Welcome to the First-Year Engineering CoRe Experience

The Cornerstone Engineering and Residential Experience (CoRe) at Michigan State University provides academic and professional resources, as well as co-curricular activities for first-year engineering students and is aimed at building the whole engineer. What makes MSU First-Year Engineering special is the emphasis on the Living Learning Community in South Neighborhood. Incoming first-year students who select an engineering major preference are automatically considered part of the CoRe Experience. To learn more about housing options for engineering students, refer to Frequently Asked Questions.  

CoRe seeks to demonstrate to students the importance of engineering and the positive impact that engineers make on society and the world around them. Along with community and corporate partners, we bring real-world expertise and challenges into the classroom and residential environment, reinforcing the relevance of studies in engineering to solving global challenges.

Our Mission:

• To provide early engineering students with unmatched learning opportunities within a supportive community that encourages academic, professional and personal achievement
• To foster life-enriching connections between students and their peers, faculty members, advisors, and corporate representatives
• To cultivate students' skills that encourage lifelong learning
• To demonstrate to the students the critical roles of engineers in contributing to society

Find out more about CoRe in the Annual Report:

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CoRe Courses

CoRe’s academic program is based on the principle that engagement in meaningful engineering experiences early in students’ undergraduate careers supports their success and persistence to graduation. Through our courses, EGR 100 Introduction to Engineering Design and EGR 102 Introduction to Engineering Modeling, we strive to engage students across the disciplines in projects that pique their interest and give them a window into the profession by introducing students to the team design process and analytical tools used to solve complex engineering problems. Throughout both courses, students generate solutions and deliver them through written reports and oral presentations, with significant guidance from graduate teaching assistants, undergraduate learning assistants and the academic staff. Our course projects are typically open-ended and completed by interdisciplinary teams, leading to creative, divergent solutions. We also collaborate with our corporate partners, local non-profit agencies and other MSU entities to provide client-oriented and service-learning opportunities to early engineering students.

EGR 102: Introduction to Engineering Modeling

Introduction to Engineering Modeling introduces students to engineering problem solving and numerical modeling. The course focuses on advanced applications of Excel® and structured programming in MATLAB®.

EGR 291:

This class will introduce students to key principles that will provide them with the tools that they need for their academic and leadership success. Students will be introduced to engineering academic disciplines, study skills, time management skills, along with college and campus resources. This class is for all incoming first-year engineering undergraduate students. In collaboration with CoRe, students will also connect with their peers and learn effective professional communication strategies. Students will investigate both engineering successes and failures throughout use of multimedia resources and field trips to relevant campus locations.

Tutoring  

First-year engineering students may take advantage of free tutoring offered at our center in C105 Wonders Hall. Our students find this service to be extremely beneficial to their academic success. CoRe tutors are undergraduate engineering students with excellent academic records.

Tutoring is offered Sunday through Thursday evenings, 6pm to 10pm, and typically begins the third week of the semester, running through the week before final exams. Students have the opportunity to attend regular tutoring sessions, as well as mid-term and final exam review sessions, in the following subjects:

CEM 141/151- General Chemistry

MTH 103- College Algebra (includes MTH 103A and MTH 103B)

MTH 114- Trigonometry

MTH 116- College Algebra and Trigonometry

MTH 132- Calculus I

MTH 133- Calculus II

MTH 234- Calculus III

MTH 235- Differential Equations

PHY 183- Physics I

PHY 184- Physics II

Early Engineering Advising

Perhaps the most valuable resource we provide to you is our academic advisors.  You should visit your advisor each semester to check your progress toward your degree and get valuable insight and information on your academic and life goals.  The College of Engineering  employs academic advising professionals with advanced degrees in counseling, education, university administration and related fields. Our academic advisors  are available to help you plan an academic program that meets your educational and professional goals and to provide you with information you need to make wise educational and personal decisions. Advisors can help you explore engineering majors and career options and direct you to important campus resources for assistance with test-taking, study skills, career planning and much more.

Professional Development

The CoRe Experience benefits from a strong connection to industry, giving students insight on engineering in the "real world". Building connections with our corporate partners helps CoRe students visualize the impact they can make in their careers. Our partners also support "theme floors" that teach students about 21st-century engineering practice, while providing collaborative spaces where students can work and play together.

Theme Partners

Co-ops and Careers

The Career Center: Experience Engineering Careers

Engineering students benefit from the many resources offered by The Center , the college's co-op and careers office. Students are prepared to network with engineering recruiters interested in hiring interns and co-ops, and are taught how to build professional resumes, prepare for career workshops and job fairs, and how to get the most out of experiential education opportunities. Review our Destination Report for information on graduate employment outcomes.

