Welcome to the College of Engineering

Congratulations on joining the College of Engineering community! Your academic advisors are excited to work with you and help you prepare for your first semester at the University of Iowa.

The materials in this section focus on the critical academic information you will need to prepare for meeting with an advisor at Orientation. Take time reviewing this – it may take you a few hours to watch videos, review handouts, and practice using registration tools to prepare for your Orientation registration and advising appointment.

We know this is a lot of information to review! Our team is here to support you and eager to help personalize your experience in the College of Engineering. If you have questions about the academic advising process after you review the materials here, do not hesitate to contact us by calling 319-335-5763.

Sincerely,

Your Engineering Academic Advisors

Understanding Your Degree, Selecting Courses, and Building Schedules

Before you begin searching for classes, you must understand the basics of a University of Iowa degree and other critical content specific to engineering students. We recommend you set aside time and find a place where you can concentrate so you can actively review each of these videos and handouts.

This video highlights common college terms and how you will work with your academic advisor during the SOAR appointment and beyond. 

This video highlights the requirements to graduate with an Engineering degree and the resources available to help you.

This video highlights how you will select your first semester courses and some things to consider when building your first semester schedule.

The links below provide step by step instructions on how to complete various steps around searching for classes.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the degree requirements, you can begin selecting courses for your first semester.

  1. Identify courses in each of the following categories that you will take in your first semester. Use the Engineering Course Placement Guidelines and Searching for Engineering General Education Courses handouts linked above to help select courses.
  • Math (need placement score)
  • Science (need placement score)
  • Engineering 

  • Rhetoric / Gen Ed (choose 2-3 gen ed options) 

     

  1. Add selected courses to your Schedule Builder Course Cart. The handout below provides a step-by-step process to add courses to your Schedule Builder.

Preparing for your SOAR Appointment

A week before your SOAR program, if you have completed all the required content on this SOAR page, you will be emailed a link to scheduled your SOAR Appointment. This will come to your University of Iowa email address. Be sure to regularly check your email. 

Three days before your SOAR Appointment, revisit this SOAR page to find an Individualized Recommendations Document (IRD) uploaded at the top of the page, directly below the boxes displaying your personal information such Hawk ID, College, and Major. The attachments will appear first, followed by an advising note with personalized instructions. The IRD will be prepared by your SOAR advisor and offer course suggestions based on their expert review of your academic file (grades, placement test scores, transcripts, transfer credits, etc.).

 

To prepare for your SOAR appointment: 

  1. Review the Individualized Recommendations Document (IRD) and make any needed adjustments to the courses in your Schedule Builder Course Cart.  
  2. Build and explore schedule options based on your updated course selections. The video below highlights details of building schedules once courses have been added to the course cart. It covers how to navigate and read the details of schedule options, how to pin/exclude courses from schedules, and how to save and manage preferred schedules.
  1. Review the video below to learn how to register for classes using either a saved preferred schedule or a schedule that has just been created. You will register for your first semester during the SOAR appointment. 

 

Thanks for working through the advising section of the SOAR page! Please review the checklist below to ensure you are prepared for your SOAR Appointment:

STUDENT ONLINE ADVISING AND REGISTRATION CHECKLIST 

Student Online Advising and Registration (SOAR) Support:

If you have questions about searching for classes, using Schedule Builder, or something else, and you would like to talk with a current Iowa student, please join our SOAR Support Zoom Drop-In Hours! 

 

SOAR Support hours:

10am-2pm (CST)

Monday through Friday

May 6 - 10; May 28 - June 28; July 8 - 19; August 19 - 23 

Using Zoom for your SOAR Appointment

YOUR SOAR APPOINTMENT WILL BE IN ZOOM. 

You should attend your SOAR Appointment on a desktop, laptop, or a tablet and not on your cell phone. Using a phone is very limiting since you will share your screen with your advisor to talk about courses, build schedules, and register. 

You must arrive on-time and with full Zoom capability. To achieve that, please:

  • Watch this video to learn how to install and practice Zoom and share your screen with your advisor. 
  • Click here for written instructions on how to find the Zoom link for your SOAR Appointment, get into your Zoom meeting, and share your screen. 

You should attend your SOAR Appointment in a quiet, private place that contributes to a smooth experience for you and for your advisor. Please plan ahead when scheduling your SOAR Appointment and ensure your environment is appropriate for a meeting with a University of Iowa staff member.

To summarize:

  • You will have Zoom installed on your device (ideally not a cell phone). 
  • You know where you will find the Zoom link to your SOAR Appointment
  • You will have a time and place planned that will be conducive to your academic advising and registration experience. 

5 Things to do before your SOAR Appointment

HERE ARE FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE YOUR SOAR APPOINTMENT:

  1. Take any necessary placement tests at least one week before your SOAR Program.
  • If you are required to take the math and/or chemistry placement tests, those appear toward the top of your SOAR Page.
  1. Report any incoming credit (transfer coursework, dual enrollment, AP tests). 
  • Transfer students: You do not need to do this, but ensure you have sent your final transcripts.
  1. Read the note from your advisor and review advising materials and instructions.
  • The note from your advisor will be at the top of your SOAR Page a few days before your SOAR Appointment.
  • Advising materials and instructions are found the Academic Advising Information section of your SOAR Page. 
  1. Use Schedule Builder to explore course ideas, put some courses in your Course Cart, try building some schedules.
  2. Be ready to Zoom and ensure you’ll have a laptop and a quiet, private place for your SOAR Appointment.

 

Student Online Advising and Registration (SOAR) Support:

If you have questions about the SOAR process, contact Orientation Services (319-335-1497) or orientation@uiowa.edu. 

If you have questions about searching for classes, using Schedule Builder, or something else, and you would like to talk with a current Iowa student, please join our SOAR Support Zoom Drop-In Hours! 

 

SOAR Support hours:

10am-2pm (CST)

Monday through Friday

May 6 - 10; May 28 - June 28; July 8 - 19; August 19 - 23