If you are undecided about your major you should take a basic science in C and D term. By including a physics or chemistry course you will keep your options open for any major at WPI. 

If you took Chemistry in A term you should take Physics you should take PH 1110 or PH 1111 as your first course. You must be in MA 1021 or higher to take Physics. 

PH 1110 and PH 1111 are two different versions of mechanics. PH 1111 is recommended for students beginning the calculus sequence in MA 1023 (Calc III) or higher and who have had a high school physics course (not physical science but physics).  For students who do not have high school physics, it is recommended that you select PH 1110.

The traditional PH 1110 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of computerized labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,”  you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problems. It will require more work outside of class to be ready for the activities in the classroom.  This version consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and a two-hour session of computerized labs per week. The section numbers for this option are C01S-CS02.

If you took Physics in A term you should take CH 1010 in C term. 

If you are undecided about your major it is recommended that you take Math in each term in your first year. 

In C Term you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your B term course. The following is the typical MA sequence for WPI Students.

MA 1021

MA 1022

MA 1023

MA 1024

MA 2051

Your third course should be a GPS, Humanities and Arts, or Social Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

GPS stands for Great Problems Seminar is a course that is exclusively for first year students and allow students to learn about a problem in the world and work with a group on how to fix it. These courses are helpful with the transition to college as well as useful for students when preparing for projects such as IQP and MQP in junior and senior year. GPS courses run for both A and B term, so you will only need to choose one. For more information click here.

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Drama/Theatre (EN/TH)
• Foreign Language- Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN)
  
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu)
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
    
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For English Language (International Students) Information, Please Email: Professor Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) and Professor Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu)
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR, RH)
• International Student English (ISE)
• History (HI)
• International Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

If you are undecided about your major you should take a basic science. By including a physics or chemistry course you will keep your options open for any major at WPI. 

If you took Physics in C term you should take PH 1120 or PH 1121 as your science course in D term. PH 1120 and PH 1121 are two different versions of Electicity and Magnetism. PH 1121 is recommended for students beginning the calculus sequence in MA 1023 (Calc III) or higher and who have had a high school physics course (not physical science but physics).  For students who do not have high school physics, it is recommended that you select PH 1120.

The traditional PH 1120is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of computerized labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,”  you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problems. It will require more work outside of class to be ready for the activities in the classroom.  This version consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and a two-hour session of computerized labs per week. The section numbers for this option are D01S-DS02.

If you took CH 1010 in C term  you should take CH 1020 in D term. 

If you are undecided about your major it is recommended that you take Math. In D Term you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your C term course. The following is the typical MA sequence for WPI Students.

MA 1021

MA 1022

MA 1023/1033

MA 1024/1034

MA 2051

This will keep your options open for any major at WPI.  In choosing which Math course you will begin with, please consider the following.  

1. Complete the Math Placement Exam. The Math Placement Exam will tell you which Calculus course you should start in based on your current knowledge. If you are recommended to start in MA 1020, this will be your math course for both terms.
2. Consider if you have AP Credit:
   Students who obtain a score of “4” or “5” on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022 and should begin with MA 1023/1033 in A term followed by MA 1024/1034 in B term.
   Students who obtain a grade of “4” or “5” on the BC-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021, MA 1022 and MA 1023 and should begin with MA 1024/1034 in A term followed by MA 2051 in B term. If you received a 6 or 7 on the IB, you will receive 2/3 credit of MA 1000, and you should use your math placement exam results to decide which math class to take.
3. Consider the possibility of retroactive credit. If the Math Placement Exam recommends that you start in MA 1022 or MA 1023/1033 but you do not have AP credit, this could be a great option for you. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1022 and MA 1023/1033 on your first attempt you will receive credit for MA 1021. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1023/1033 and MA 1024/1034 on your first attempt you will receive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022.  In determining if this is the right path for you, we strongly recommend completing the Math Placement exam and following the suggestion given to you. 

The sequence MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III and MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV is an alternative to the MA 1023, MA 1024 sequence in A and B terms. The sequence is designed to give a deeper and more mathematically rigorous presentation of the relevant calculus topics. If you really enjoy math and have credit for Calculus I and II already, you should consider this sequence instead of the MA 1023-MA 1024 sequence.

Your third course should be a Humanities and Arts, or Social Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Drama/Theatre (EN/TH)
• Foreign Language- Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN)
  
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu)
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
    
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For English Language (International Students) Information, Please Email: Professor Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) and Professor Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu)
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR, RH)
• International Student English (ISE)
• History (HI)
• International Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

To build your schedule you should use the Course Listings page and the WPI Planner. Below are instructions on how to use the Planner tool and how to search for courses before inputting this information into Workday, WPI's registration platform.

1. Navigate to the WPI Planner.
2. On the first tab, select the class subject area you are interested in (ex. Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences). Note: Great Problems Seminars are listed under First Year.
3. Once you select the subject, the available courses will appear. As you select courses, they will appear in the box at the bottom right.
   • You should select three courses for each term. It is also a good idea to identify some back-up schedules in case your first choices are full when you register.
   • You can also select a Physical Education course, and 1/6 unit music courses, as an additional fourth course in addition to your three courses. This is common for first year students.
   • ROTC Members: please select your Military Science course in addition to your three courses. Your Physical Training will count towards your physical education requirement, so you do not need to select PE courses.
4. On the second tab, Time, you can eliminate times of day you do not want classes. Note: This may limit your course options, so use this one sparingly.
5. The third tab, Schedules, shows all the possible schedules that can result from your course selections. Make sure you are looking at the correct term, and look to see if there is any overlap between class times. You can change the term you would like to take the course by clicking on the term bubbles.
   • When you are satisfied with how your schedule looks it is time to identify the sections of the classes you plan to register for.
   • At the top of the Schedules tab, you will see two boxes, one labeled “Grid” and another labeled “Detail.” Click the “Detail” box to see a listing of selected courses with information including course name, course section, professor, location, and meeting days and times.

PRE-REGISTRATION PREP​

• Watch the 10 min. overview video
• Login to Workday​
• Use Find Course Sections to build at least one Saved Schedule for C-Term, D-Term, and if you're taking any 10 or 14 week classes, Spring Semester (instructions)​​​

November 15, 7AM ET: REGISTER​

• Login to Workday​
• Open a browser tab or window for C-Term, D-Term, and Spring Semester (if you have any 10 or 14 week classes) and View My Saved Schedules for each​
• [Optional] Open tabs for alternate course sections from other Saved Schedules or search results​
• When registration opens, click Start Registration, then click Register (instructions)
• Open View My Courses, scroll right to Drop or Swap (instructions)​
• Waitlisted? If a spot opens, a notification will be sent to your WPI email asking you to login to Workday and take action