Community

CoRe works to create a sense of community for engineering students who live and learn together in South Neighborhood. It is important that students understand that these are not just classmates but also their friends. We want students to grow by experiencing the interesting, diverse, vibrant community of first-year engineers. The living-learning environment also facilitates social connections that broaden students’ Spartan experience.

CoRe offers designated housing for both first-year and second-year engineering students who choose to LIVE and LEARN within the Engineering Living-Learning Community (LLC). The first-year engineering LLC offers space in Wilson and Wonders Halls, in South Neighborhood. The second-year engineering LLC offers space in Wonders Hall (South Neighborhood), Shaw Hall (Rivertrail Neighborhood), and Emmons Hall (Brody Neighborhood). Learn more about neighborhoods here.

While residing in the Living-Learning Community with other engineering students is beneficial, it is not a requirement. Learn more about first-year engineering housing in the frequently asked questions section below.

Peer Leaders

CoRe Peer Leaders are upper-level engineering students who live among CoRe students and serve as role models for success as engineering students. Through relationship building and group activities, Peer Leaders create a strong, connected support network that fosters academic, professional, and personal success for CoRe students.

Peer Leaders assist with the organization of academic, professional and social events for our  students to attend, as well as perform weekly door-to-door check-ins with our students in the First-Year Living Learning Community. Throughout the academic year, students attend community events created to help them grow as an engineering major, connect with the campus community, and learn more about the professional world of engineering from faculty members and engineers currently in the workforce. In 2023, CoRe expanded programming services to include the residential settings of engineering students outside of South Neighborhood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will I live?

CoRe offers designated housing for both first-year and second-year engineering students who choose to LIVE and LEARN within the Engineering Living-Learning Community (LLC).  The first-year engineering LLC is located in Wilson and Wonders Halls, in South Neighborhood. The second-year engineering LLC offers space in Wonders Hall (South Neighborhood), Shaw Hall (Rivertrail Neighborhood), and Emmons Hall (Brody Neighborhood). Learn more about Neighborhoods here.

Because of the increasing size of our early engineering program, only students with engineering majors will live in the designated Living-Learning Communities. Due to space limitations, we are unable to guarantee placement in the designated living space.

Is it a requirement to LIVE in the CoRe LLC?

While residing in the Engineering Living-Learning Community is beneficial, it is not a requirement. Incoming first-year students with an engineering major preference will live with other engineering students in South Neighborhood, as space permits. Students who prefer to live with a non-engineering roommate may request to opt-out of the First-Year Engineering Living Learning Community, but must do so by the opt-out deadline.

Second-year engineering students are not automatically assigned to the LLC and will need to indicate the LLC preference by completing the opt-in form provided by the Housing Assignments Office. This information will be emailed to students in February of the sign up year. Students will need to opt-in by the deadline in order to reside in the Living Learning Community.

Do you have an Honors Floor?

First-Year Engineering Honors Students have the option of living on a designated Honors Floor, with other engineering honors students, in Wilson Hall. Students who wish to live on a different Honors College floor, outside of the First-Year Engineering LLC, will need to request to opt out. Honors housing questions can be directed to honors@msu.edu

Can I live with a non-engineering roommate?

We are unable to accomodate non-engineering roommates in the designated First and Second-Year LLC.  If you elect to reside with a non-engineering roommate you will need to request to opt out.

How do I opt out of living in the CoRe LLC?

Incoming First-Year Students may request to opt out of the First-Year LLC, by June 2nd.  Fall 2023 opt-out form

*THIS FORM HAS CLOSED ACCORDING TO THE HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS DEADLINE. All opt-outs have been processed by the Housing Assignments Office.*

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KNOW BEFORE CHOOSING TO OPT-OUT:

1. We are unable to honor opt-out requests after June 2nd.

2. If you change your mind about opting-out and want to return, you will need to request this change through the Housing Assignments Office.

3. Students who opt out will likely be placed outside of South Neighborhood.

4. **Make sure your perspective roommate checks to see if their selected major is part of a residential program or Living Learning Community. Most residential programs and Living Learning Communities are unable to accommodate roommates outside of their major. For more information about Living Learning Community Housing Guidelines: https://liveon.msu.edu/LLC-Guide

For additional information or questions, please contact our office at (517) 355-6616, ext. 2

For more information about the housing sign up process, visit: https://liveon.msu.edu/sign-up