First-Year Seminars to Enhance Engineering Education

First-year seminars (FYSs) offer many benefits to engineering students, including a strong sense of belonging, increased retention and persistence rates, and higher academic achievement. This paper explores the design and implementation of three FYSs at an engineering school, each addressing the societal and ethical dimensions of science and technology. Through case studies, discussions, and multimodal assignments, these courses enhanced students' critical interpretation and communication skills, equipping them to navigate complex challenges in their future careers. By incorporating flexibility in project design and topic selection, the seminars promoted creativity, agency, and interdisciplinary problem-solving, as evidenced by student projects ranging from science communication videos and TikTok content to Chrome extensions. This paper underscores the alignment of FYSs with emerging trends in engineering education, including interdisciplinary learning, societal impact, and ethical responsibility. By fostering multimodal communication and critical analysis, FYSs prepare students to become socially responsible and adaptive engineers equipped to tackle complex global challenges.