At the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) there has been a great effort in curriculum redesign.  Many institutions of higher learning have responded to curriculum reform encouraged by the initiatives created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) coalitions. In addition, the need for curriculum reform has been expressed by industrial colleagues, entering students, administrators, and faculty. In response to these inputs, a disciplinary introductory freshman engineering design oriented program was initiated at NJIT in 1992 to introduce entering freshman to "real engineering" up front. In 1995, follow-up courses incorporating concepts of manufacturing with the engineering design principles were introduced for the second semester of the freshman year. Based on the history of the development of the various experimental freshman engineering courses at our Institute, and with pressure on the engineering curriculum to reduce credit hours, a review of the departmental programs was initiated to consolidate the freshman year experience. This re-evaluation at NJIT was institutionalized in the Spring of 1999 by the decision of the College of Engineering Faculty.