About Engineering Student Services (ESS)

ESS office administers a number of specialized programs to help students who want to pursue a degree in Engineering or Computer Science. Our award winning program is unique in the nation – and the School of Engineering (SOE) is one of the few degree granting Schools or Colleges at UNM that directly admits qualified beginning Freshmen.

Admission to the SOE as a pre-major helps students prepare for the rigors of engineering and provides them with special advantages. Compared to students who don’t participate in our program, pre-major students are 30% more likely to graduate from the SOE in four to five years.

ESS PROVIDES BEGINNING ENGINEERING STUDENTS WITH:

College Specific Orientation

We spend time with every student interested in engineering or computer science, and assist them in developing a schedule that not only prepares them for their program of study, but that is appropriate for them as an individual. We review their high school background and talk with them about their experiences and career aspirations. During LOBOrientation, we initially meet with our students as a group and review the various SOE programs, and discuss polices and expectations. We then help our students create a tentative schedule for their first semester. Our professional advisement staff also meets with the students one-on-one. We make sure that their schedule is not only appropriate for the program they plan to pursue, but also meets their needs as an individual.

Specialized Engineering Advisement & Degree Progress Tracking

Every student in the SOE is required to meet with a professional academic advisor each semester. Our experience has shown that this keeps students focused and on track. At other schools around the nation beginning students usually have to wait until they complete their math and science prerequisites before they begin working directly with the engineering staff and faculty. At UNM, we monitor pre-major student's academic progress and intervene if we see a trend developing that could hurt their chances of being admitted into one of the degree granting departments.

Open House

This is a highly specialized event for ALL new freshmen who are interested in pursuing a degree in engineering or computer science. Because new students don’t get to meet all of the people starting their program, we bring them together before the semester starts and let participate in team-building exercises, take tours of the engineering labs, and take part in a variety of fun activities designed to help them get enthused about engineering while the get to know each other. We encourage parents, teachers and high school counselors to attend, to become more engaged in their student's academic career. Visit the Upcoming Events link for more information.

Study groups, faculty contacts, department research and social events

We help our students feel like they BELONG! ESS offers specialized classes, programs and social events that help students make a successful transition from high school to college.