE-205) and (MATH-182 or MATH-172 or MATH-182A) or equivalent courses. Grades of C- or better are required in all prerequisite courses.) Lec/Lab 6 (Fall, Spring). |
4 |
| MATH-181 | Calculus I‡ This is the first in a two-course sequence intended for students majoring in mathematics, science, or engineering. It emphasizes the understanding of concepts, and using them to solve physical problems. The course covers functions, limits, continuity, the derivative, rules of differentiation, applications of the derivative, Riemann sums, definite integrals, and indefinite integrals. (Prerequisites: MATH-111 or (NMTH-220 and NMTH-260 or NMTH-272 or NMTH-275) or equivalent courses with a minimum grade of B-, or a score of at least 60% on the RIT Mathematics Placement Exam.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring). |
4 |
| MATH-182 | Calculus II‡ This is the second in a two-course sequence. It emphasizes the understanding of concepts, and using them to solve physical problems. The course covers techniques of integration including integration by parts, partial fractions, improper integrals, applications of integration, representing functions by infinite series, convergence and divergence of series, parametric curves, and polar coordinates. (Prerequisites: C- or better in MATH-181 or MATH-181A or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring). |
4 |
General Education Courses |
6 | |
Pre-baccalaureate Courses† |
0-3 | |
Major Courses |
6 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 31-34 |
|
Please see the General Education Curriculum (GE) in the Graduation Requirements section of this bulletin for more information.
† Pre-baccalaureate courses strengthen students’ skills in critical thinking, learning strategies, and specific discipline areas.
‡ Alternative mathematics courses may be required as prerequisites, depending on placement. If pursuing the physics option, students must choose the physics sequence.
Pre-baccalaureate Studies, Engineering Technology Option, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| NCAR-010 | Freshman Seminar The course provides incoming deaf and hard-of-hearing students admitted to NTID undergraduate programs with opportunities to develop/enhance academic skills, personal awareness, and community involvement in order to maximize their college experience. Students will have opportunities to explore and navigate the college environment, develop/reinforce academic skills, and participate in experiential learning opportunities while establishing meaningful connections with faculty, staff and peers. The course promotes the development of plans for ongoing growth and involvement in class and in the RIT/NTID and/or broader community. (NTID Supported Students.) Lec/Lab 2 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
| PHYS-111 | College Physics I This is an introductory course in algebra-based physics focusing on mechanics and waves. Topics include kinematics, planar motion, Newton’s laws, gravitation; rotational kinematics and dynamics; work and energy; momentum and impulse; conservation laws; simple harmonic motion; waves; data presentation/analysis and error propagation. The course is taught using both traditional lectures and a workshop format that integrates material traditionally found in separate lecture, recitation, and laboratory settings. Attendance at the scheduled evening sessions of this class is required for exams. There will be 2 or 3 of these evening exams during the semester. Competency in algebra, geometry and trigonometry is required. Lab 4, Lecture 2 (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
4 |
| MATH-111 | Precalculus This course provides the background for an introductory level, trigonometry-based calculus course. Topics include functions and their graphs, with an emphasis on functions that commonly appear in calculus including polynomials, rational functions, trigonometric functions, exponential functions, and logarithmic functions. The course also includes the analytic geometry of conic sections. One hour each week will be devoted to a collaborative learning workshop. (Prerequisites: Students may not take and receive credit for MATH-101 and MATH-111. See the Math department with any questions.) Lecture 3, Recitation 1 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| MATH-171 | Calculus A‡ This is the first course in a three-course sequence (COS-MATH-171, -172, -173). This course includes a study of precalculus, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions, continuity, and differentiability. Limits of functions are used to study continuity and differentiability. The study of the derivative includes the definition, basic rules, and implicit differentiation. Applications of the derivative include optimization and related-rates problems. (Prerequisites: Completion of the math placement exam or C- or better in MATH-111 or C- or better in ((NMTH-260 or NMTH-272 or NMTH-275) and NMTH-220) or equivalent course.) Lecture 5 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| MATH-172 | Calculus B‡ This is the second course in three-course sequence (COS-MATH-171, -172, -173). The course includes Riemann sums, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, techniques of integration, and applications of the definite integral. The techniques of integration include substitution and integration by parts. The applications of the definite integral include areas between curves, and the calculation of volume. (Prerequisites: C- or better in MATH-171 or 1016-171T or 1016-281 or 1016-231 or equivalent course.) Lecture 5 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
General Education - Elective |
3 | |
Pre-baccalaureate Courses† |
0-3 | |
Undeclared Engineering Technology Seminar |
1 | |
Major Courses |
6 | |
General Education Courses |
6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 29-32 |
|
Please see the General Education Curriculum (GE) in the Graduation Requirements section of this bulletin for more information.
† Pre-baccalaureate courses strengthen students’ skills in critical thinking, learning strategies, and specific discipline areas.
‡ Alternative mathematics courses may be required as prerequisites, depending on placement. If pursuing the physics option, students must choose the physics sequence.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Specific English, Mathematics and Science Requirements and other Recommendations
Students entering pre-baccalaureate studies in engineering will typically be required to have:
- English: Placement into a First Year Writing course, such as FYW: Writing Seminar (UWRT-150), or Critical Reading and Writing (UWRT-100).
- Mathematics: Placement into NTID’s Advanced Math (NMTH-275) course or higher, such as Pre-calculus (MATH-111).
- Science: Readiness after a single NTID science course, Concepts of College Physics (NSCI-270), for entry into RIT's College of Science Physics I (PHYS-111) course.
- ACT (optional): The ACT middle 50% composite score is 18-21 (20 Math, 18 Reading).
Financial Aid and Scholarships
100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.
RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
Contact
- Karen Beiter
- Interim Department Chair
- Department of Engineering Studies
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf
- 585‑286‑4546
- kjbndp@rit.edu
Department of Engineering Studies