Gateway Lab Course       First-year students are introduced to basic engineering design processes and complementary professional skills required for advancement in their engineering and applied science education and career. Students learn how to apply computer technologies such as advanced three-dimensional graphs and web applications in the service of design, using the state-of-the-art multimedia, interactive facility, the Botwinick Gateway Laboratory. Aligned with the technical components of design, students develop collaboration, communication, problem solving, and project management skills. This course is the epicenter of the engineering student’s early experience at SEAS. All first-years take this course, either in the first or second semester. The course faculty works with students, both individually and in teams, to assess and develop the fundamental knowledge and skills required for future academic and professional success. Based on a student’s knowledge, skills, and interests, the faculty, in conjunction with the advising team, works to identify the best path to meet each student’s academic and professional goals. Several developmental activities are embedded in the Gateway Lab course curriculum to help students select discipline-specific professional courses, acquaint them with exciting research opportunities, and capitalize on SEAS’s multi-source advising and career services. For more information, about the course and related materials visit the course website at gateway.seas.columbia.edu/e1102.

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