Engineering
About STEM Professions Advising: Engineering
Engineering is available through F&M’s STEM Professions Advising as a supplement to your chosen major. While you won’t declare this major until your sophomore year, your STEM Professions Advising experience will begin the moment you step on campus. It’s important to begin your engineering journey early because if you’re interested in pursuing a degree in engineering, you have multiple options to do so.
Dual Degree Programs
Recognizing the strong foundation that a liberal arts education provides for the engineering field, four top-ranked engineering institutions partner with F&M to offer students extraordinary opportunities to earn a degree in engineering. By the time you complete the program, you will hold a bachelor of arts degree in the major of your choice from F&M, as well as a bachelor of science degree in an engineering discipline of your choice from one of our four partner institutions:
- Case Western Reserve University’s Case School of Engineering
- Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Engineering
- Washington University’s McKelvey School of Engineering
You have the option of spending three or four years at F&M, during which time you’ll complete all requirements for your chosen major, all F&M general education requirements, and all pre-engineering coursework for your chosen engineering school. You will then transfer to that engineering school for two years to complete the program.
One of our partner schools, Washington University’s McKelvey School of Engineering, also offers F&M students the option to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in engineering in exchange for spending one additional year in the program.
If you have questions about the dual degree programs, please reach out to Mike Vitlip, director of legal & STEM professions advising, at mike.vitlip@fandm.edu.
Graduate School Preparation
Research Opportunities
Success Beyond F&M
Our graduates are prepared to pursue advanced degrees or begin their chosen careers from day one. The intellectual, analytical, technical, and communications skills you’ll earn at F&M are valuable for any post-college plan in engineering.
Graduate School
Past F&M students have pursued advanced degrees in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, data science, materials science, mechanical engineering, and robotics. They’ve secured admission to top programs at institutions including:- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- New York University
- Penn State University
- Purdue University
- Tufts University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Washington University
Career Paths
An engineering degree can lead to a career in a wide variety of fields. F&M alumni hold positions such as:- Engineer
- Aerospace Engineer
- Chemical Engineer
- Electronic Engineer
- Field Service Engineer
- Human Factors Engineer
- Network Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Systems Engineer
Alumni Spotlight
“I can have good knowledge of science and great engineering opportunities without compromising one to do more in the other.”
Huaizhi Liu ’24 noted three reasons he chose to attend F&M: small class sizes, exploration prior to choosing a major, and the College’s dual-degree engineering programs. Liu, who double majored in computational physics and biochemistry and molecular biology, said, “Finishing a science major and then an engineering major can be very beneficial; I can have good knowledge of science and great engineering opportunities without compromising one to do more in the other.”Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
Exploring ‘Core Spirit’ of Today's Engineering Studies
Yusong (Sebastian) Deng '24 explored a project he called the "core spirit" of today's engineering studies: engineering for humanity. He spent a summer working as a student researcher in the School of Applied Science and Engineering of Columbia University in New York. "I corresponded with about 10 students on a project about coastal flood validation," he said. "Our work focused on verifying the current model of the giant shallow water system and its dynamics."Read More »
Related Fields of Study
Chemistry
How is chemistry essential to the understanding of physical, geological and biological phenomena? By studying chemistry at F&M, you’ll explore the study of matter and how it undergoes changes, discovering how chemistry connects to a range of disciplines, from technology, oceanography, medicine and more.
Computer Science
As technology evolves and our understanding of computerized systems increases, computer science has become more advanced. At F&M, you’ll explore this ever-changing field, learning the mathematical basis of modern computer science, gaining technical and programming skills, and understanding how to put theory into practice.
Physics
From questions about the origins of the universe to integral inquiries about magnetism and electricity, the study of physics reshapes the way we perceive the natural world. Physics at F&M provides ways for you to examine complicated natural systems, explain your observations, and develop models that predict future behaviors.
Beyond Career Services
STEM Professions Advising is offered through F&M’s Center for Career and Professional Development. The Career Center cultivates professional development experiences that embolden students to design and navigate fulfilling careers with courage and curiosity.
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