The first- and second-year curriculum at The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is designed to provide students with a firm background of pure science as well as a comprehensive grounding in English and the humanities.
From a student's first day as a Columbia Engineering undergraduate, engineers work to master scientific fundamentals, problem-solving, and original thinking. To achieve the broad perspective necessary for a successful career, students begin by taking courses from different disciplines within the University that include Columbia's famed Core Curriculum in the humanities as well as professional courses in individual engineering disciplines. The sequence of study proceeds from a broad engagement with engineering sciences and scientific fundamentals, as well as with the humanities and social sciences, toward an increasingly focused training in the third and fourth years.