Summer Start Tracks
Each Summer Start track consists of 2 classes (6 college course credits) and is limited to 24 students.
With more than a dozen to choose from, there is a track for everyone's interest and curiosity. Tracks also look at challenges beyond the classroom, giving you the desired skillsets that employers are seeking. View this table to determine how your proposed track may relate to Pathways to General Education.
Tracks enable you to form close relationships with your classmates and instructors. According to our alum sources, friendships developed in the tracks tend to be the strongest you'll make during Summer Start.
2024 Summer Start Tracks
TRACK 1: Human Development and Society
Virginia Tech was named the fittest campus in America! This track introduces students to holistic strategies for developing healthy relationships, minds and bodies, while taking on the challenges and demands of a university experience. In this track, students will explore useful concepts leading toward health promotion and wellbeing.
Classes:
HD 2014: Integrative Practices for Health, Wellbeing, and Resilience, 3 credits
PHS 1514: Personal Health, 3 credits
TRACK 2: Chemical Problem Solving
This track is designed to prepare students to be successful in introductory level chemistry courses. Students will be developed in the following skills upon the completion of this track: understand the language of chemistry; the meaning and use of the mole, atomic theory and structure; the periodic table; chemical bonding, chemical reactions and equations; set up and solve word problems; familiarity with exponents and logarithms.
Classes:
CHEM 1014: Calculations in Chemistry, 3 credits
Course 2: Choose any summer course that fits your program of study. Please consult your academic advisor, 3 credits
TRACK 3: Architecture and Design
Are you an aspiring architect, interior designer, landscape architect or industrial designer? If so, this track has been designed specifically for you. The two combined courses provide a total immersion experience into the world of architecture and design.
In this track, you will be introduced to the learning environment and activities characteristic of Foundation Design Lab ARCH 1015. You will also be exposed to ways of perceiving and recording the built and natural environment through travel around the region, as well as transforming your findings in ways that enhance design education.
Classes:
ARCH 1024: Design Thinking: Defying Preconceptions, 3 credits
ARCH 1034: Seeing Design: Transforming Observations, 3 credits
This track is recommended for architecture, interior designer, landscape architect, industrial designer majors, Explore CAUS, and University Studies students desiring to transfer to the architecture degree program.
TRACK 4: Superpowers, Sweatshops, and Sovereign States
The world is as it has always been—a precarious place. Since the end of the Cold War, a new set of challenges, dynamics, and threats have emerged within the international system, transforming it theoretically as well as practically. This track provides an introductory look into contemporary world politics, international relations, global poverty, and human rights.
Classes:
PHIL 2304: Global Ethics, 3 credits
PSCI 2054: Introduction to World Politics, 3 credits
TRACK 5: Interdisciplinary Engineering
This track is open only to students in the College of Engineering. In consultation with faculty and staff, participants may choose Option 1 or Option 2:
Classes:
Option 1
CS 1114: Introduction to Software Design, 3 credits*
ENGE 1215: Engineering Foundations, 2 credits
ENGE 1014: Engineering Success Seminar, 1 credit
*must be eligible for MATH 1225
Option 2
ENGE 1215: Engineering Foundations, 2 credits
ENGE 1014: Engineering Success Seminar, 1 credit
MATH 1214: Preparation for Calculus, 3 credits
Pathways 2, 3, or 6a, 3 credits
*Students must successfully complete ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning Assessment to participate in this course. ALEKS helps identify students’ best starting point to ensure their success in math and chemistry.
TRACK 6: Nutrition, Foods, Exercise, and Sport
Our society is continually confronted with the dynamic nature of human health. This track introduces you to the foundational principles of health and wellness. You will also develop an understanding of the exciting fields of nutrition and sport science.
Classes:
HNFE 1004: Foods, Nutrition, and Exercise, 3 credits
HNFE 1804: Fundamentals of Sport Science, 3 credits
This track is recommended for students in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise. HNFE 1004 is required for all HNFE majors; HNFE 1804 can be used as a controlled elective for HNFE majors who choose the Science of Food, Nutrition and Exercise option and as a free elective for HNFE majors who choose the Dietetics option.
TRACK 7: Personal Financial Management
This track examines the basic fundamentals of personal financial planning and decisions of young professionals. You will develop an understanding of establishing credit, good vs. bad debt, charting personal savings and expenditures.
Classes:
AAEC 2104: Personal Financial Planning, 3 credits
AAEC 1005: Economics of the Food and Fiber System, 3 credits
TRACK 8: Business in Society
In this track, you will investigate the forces of business that operate in today’s society. After completing this track, you will understand the basic insights of business information systems, as well as security and software applications.
Classes:
ACIS 1504: Introduction to Business Information Systems, 3 credits*
SOC 1004: Introduction to Sociology, 3 credits **
*Required of all business majors with the exception of FinTech and Big Data Analytics
** Recommended course for business majors.
TRACK 9: Collaboration in a Complex Society
Students will be introduced to multi-stakeholder collaboration and public participation in planning, policy-making and public administration. Tools and approaches for engagement and effective collaboration. Deliberative and participatory democracy, and transparency in society. Information sharing and access. Civil society, the media and citizen activism. Ethical and moral issues in collaboration. Barriers to participation, and diversity and inclusion.
Classes:
SPIA 2554: Collaborative Policy-Making & Planning, 3 credits
SOC 1004: Introduction to Sociology, 3 credits*
*Recommended for business majors
TRACK 10: Virtual Hokies
This track provides first year Hokies the option to design a personalized track to meet their specific academic needs. In consultation with academic advisors, students will choose courses among existing Summer Session II virtual courses in the Timetable of Classes. For financial aid consideration, students must enroll in a minimum of six credit hours. This track is available to students who do not plan to be in Blacksburg for the in-person Summer Start experience.
TRACK 11: Individualized Interdisciplinary Track
In consultation with academic advisors, Track 11 provides first-year and transfer students the option to design a personalized track to meet their specific academic needs. For financial aid consideration, students must enroll in a minimum of six credit hours.