About
EMBER
Engineering Mentorship & Bridging Education Resources: August 7th to 25th, 2023
Registration Starts in May
Get a head start on your university career through our flexible, optional pre-University program designed to suit your needs.
EMBER prepares students who are entering their first year of Engineering, the Bachelor of Technology program, Computer Science, and Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBioMed) for academic and social success. Mix and match courses and other opportunities to create your own unique, customized EMBER experience. This program is offered at no additional cost to students.
What is Ember?
JULY & AUGUST
Prepare for September through online learning modules in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Computing designed to help you learn at your own pace. Videos will be available starting in July.
The Avenue to Learn page for Ember is now available! Log into Avenue to Learn through https://avenue.mcmaster.ca/
WEEK OF AUGUST 7th to 18th, 2023
Crash courses and live tutorials in math, chemistry, physics and computing will be offered from August 7th to 18th, 2023. As well, get to know your Fireball Family through a series of information sessions covering topics ranging from academic advising to identity-based clubs and teams.
Learn more on by navigating to the “Courses” tab.
Date: Week of August 21nd, 2023
CONNECT with classmates and professors in-person and get a taste of McMaster’s hands-on approach to education. Unique and customized workshops will be offered for Engineering, iBioMed, Computer Science and Bachelor of Technology students. These will include a range of experiences from hack-a-thons to other projects, giving you the opportunity to make new friends and learn how to work in teams.
Learn more by navigating to the “Connect” tab.
Information Box Group
Mac Eng’s first-year preparatory program prioritizes student wellness
All News
Our Goals
Academic Success
To prepare students entering into Level 1 Faculty of Engineering programs for academic success by teaching and reinforcing foundational concepts in Math, Physics, Chemistry and Computing.
Social Success
To prepare students entering into Level 1 Faculty of Engineering programs for social success by introducing and connecting the students to each other, upper-year students, staff, faculty member, and clubs in engineering. Get to know the #FireballFamily!
A letter from the Dean to incoming students
“This program is designed to ease your worries. It will support you, help you make the transition to university a smooth one and will welcome you a little early to the Fireball Family.”
– Heather Sheardown, Dean, Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University
EMBER – Courses
Learn the foundational concepts of engineering with courses on Math, Physics, and Chemistry. You are encouraged to customize your learning experience. Courses are offered in two formats: real-time and pre-recorded. You can also register for one, two, three or all four courses. Courses will be taken through Avenue to Learn.
Each course will include online modules featuring videos, quizzes and interactive activities & opportunity to interact with upper-year engineering students through live online tutorials.
Expandable List
From Functions to Limits and Derivatives
Functions
- Evaluate and solve various types of functions: logarithmic, exponential, polynomial, rational
- Connect equations of functions to graphs
- Evaluate and solve inequalities
- Using functions to solve problems
Trigonometry
- Determine and apply trigonometric ratios
- Understand and apply radian measures
- Connect equations to graphs of trigonometric functions
- Solve problems involving trigonometric functions
Limits and Derivatives
- Understand rate of change at a point
- Understand the concept and properties of limits and derivatives
- Connect equations of functions and their derivatives to graphs
- Solve problems using derivatives
Geometry and Vectors
- Represent vectors algebraically and geometrically
- Perform operations with vectors
- Describe lines and planes using linear, scalar, vector, and parametric equations
From Kinematics to Gravitational, Electric and Magnetic Fields
Kinematics
- Understand and solve problems relating to uniform and non-uniform linear motion in one and two dimensions
- Apply concepts related to kinematics to analyze real-life technologies
Dynamics
- Demonstrate an understanding of the forces involved in uniform circular motion and motion in a plane
- Solve problems related to forces involved in uniform circular motion and motion in a plane
Forces
- Understand and apply concepts related to Newton’s laws, net force, acceleration, and mass to solve problems
- Understand the relationship between velocity and unbalanced forces
Energy and Momentum
- Demonstrate an understanding of and solve problems relating to work, energy, momentum, and the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum, in one and two dimensions.
Gravitational, Electric and Magnetic Fields
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts, properties, principles, and laws related to gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields and their interactions with matter
- Solve problems related to gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields
From Ideal Gas Law to Thermochemistry
Ideal Gas Law
- Demonstrate understanding of the laws that explain the behavior of gases
- Investigate and solve problems relating to gas laws and behavior of gases
Acid and Bases
- Understand the Arrenhenius theory of acid and bases
- Understand and solve problems related to degree of ionization, strong and weak acids/bases
- Understand and perform calculations related to buffer solutions
Structure and Properties of Matter
- Investigate the molecular shapes and physical properties of various types of matter
- Demonstrate an understanding of atomic structure and chemical bonding, and how they relate to the physical properties of ionic, molecular, covalent network, and metallic substances.
