Education Planning Considerations for Engineering
Please use this guide in developing your educational plan and be sure to meet with a counselor to further discuss your plans or if you have any questions.
1) Explore and confirm your career decision.
2) Planning begins with evaluating your mathematics level.
3) Smooth transfer requires careful planning.
4) Carefully plan out your credit load and course selection.
(All links below will open a new window.)
Century College Engineering Program Homepage
1) Explore and confirm your career decision:
Engineering can be a challenging and rewarding career if it is the right fit for you. The education needed to pursue this career needs to be carefully planned since it involves many courses that build upon previous coursework. It is important that you have evaluated your interests, skills, values, and other personal qualities, as well as details about the career options in the field, to confirm that this is the career path for you. If you have not done this work already, we recommend that you review these areas through the GPS CareerPlan to confirm that engineering is a good fit for you.
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2) Planning begins with evaluating your mathematics level:
Have you taken the Century College mathematics assessment test within the last three years?
- If no: You will need to take a mathematics assessment test at Century College or any other college that uses the Accuplacer computerized test. This test will place you in a mathematics class that matches your level of proficiency. You may want to review some practice tests to better prepare yourself for taking the test. To find out more about how to do this, click here. It is important that you take this test seriously since it will determine the level of mathematics that you will begin, which will impact the amount of time that it will take you to complete a degree in engineering. You are allowed to take it a second time if you feel that your test score does not reflect your level of skill.
If you have transfer credit in a college-level math class, you will need to have the transfer office make an official evaluation of the course to determine the equivalent at Century College. A list of many course equivalents can also be viewed at Minnesota CAS. The mathematics assessment test is still required if you are planning on taking a mathematics class at Century College for advising purposes. - If yes: What is the mathematics class that you were placed into? If you think the test has placed you too low – you can take the test again – review your math before taking the test a second time. In order to see the series of where you are in the sequence for math for engineering, view the engineering flowchart (keep in mind that you need to test into calculus on the placement test or complete the approriate course work as listed on the mathematics flow chart).
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3) Smooth transfer requires careful planning:
Since Engineering is a career that requires a Bachelor degree, you can begin your coursework at Century College and then transfer to a 4-year University. Generally speaking (if you are attending college full-time), you will take 2-3 years of coursework at Century College and complete the final 2 years at the college or university of your choice. If you need to complete coursework in mathematics below Calculus, it may take you longer than 2 years to complete the courses at Century before you transfer.
- Consider taking the Introduction to Engineering class: If you are unsure of which specific area of engineering you want to pursue or if you are in your first year of college, you may want to take ENGR 1020: Introduction to Engineering to get a better understanding of the field.
- Review your options for transfer: The Century College Engineering Faculty and counselors have worked with regional colleges and universities to develop transfer guides that will help you plan for a smooth transfer. Which pathways are you considering:
| University Name | Websites | Transfer Guides |
| University of Minnesota, Twin Cities |
U of M-TC Home |
Liberal Education Requirements Institute of Technology (Pre-Engineering Requirements) |
| University of Minnesota, Duluth |
Liberal Education Requirements | |
| Minnesota State University, Mankato |
MSU, Mankato Home College of Science, Engineering and Technology |
General Education Requirements Pre-Engineering Requirements |
| St. Cloud State University | SCSU Home College of Science and Engineering |
|
| St. Thomas University |
General Education Requirements Pre-Engineering Requirements | |
| Winona State University | WSU Home College of Science and Engineering |
|
| Out of State or Other Schools | Links to Transfer Resources | Discuss your plan with a counselor |
There are Articulation Agreements with some of these schools to further enhance your transfer process. To see the Century College Engineering Articulation Agreements, click here.
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4) Credit load and course selection:
The foundation of your course selection each semester begins with your mathematics and science classes. It is important that you start there and build other requirements around these courses. In order to make an effective education plan, keep the following information in mind:
- Engineering, Mathematics and Physics Classes Sequence: Most engineering classes have prerequisites of mathematics and physics. It is vitally important that you understand the sequence of these classes while developing your education plan by reviewing the engineering flowchart starting from calculus (keep in mind that you need to test into calculus on the placement test or complete the approriate course work as listed on the mathematics flow chart).
- General Education Requirements: In addition to the pre-engineering classes, most universities require general eduation classes in order to earn a degree. There are several approaches to completing these requirements:
- Complete the Minnesota Transfer Curricumlum (MnTC): This package of general education courses will fulfill your general education requirements to any public institution in the state of Minnesota. The MnTC is also the general education of the Associate in Arts (AA) and the requirements are listed in the first part of the AA Program Guide.
- Follow the transfer guides for the universities that you are considering. Some Universities such as St. Thomas University, have very specific general education requirements and will not waive them even with the MnTC. For colleges or universities that are not listed above, we suggest that you review the transfer information on our website.
- Work with a transfer specialist at the university you are planning to transfer to, in conjunction with a Century College counselor. This is especially needed if we do not have a transfer guide for that particular school.
- Complete the Minnesota Transfer Curricumlum (MnTC): This package of general education courses will fulfill your general education requirements to any public institution in the state of Minnesota. The MnTC is also the general education of the Associate in Arts (AA) and the requirements are listed in the first part of the AA Program Guide.
- Long Term Plan Handout: Since there are many sequence courses you need to keep track of, we suggest that you plot your courses for all of the semesters that you will be attending Century College. Some classes such Phys 1081 are only offered during fall semester and some are only offered during spring semester. This is usually indicated in the college catalog. Century College counselors can assist you in developing this long term plan or review the one you create. You can print the handout in a PDF format or you can download a word format so you can add information and save it.
- Completing an Associate Degree: Completing an assoicate degree is not required in order to transfer but it is an option that you may choose for a number of reasons. Some students choose to complete an associate degree in order to increase the competiveness in applying for internship or co-op positions. Students may also decide that by the time the pre-engineering courses are completed, they are very close to earning an assoicate degree and so they decide to do so. You must keep in mind that earning either an Associate in Science in Engineering or Associate in Arts Degree does not ensure smooth transfer - it is vital that you keep in mind all of the transfer requirements listed above. To see an overview comparing courses needed for an AS in Enginering versus an AA and the Liberal Education Requirements of the University of Minnesota, click here.
- Credit Load and Registration Considerations: Since many of the course requirements for the engineering major are 5 credits and require a considerable amount of homework, it is wise to plan accordingly so that you are not overwhelmed. While developing your schedule each semester, please review the following links for more guidance:
- How your credit impacts you
- When you can register
- Long-term Plan (word format)
- Sample Program Plans (if you are at Pre-calculus or higher)
- Registration Schedule Worksheet