Engineering RAPs

Engineering RAPs

Residential Academic Programs, or RAPs, are small communities of new first-year students who live in the same residence hall and enroll in the same small course together. Our goal with the Engineering RAPs is to build an even more supportive engineering community. 

The Engineering RAPs are associated courses that count towards your degree requirements and are located in Northeast, Central, and the Commonwealth Honors College residential communities. The RAP in Gorman Hall offers break housing—an important consideration for international students.

See the UMass Residential Academic Programs website for more information. RAPs do not require an application. Students can register for one of these programs during Priority RAP Registration in May.

Students that have been invited to be part of the RISE Scholars Program are strongly encouraged to apply to be in one of the Engineering RAPs, but there is no requirement.

The Engineering RAPs for Fall 2025 are as follows:

Derivatives and Designs

  • Derivatives and Designs: Math 131 (Dwight Hall, Northeast Residential Area)
  • Derivatives and Designs: Math 131 in Fall; Math 132 in Spring (Gorman Hall, Central Residential Area)

The Engineering Derivatives and Designs RAPs are associated with a common discussion section for Math 131, Calculus I, the required first-year calculus class.  Note: The Derivatives and Designs RAP in Gorman will include a shared Math 132 discussion in the spring semester.

Engineering Better Decisions

  • Engineering Better Decisions: ECE150 (Leach, Northeast Residential Area)

ECE150: Making Better Decisions by Humans and AI  is a 4-credit Gen Ed course taught by engineering which will fulfill your SB and DU requirements.

RAPs for First-Year Engineering Students

  • Engineering Honors: FYS 191 (Oak, Commonwealth Honors College Residential Area)
  • Engineering FYS 191 (Dwight, Northeast Residential Area)
  • Engineering FYS 191 (Hamlin, Northeast Residential Area)

The topics for RAP First-Year Seminar courses are in the process of being determined.