Chemical Reactions
- Investigate and solve problems related to energy changes and rates of reactions in physics and chemical processes
Chemical Equilibrium
- Understand concepts relating to chemical systems at equilibrium and variables that cause shifts in equilibrium
- Solve problems related to chemical systems and dynamic equilibrium using the Le Chatelier’s principle, equilibrium constants, pH, and ionization constant of water
Electrochemistry
- Demonstrate understanding and solve problems related to oxidation-reduction reactions
- Demonstrate understanding and solve problems related to a galvanic cell and electrochemical reactions
Thermochemistry
- Investigate concepts related to the laws of thermodynamics, enthalpy, entropy and free energy
- Solve problems on heats of reaction and chemical equilibrium in terms of enthalpy, entropy and free energy
From Introduction to Programming to Functions
Introduction to Programming
- Algorithms
- Flowcharts
- Computer Architecture
- Statement-by-statement Execution
- Variables
- Expressions
- Printing and input
- Lists
- If statements structure
- Algorithms with if-statements
- Loop control structures
- Algorithms with loops
- Nested control structures
- Nested loops and if-statements
- Creating and using functions
- Parameters, arguments, return values
EMBER – Schedule
EMBER – Fireball Family Events
EMBER CONNECT
EMBER – Student Testimonials
Summer 2021 Participants
Clarissa, Engineering I
“EMBER was a great way to solidify my knowledge while figuring out how to learn in a new fast paced environment. The LRA’s made going to tutorials something I looked forward to, and they were always willing to answer questions about content, university life, or even just chat. I am so glad that I participated in EMBER, as I feel much more confident going into the start of first year!”
Halima, Engineering I
“I loved being able to receive in-depth learning through the modules, tutorials and practice assessments which allowed me to focus my time on each course based on my comfort level. All of the LRAs were super friendly and I really appreciated the flexibility of being able to attend live-sessions and also re-watching the recorded sessions for further clarity. Most of all, I really loved getting to interact with other incoming students, attending the fireball family events & getting to ask upper-years questions ranging from course material to study tips and advice. This has been a great welcome to the MacEng community and I can’t wait to see what else this program has in store for us!”
Nihal, Computer Science
“EMBER was the perfect build up to what the courses would look like in the first year. With friendly and excellent LRA’s , the EMBER program was able to help us interact and learn different concepts ranging from Computers , Physics , Maths and Chemistry. The support was second to none , and would do it all over again. Well done!!”
Emeline, iBioMed
“Participating in EMBER was a great way to brush up on old content, as well as check for any learning gaps I had before entering my first year at McMaster in the iBioMed program! It helped me feel a lot more prepared, and I’d definitely recommend it for any incoming first years.”
Summer 2020 Participants
Joel, Engineering I
“After having our year cut short, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be prepared for university since my classes didn’t go as in depth after we went online. EMBER helped me feel more prepared entering into my first year, and gave me a nice refresher on content I was rusty on.”
Madelyn, Automation Engineering Technology
“I found EMBER to be a great resource going into my first year. I feel much more confident that I know everything I need to for my classes. The LRAs were all helpful and the live tutorials really brought insight to the information provided in the modules.”
Allison, Engineering I
“I loved being able to interact with my peers and with upper-year students during the live tutorials, talking about everything from academics, to work-life balancing tips. EMBER gave me confidence in my academics, and eased much of the worry I had going into first year. It was incredible getting to know everything that McMaster has to offer through each day’s live presentation. The online modules were comprehensive and easy to follow, and the LRAs were wonderful, friendly, as well as knowledgeable!”
Noor, iBioMed
“I loved everything about EMBER, it was everything I needed after I graduated from another country and took a gap year. I was really worried that I wouldn’t know as much as what the other students knew. So much time and effort was put into EMBER, and I will always be grateful for that.”
EMBER – Registration
EMBER – Avenue to Learn and Microsoft Teams
EMBER – Contact & FAQs
Expandable List
Registration opens in May and closes in July.
EMBER is focused on helping students get caught up to speed for the required courses in Physics, Math, and Chemistry. No new information beyond the high school curriculum will be taught. Also this year, EMBER has a new Computing course that introduces the basics of programming. It assumes no previous programming knowledge and is meant to give students confidence as they enter their first year where computing will be introduced.
There are four courses to choose from in EMBER (Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Computing). Each course consists of asynchronous modules and live tutorials. The asynchronous content varies in duration between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours for each module. These are pre-recorded modules that students can do on their own time throughout the summer. The live tutorial sessions, occurring between August 7th to August 18th, are each approximately 50 minutes in length.
Connect week will have in-person workshops with a livestream option.
Yes, students can choose to register for one, two, three, or all four courses.
During the real-time tutorial sessions, the EMBER courses run every day at the listed times provided during registration. If you are registering for more than one course, be sure to choose different time slots for each course to build your schedule for the two weeks.
Yes! Even if you are unable to attend any of the live tutorials, you can still register for EMBER and sign up for any time slot for each course for you to get access to the course’s recorded sessions. You can choose to watch the recorded sessions at your earliest convenience.
If you have signed up for a time you can no longer attend, make sure to email us at ember@mcmaster.ca and we can assign you to another time slot that suits your schedule. Moreover, if you need to attend a different time for a specific day because of scheduling issues, we are happy to accommodate, just send us an email!