The Engineering Summer Bridge program serves as the hallmark transition program for Gallogly College of Engineering and Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy students. Each summer, incoming first-year students descend onto OU’s campus for this four-week, residential program, which seeks to provide students with academic and psychosocial support while equipping them with a wide array of professional skillsets critical to exceling as a student at OU and adequately tackling the challenges facing our world.
The Engineering Summer Bridge program is a four-week, on-campus experience that runs each summer.
The Engineering Summer Bridge program has been designed to foster community and connection amongst engineering and science students. Through impactful mentorship with current students, interfacing with industry leaders, and intentional programming with college and campus resources, you will gain invaluable insight on how to navigate your time at OU.
During this one-month on-campus program, you will take a MATH course for OU credit, participate in a team-based engineering design project, and experience what Norman and Oklahoma City have to offer.
The program fee includes all on-campus lodging and meals, tuition and fees, design project supplies, and costs for off-campus programming.
Engineers profoundly shape nearly all aspects of modernized life, from innovative strategies focused on how society interfaces with technology to the deeply intertwined impacts of resource security and environmental sustainability. As the field of engineering continues to wrestle with complex, interconnected global challenges in an ever-changing world, engineers and scientists have been tasked to find solutions that meet both technical and sociopolitical constraints. Pulling inspiration from the poet John Donne, it has become apparent that “no engineer is an island” in and of themselves.
Engineering solutions rarely if ever happen in a bubble; rather, engineers must be capable of working in multidisciplinary teams with a wide range of stakeholders and community partners. To help better prepare Oklahoma’s next generation of engineers and scientists, the University of Oklahoma is dedicated to laying a strong foundation of success for incoming students each summer through the Engineering Summer Bridge program.
Since its inception in 2007, the Engineering Summer Bridge program has supported hundreds of engineers and touts a track record of proven success. Students who participate in this program begin creating their engineering network earlier, which supports them inside and outside the classroom. Engineering Summer Bridge alumni have gone on to lead student organizations across OU, participate in undergraduate research, internships, and co-ops, and have found great success post-graduation at companies like AT&T, Toyota, ExxonMobil, NASA, Chevron, and more.
Engineering Summer Bridge programming is built on three pillars
Throughout the program, students will participate in a hands-on collaborative project under the leadership of OU Engineering faculty. While previous projects have differed, some examples include designing a splash pad, programming a line-following robot, or developing a water treatment device.
The application for Engineering Summer Bridge 2025 will open on December 1, 2024.
The application deadline is April 1, 2025. Students are allowed to apply to the program if they are still awaiting an admission decision from the University - final program acceptance is contingent on acceptance to OU.
Please note, the application must be completed in one session. Essay prompts will be available online below when the application is live; it is recommended that students copy the essay prompts onto a separate document. Once students are ready to complete the Engineering Summer Bridge application, they can copy and paste answers onto the application form.
“The Engineering Summer Bridge Program helped me immensely regarding making connections. I was able to develop so many meaningful friendships and it made the transition to college so much easier as I had a feeling of familiarity. I enjoyed the weekend activities and the morning workouts.”
- Symantha Noel, Computer Engineering, San Antonio, TX
“Summer Bridge helped me make friends and get out of my comfort zone and helped me build my network. It prepared me for college. Summer Bridge challenged me academically, but it helped me to a great extent.”
- Gizelle Leija, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Dallas, TX
“Summer Bridge helped my transition into college and made it easy socially and academically. I enjoyed all the activities, and it gave me a head start coming into college. I’m really thankful for everyone behind the scenes and the people that we know who put in so much work to be able to give us this chance to do Summer Bridge.”
- Coleman Bixler, Computer Science, Yukon, OK
The fee per student is only $500, but a breakdown of the cost per student can be found below. The program fee includes all on-campus lodging and meals, tuition and fees, design project supplies, and costs for off-campus programming.
Payments cannot be submitted until participants receive notice of their acceptance into Engineering Summer Bridge. Thanks to our sponsors, Dolese, Williams and ConocoPhillips, whose generous donations allow us to offer the program at a greatly discounted price for students.
| Costs | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition + Fees | $959.49 | $2666.49 |
| Room + Board | $1633.75 | $1633.75 |
| Programming + Supplies | $981.92 | $981.92 |
| Comparable Total | $3575.16 | $5282.16 |
| Cost to You | $500 | $500 |
Do not send payment to the Bursar’s Office at OU. Detailed instructions regarding payments will be communicated students once they have been accepted into the program. Questions about program payments should be directed to the Director of the Engineering Summer Bridge Program at brandonabbott@ou.edu or (405) 325-3905.
Thank you to our corporate partners! Each year, these corporate partnerships help fund scholarships, social activities, and the programmatic elements that make Engineering Summer Bridge such a phenomenal program. Interested in becoming a corporate partner? Reach out to Brandon Abbott at brandonabbott@ou.edu.
Director, Engineering Summer Bridge Program
brandonabbott@ou.edu
(405) 325-3905
OU Gallogly College of Engineering
Gallogly Hall 115
173 Felgar Street
Norman, OK 73019
After each application deadline, students should expect to receive a response from our staff in two weeks. You will receive a response through both your OU and personal emails, as provided in your application. The email will contain forms for you to complete and bring with you to the Engineering Summer Bridge check-in. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail within two weeks or have trouble downloading the documents in the confirmation e-mail, please contact us at mep@ou.edu and we will verify your registration. Please also check your e-mail spam filter to ensure e-mails from mep@ou.edu have been marked as “not junk” and “always trust this sender.”
After you have been accepted into the Engineering Summer Bridge program, an email will be sent to both your OU and personal emails two weeks after the application deadline closes. Please make sure you read through the e-mail and complete the necessary forms on time.
First, read ALL of the program emails. Make sure all your registration paperwork has been completed. Do not forget to bring the paperwork to check-in! Secondly, please register and attend your New Sooner Orientation before the program starts. Then, get excited for the fun to begin!
Students will be staying in Dunham College, one of the on-campus residential halls. Do not forget to bring sheets for an extra-long twin-size bed, toiletries, towels, tennis shoes, jeans, and swimsuits. For a complete list of what to pack for Engineering Summer Bridge, please refer to your acceptance packet.
The Engineering Summer Bridge program offers free airport shuttle service to and from Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. This service will only be provided on the first day of the program (move-in) and the last day of the program (move-out). To request shuttle service, please mark on your information packet form that you will be arriving by air and need shuttle service. One of our staff members will contact you for further travel information.
Free airport transportation to campus will only be provided on the first and last day of the program between specified times. We provide this as a service for all of our students who are flying in from out-of-state.
*Note – Early arrival to the program is not allowed. We are only able to accommodate lodging for the program dates, so please book/plan travel accordingly!
If this is your situation, our program does not accommodate for students arriving early. Students will need to make their own accommodation arrangements prior to check-in for the Engineering Summer Bridge program.
Yes! Our staff will coordinate a date and time for students to enroll in their Fall classes and will notify the student of the details. However, we HIGHLY encourage completing your New Sooner Orientation before the start date of the program.
No. The Engineering Summer Bridge program requires students’ FULL participation for the entire duration of the program— no exceptions.
No. Students will not be allowed to leave campus, or the program, for any reason—no exceptions. The program director should be made aware of any questions or concerns regarding personal conflicts during the program dates as soon as possible.
I have already applied and been accepted to the program and can no longer attend. What do I need to do? Please email Brandon Abbott at brandonabbott@ou.edu immediately to let us know.
