Montana State University is once again offering a unique opportunity for high school students from around the state to get a taste of what it’s like to pursue a degree in engineering or computer science.

The annual Shadow Day will be held Thursday, Oct. 19. The event pairs visiting students with MSU engineering and computer science majors for a day of classes and labs, fun activities, informational sessions, tours of the college’s facilities and more. Shadow Day is free and is open to high school students in their sophomore to senior years.

The event can be particularly impactful for students from rural Montana towns who might have limited exposure to engineering and computer science in their schools and are less certain to consider studying in these fields, according to Jennifer Clark, event organizer and assistant dean for student success and retention in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

“What we see is that kids in these communities are just as excited about engineering and computer science as anyone else. They just need to have the experience for themselves,” Clark said. “They have to believe that they can be a college student in these majors.”

This year, participants will also have the option of shadowing students in the U.S. Army and Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC programs. The engineering college recently launched a NACOE-ROTC Community that supports academic the success, leadership development and resiliency of student cadets capable of becoming the world's best leaders, Clark said.

For more information and to register, visit coe.montana.edu/shadow. The deadline for registration is Sept. 29.