The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Engineering Majors RAP Fall 2020

The Engineering Majors RAP (EnginRAP) is open to any student who has been admitted to UMass Amherst as an Engineering Major. There are four residence hall locations to choose from (see below for details)

Students in all Engineering Majors RAPs will...

Course Information Fall 2020

During Summer NSO advisors will guide students into:

  • Appropriate math, science and/or engineering classes 
  • Engineering First-Year Seminar
  • A course which fulfills the Gen Ed Diversity requirement. Dependent upon RAP location students may choose a history course that will be taught in a residential classroom and restricted to students in the RAP. See below for details. Students will be enrolled in the course on a first-come first-served basis. Changes can be made during NSO Academic Advising appointment.

Living together also provides students with opportunities to support each other through study groups and other activities in their residence hall. 

The College of Engineering offers workshops to Engineering students throughout the semester on topics such as resume writing, scholarships, and degree requirements.

    See below for Location and Course Information

    Engineering Majors RAPs in the Northeast Residential Area

    Students who join the RAP in Leach Hall will have the option to enroll in: 

    "World History Since 1500": History 111 (Gen Ed HSDG) 

    Read what Fall 2020 instructor Justin Burch has to say about the course:

    This World History class will center largely on the Global South or what used to be called the Third World. It is designed to expand your knowledge base into areas of the world that you have not likely encountered before. You will analyze concepts such as colonialism and empire alongside important topics such as globalization, technological innovation, nationalism, resistance, and anticolonial struggle.  

    The US War in Afghanistan is now in its 19th year and is only second to Vietnam War as America’s longest military conflict. Why? What historical events led to American involvement in the Middle East? How do we understand global conflict, trade, and technological innovation in the modern world? These are some of the many questions we will explore in this interactive World History course. 

    We will construct a classroom environment where first year college students  build relationships and good academic and social habits that will carry you through your college years at UMass and beyond. In addition, fostering community and good practices will be the cornerstone of each course element. Traditional lectures will be blended with group projects and individual assignments. Discussion will be an integral part of the classroom lectures to allow you the opportunity to dig deeper into the material and build upon your skills. 

    The world is waiting for you! We hope to see you in the fall! 

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    Students in the Engineering Majors RAP in Dwight Hall will have the option to enroll in: 

    "Introduction to World Religions": History 112 (Gen Ed IDG) 

    Read what Fall 2020 instructor James During has to say about the course:

    What is religion? Where does it come from? and Why do people care so much about it? To answer these questions and more, this course explores the origins and early development of some of the world's major religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As a class we will examine sacred texts and myths, analyze rituals, and contemplate some of the many critical elements that make us human. We will also consider how religion continues to shape current affairs, and has a profound influence on popular culture through film, television, music, and new media.

    The course will demonstrate that understanding religion is critical to participating in a global community. In tandem, you will learn to apply and critique modern theories of religion and culture while engaging in community-based learning and developing skills that you can take with you beyond the classroom.

    *This class neither advocates nor denigrates religion. As historians, we will approach the subject of religion as a fundamental aspect of human culture across historical time and geographic space.*

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    Engineering Majors RAP in Orchard Hill Residential Area

    Students in the Engineering Majors RAP in Dickinson Hall in Orchard Hill will have the option to enroll in either History 111 or History 112 (listed above) on a space available basis. Students will discuss this during their NSO Academic Advising meeting.

    Engineering Majors RAP in Southwest Residential Area Fall 2020

    All Engineering majors are welcome to join this RAP. It is unique in the fact that the residence hall in southwest is single gender by floor. This will provide first-year women majoring in engineering the opportunity to live on an all female floor, helping to facilitate the forming of study groups and social networks with other first-year women engineering students. The College will host events in the residential area to provide more ready access to informal mentoring by our women faculty, upper level engineering students involved in the Society of Women Engineers, and alumna. Our student chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, each with many members living in Southwest, will similarly support students of color who join this RAP.

    Additional RAP community events will be hosted by the Engineering Office for Equity and Inclusion, with an emphasis on connecting students with our additional ~15 engineering discipline centric student organizations and the network of Engineer Peers.

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    Students in Engineering Majors RAP in Kennedy Hall will have the option to enroll in the following course which will be taught in the residence hall.

    "Social Change in the 1960's": History 154 (Gen Ed HSDG) 

    Read what Fall 2020 instructor Andy Grim has to say about the course:
    The 1960s was a time period of profound social upheaval, in which activists challenged existing cultural and political norms on multiple fronts. This course will encourage a thematic approach to the history of America in the “Long 1960s” (1954-1975), integrating the political, cultural, social and intellectual trends that shaped the decade. We will explore:

    • the civil rights and Black Power movements
    • the student New Left and antiwar movement
    • the women’s and gay liberation movements
    • struggles for Asian American, Latinx, and Native American rights
    • the rise of conservatism

    Students will explore the origins of these movements, well-known and lesser-known protests and activists of the era, and examine how the various movements intersected. This course looks closely at the issues raised by the dissenters of the 1960s. It investigates the following questions:

    • What conditions spurred the movements for social change in the 1960s?
    • What new visions of American society did they offer?
    • What did these movements achieve? What has been the lasting impact of these movements?

    Engineering Majors

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