Science Exploration Program

Many high school students are interested in the sciences, but may be undecided as to which major  best meets their interests and career goals. The Science Exploration Program (SEP) program allows students to explore numerous options before deciding on a program of study.

A customized schedule of courses in science and mathematics is developed for each student based on  individual strengths, interests, and goals.   During fall and winter quarters, students participate in an interdisciplinary first-year seminar which includes a combination of academic support, career development and science exploration activities.  Guest lecturers include members of the SEP Faculty Advisory Board (representing every undergraduate degree program in the College of Science), upper-level administrators, student service representatives, and current RIT students.  A strong emphasis on the various aspects of multi-disciplinary research and scholarship across the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields helps students to begin to identify interest areas and potential career paths.

Students may choose a major at any time over the course of the academic year.  Some students find the decision is easily made after only one quarter of course work. Others take advantage of a full year of exploration, and many students find that choosing a major and a minor is a good strategy for combining interests and preparing for a chosen career. A strong advantage of the SEP program is that, with proper advising, students are able to delay their choice of a major without losing time toward the completion of a degree.