Leveling Plan

To ensure that incoming freshmen are better prepared to face curricular challenges, UC Engineering requires that all new students pass proficiency tests in precalculus, general physics, and general chemistry.

These proficiency tests establish a baseline of knowledge among all students. Those who do not initially pass the proficiency tests are provided with leveling courses, thus guaranteeing that all students are equipped with the tools needed to face the first courses in their respective degree programs.

Pre-calculus Leveling

All students entering the Engineering Program must accredit their knowledge of Precalculus.

Objectives

• Understand the contents required for MAT1610 Calculus I.
• Learn techniques needed to solve graphing exercises and problems.
• Analyze, relate, and answer problems of median difficulty.

Support Material

Students can download the Precalculus Leveling textbook and/or enroll in some of the free courses available on the Online UC Engineering webpage.

Pre-calculus Leveling Syllabus and Schedule

• Mini course: Algebra and functions
• Mini course: Trigonometry
• Mini course: Polynomials and complex numbers
• Mini course: Progressions and summations

Review the syllabus here.

See all online courses here.

Download the book here.

Chemistry Leveling

As part of the Chemistry Leveling Plan for UC Engineering students, freshmen are required to take an initial proficiency test in chemistry and, if failed, participate in the leveling program. Both the proficiency test and leveling will be organized in modules.

Regarding support material, students can download the Chemistry Leveling textbook. Students can also enroll in some of the free courses available on the Online UC Engineering webpage.

Chemistry Leveling Syllabus:

To review the syllabus, click here.

• Dilutions
• Stoichiometry
• Chemical Bonds

Download the textbook here.

Students who did not pass the General Chemistry entrance assessment exam must participate in leveling modules during the first week of classes in March.

Physics Leveling

The objective of the proficiency test is to establish baseline understandings of general physics. The Classical Mechanics textbook, written by UC Faculty of Physics Professors Fabián Cádiz, Samuel Hevia, and Sebastián Reyes, is available for download. This book can serve as a study aid for the proficiency test.

Also available for download is the Book of Physics, published by the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María and made available to UC Engineering students through collaborative initiatives within the context of the Engineering 2030 project (download here).

Physics Leveling Syllabus:

• Vectors and Trigonometry [download exercise guide here]
• Coordinate Systems [download exercise guide here]
• Kinematics and relationship with calculus [download exercise guide here]
• Newton’s Laws [download exercise guide here]

Download the textbook here.

Leveling  2020

Check out the 2020 Physics Leveling material here:

• Explanatory videos and problems to practice:

1. Cinemática 1D – https://youtu.be/bp4hmrbqCPQ
2. Cinemática 2D – https://youtu.be/2DgXyqFlnfo
3. Leyes de Newton – https://youtu.be/WiD_GhXajyM

• Videos of the classes:

Sesión #1:

–       Sección 1 – https://youtu.be/qrWKcMIt9Aw

–       Sección 2 – https://youtu.be/cboI0GMoQCc

Sesión #2:

–       Sección 1 – https://youtu.be/0jA1ef65mBc

–       Sección 2 – https://youtu.be/iT7jirS0XTs

Sesión #3:

–       Sección 1 – https://youtu.be/nYBn-bhww3U

–       Sección 2 – https://youtu.be/89FeOv4UFEE

Sesión #4:

–       Sección 1 – https://youtu.be/bfJhsQLx7T8

–       Sección 2 – https://youtu.be/g7HpPpb0gAY

Sesión #5:

–       Secciones 1 y 2 –  https://youtu.be/ncrLhKNs8vg

Online courses for future UC engineers

The School of Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile offers a wide array of free online courses available to students across Chile in preparation for the UC Engineering program.

The Online UC Engineering platform hosts courses such as: “Functions and Modeling,” “Polynomials and Complex Numbers,” “Progressions and Summations,” and “Trigonometry.” These courses teach and reinforce concepts and tools related to basic calculus.

These courses cover mathematical contents taught during the final years of high school, with instruction through video lectures and self-graded interactive exercises. These courses also serve in leveling the knowledge of those entering the UC Engineering program.

The Online UC Engineering platform also offers other courses that complement engineering courses currently offered by the School of Engineering. These courses include: “Decoding Silicon Valley: culture, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” “Electrons in action: electronics and arduinos for your inventions,” “Management of effective organizations,” “Web semantics: tools for effective data publication and extraction,” “Analysis of transport systems,” and “Towards constructivist practices in the classroom.”

To visit the platform, click here.