The goal of STEP is to empower and support incoming students who are interested in exploring engineering at Brown. This includes exposure to key mathematical concepts and problem-solving exercises that engineers are likely to encounter during the first year of engineering studies at Brown.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to meet first-year professors, socialize online with your incoming peers, and learn more about the resources available to students on campus. We will also provide support for thriving in engineering (growth mindset, effective study skills, preparing for office hours, communication styles, etc.)

Yes! We encourage students to spend at least 5 hours per week on math problems and growth mindset topics. Students who wish to take full advantage of all practice problems and learning modules can expect, on average, approximately 15-20 hours per week.

We encourage students to complete as much work as they can reasonably manage while balancing other priorities in their lives. We recognize that many of our students are often very busy during the summer prior to matriculation. We intentionally designed STEP Online as a flexible program, with asynchronous learning modules, recorded live sessions, and a private online social platform available at each student’s convenience.

In order to fully participate in the in-person STEP Residency, students will need to be able to move into their assigned dorm room for the entire academic year on Monday, August 18th.

Students who are admitted to STEP will be expected to participate in both the online and in-person program, followed by the Third World Transition Program (TWTP) and/or the International Mentoring Program (IMP) . While space is limited in STEP, anyone who is not initially admitted to the program may opt to be placed on a waiting list and be notified should more space become available. 

While STEP assignments will not be formally graded, we will be observing each student's level of engagement with the course materials and online participation. Students who are admitted to STEP, but are not engaging with course materials will forfeit their spot in the program and their seat will be offered to another student from the waitlist. 

Participation in STEP is merely advantageous for your own learning in introductory math concepts necessary for engineering, and also to develop resilience and a growth mindset to help you to thrive in engineering.

The STEP curriculum is designed to expose you to key concepts that you are likely to encounter when taking the core introductory engineering sequence at Brown (ENGN 0030 or 0032, ENGN 0040, ENGN 0051) and intro math sequence (MATH 0100 or 0190, MATH 0180 or 0200).

Both! While you will have non-graded assignments to help build your engineering and math conceptual skills, you will also have the opportunity to get to know your classmates prior to the start of the semester.

You will additionally have the opportunity to meet key engineering administrators, your professors, current upper level engineering students, and campus center directors.

We will also explore what it means to be an engineer, effective communication across personality styles, growth mindset, study tips, and more to help you thrive in engineering and beyond.

We expect that students accepted into STEP will be fully engaged during live sessions, completing modules asynchronously when unable to attend live (with a written request).

STEP students will additionally be expected to participate in the Third World Transition Program (TWTP) and/or the International Mentoring Program (IMP) after STEP has concluded. Students opting not to participate in a subsequent pre-orientation program will not be eligible to participate in STEP Residency.

Yes! STEP students are encouraged to participate in the Third World Transition Program (TWTP) and/or the International Mentoring Program (IMP), and other pre-orientation programs as your schedule allows.

Students considering joining either STEP or Mosaic+ are encouraged to choose a primary program. Please note there will be joint social events with Mosaic+ and the Bridge Scholars Program (BSP), however, each pre-orientation program has unique assignments. Students will likely find it very difficult to attempt to simultaneously manage STEP with either Mosaic+ or BSP.

Students who have had limited exposure to calculus will start with the Single Variable Calculus sequence, which includes topics such as functions, differentiation, and integration.

Students who have mastered single variable calculus will start with topics such as matrix algebra, differential equations, and numerical methods.

Both math group options will include a vector calculus module.

Both groups will additionally cover topics in growth mindset, learning how to learn, study skills, resilience, office hour tips, suggestions for finding engineering internships, and other related enrichment topics.

You will participate in an engineering team project, facilitated by an engineering faculty member. During this project, you will conduct measurements, collect data, analyze your data, and report your findings.

In addition to the engineering group project, students will engage in various team building activities across campus and get to meet the key stakeholders who can offer support during their time at Brown (i.e. campus resource directors, etc.).

STEP Residents will also participate in an off-campus field trip.

All housing and meals will be covered by the program. STEP Residents will be eligible to move in early to their dorms on Monday, August 18th.

Additionally, STEP Residents will receive a $100 stipend in their student account to cover incidentals during the residency week.

No, we do not have STEP-specific housing. STEP Residents will move into their assigned dormitory that will serve as their main residence for the entire academic year. However, since there are specific dormitories reserved for incoming first-year students at Brown, we find that there are usually multiple STEP students within close proximity to each other in the buildings.

The cost of attending STEP Online and STEP Residency is covered by the institution at $0.00 cost to students and their families.

All housing and meals will be covered by the program. STEP Residents will be eligible to move in early to their dorms on Monday, August 18th.

Additionally, STEP Residents will receive a $100 stipend in their student account to cover incidentals during the residency week.

Please note that students without a family contribution in their financial aid package may qualify for support with travel to Brown should you be selected for STEP (with a move-in date of August 18th), depending on how far you might need to travel to get to campus. Should you be selected for the program, we will work with the financial aid office on booking travel, so please hold off on booking your travel until we are further along in the process. 

Students on financial aid with questions about their specific financial situation may contact the Office of Financial Aid and also consult with their assigned coordinator from the Bursar’s Office.

In addition, we advise international students to contact the Office of International Students and Scholars at your earliest convenience.

Please reach out to Associate Dean Megan Russell at megan_russell@brown.edu to discuss your specific accommodation needs.

Yes, all incoming engineering undergraduates are eligible to attend STEP.

Students who are admitted to STEP will be expected to participate in both the online and in-person program, followed by the Third World Transition Program (TWTP) and/or the International Mentoring Program (IMP) . While space is limited in STEP, anyone who is not initially admitted to the program may opt to be placed on a waiting list and be notified should more space become available. 

While participation in STEP is currently limited to incoming engineering students, we may be able to make exceptions for rising sophomores, as space allows, on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to Associate Dean Megan Russell at megan_russell@brown.edu immediately to discuss your situation. Should capacity be reached for the program, you will be placed on a waiting list and notified when more space is available.

Please reach out to Associate Dean Megan Russell at megan_russell@brown.edu to discuss your specific accommodation needs.