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A study evaluated the preparedness of first year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program at a the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, a small private master's university in the Midwestern United States. Retention statistics indicated that most students leave during the first year program, which is dominated by Calculus and Introduction to Engineering courses. Student preparedness for the engineering program was assessed through a fundamental skills questionnaire. The results identified some shortcomings in mathematical preparation. It was hypothesized that sufficient skills in mathematics indicates a student's preparedness for the engineering program, and as such, improves first year program retention.
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Francis et al. (2024) studied this question.