Engineering (dual degree)

College of Arts & Sciences at Maryville University and
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Washington University

Maryville and Washington University cooperate in a unique dual degree program that offers students the opportunity to earn a liberal arts degree from Maryville and an undergraduate degree in engineering. Students may choose to follow either a 3-2 or a 4-2 schedule, entering Washington University after their junior or senior year. Those students choosing the 3-2 option earn an undergraduate degree in Science from Maryville, while those in the 4-2 program may select from a variety of majors in the arts and sciences.

Program Features

The dual degree Program in Engineering and Applied Sciences provides students interested in careers in engineering with an attractive alternative to the traditional, highly structured engineering curriculum. This program will provide you with a strong liberal arts background to help you become a "liberally educated engineers" with strong communication and problems solving skills, a broad background in the humanities and social sciences, strong social skills and an ability to work effectively in teams, and a high-quality technical education. In addition, you get to explore diverse academic areas and interests before making a career decision and you have the opportunity to earn two degrees in only five years.  

Advantages of our Dual Degree Program include:

• Opportunity to explore a variety of career options before committing yourself to a specific career path
• Opportunity to learn, grow, and develop science and life skills and confidence in the highly personalized and nurturing educational environment of Maryville University
• Time to engage in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, such as athletics and the social life of a highly engaged Maryville campus community
• An engineering degree from one of the most prestigious and highly ranked universities in the nation.
  

Degree Offerings

Students who choose the 3-2 option earn an undergraduate B.S. degree in Science from Maryville and a B.S in Engineering from Washington University, whereas those who choose the 4-2 may select other majors in the arts and sciences, including biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or biomedical science.

Programs of study for Washington University dual degree students are the same as those available to other students in the School of Engineering & Applied Science and include:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Systems Science & Engineering

B.S/M.S. Program in Engineering

Maryville/Washington University Dual Degree Program students may apply for admission to a combined bachelor's and Master's engineering program after their first year at Washington University, except for biomedical engineering. Students who are admitted typically complete both degrees in a total of 6 semesters at Washington University.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

In addition to financial aid available through Maryville University, most students receive some form of need-based assistance upon entering the Washington University Dual Degree Program.

Full tuition and half-tuition Harold P. Brown Engineering Fellowships are also available at Washington University. The Brown Fellowships are typically given to students with strong academic records and that can demonstrate leadership in a collaborative environment.

For more information about Maryville financial aid and scholarships, e-mail the Financial Aid Office or call 314.529.9360. 

Admission Requirements

1. Institutional Recommendation and Receipt of a Second Degree. The Maryville Dual Degree liaison officer must sign two forms to certify aptitude for engineering study. This will attest you are expected to complete a bachelor's degree no later than receipt of the engineering degree from Washington University.
2. Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average. A GPA of B+ (3.25/4.0) or better, both overall and in science and mathematics courses is required for admission to the Dual Degree Program. Applicants with lower GPAs are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Recent Washington University Facts & Figures for Dual-Degree Students

Most dual-degree students complete the program and graduate from Washington University with their Engineering Degrees.

Washington University provides free tutoring to their 3-2 dual degree engineering majors in all coursework—even upper-level engineering courses.

An analysis of the graduating class in May 2010 revealed that every student that wanted a job—had one. The starting salaries of those graduates ranged from $58,000 to $67,000 annually.

Washington University provides strong career services to their engineering majors, including training for interviews, several hours a week are dedicated just to engineering students.

Last year, out of all students applying to transfer (start date of Fall 2010) under the dual-degree engineering program with a variety of home institutions, only one student was rejected. Provided the above admissions requirements are met, it is "more than likely" that students will be admitted.

Professional/Career Opportunities

 "Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs. Many engineers develop new products. During the process, they consider several factors. For example, in developing an industrial robot, engineers specify the functional requirements precisions; design and test the robot's components; integrate the components to produce the final design; and evaluate the design's overall effectiveness, cost, reliability and safety. This applies to the development of many different products, such as chemicals, computers, power plants, helicopters, and toys….. Many engineers work in testing, production, or maintenance. These engineers supervise production in factories, determine the causes of a component's failure, and test manufactured products to maintain quality." (Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-2011 Edition)

Most engineers specialize. Some of the areas in which Dual Degree students may specialize include the following (excerpted from Job Occupation Handbook, 2010-2011):

Biomedical– Biomedical engineers develop devices and procedures that solve medical and health-related problems by combining their knowledge of biology and medicine with engineering principles and practices. Many do research, along with medical scientists, to develop and evaluate systems and products such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, and health management and care delivery systems. Biomedical engineers are expected to have employment growth of 72 percent over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. The aging of the population and a growing focus on health issues will drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. 
Chemical – Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals and other products. They design equipment and processes for large-scale chemical manufacturing, plan and test methods of manufacturing products and treating byproducts, and supervise production. Some specialize in a particular field, such nanomaterials. 
Electrical – Electrical engineers design, develop, test and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment, including electric motors, machines controls, lighting, radar and navigation systems, and power generation and transmission devices. They also design the electrical systems of automobiles and aircraft.
Mechanical – Mechanical engineers research, design, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. This is one of the broadest engineering disciplines.
Computer Engineering – Computer engineers research, design, develop, test, and oversee the manufacture and installation of hardware, including computer chips, circuit boards, computer systems, and related equipment.

Overall Job Outlook – Overall job opportunities in engineering are expected to be good, and, indeed, prospects will be excellent in certain specialties. Biomedical engineers should experience the fastest growth.

Salaries– As a group engineers earn some of the highest average starting salaries among those holding bachelor's degrees. Average starting salary for graduates of bachelor's degree programs in engineering, according to a July 2009 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, showed the following:

General Education Requirements

I. Literacy
    A. INTD 101 University Seminar
    B. ENGL 101 Composition: Theme Writing
    C. ENGL 104 Composition: The Essay
II. Humanities
    A. Fine Arts (1 course in art, music, performance, or aesthetics)
    B. Literature/language ( 1 course)
    C. Philosophy (1 course)
    D. Humanities (2 courses)
        1. Humanities 101/301 required
        2. One additional elective from ENGL, Fine Arts, Foreign Language, HUM,PHIL, REL)
III. Social Sciences (3 courses)
    A. American history or government
    B. Electives (at least two disciplines in ECON, HIST, PSCI, PSYC, SOC

Required Courses:

Mathematics (5 courses)
    • MATH 151 Calculus I (4 cr)
    • MATH 152 Calculus II (4cr)
    • MATH 251 Calculus III (4 cr)
    • MATH 315 Applied Linear Algebra
    • MATH 320 Applied Differential Equations
Science Core (7 courses + completion of a minor in one of the sciences)
    • CHEM 103 General Chemistry I (4cr)
    • CHEM 104 General Chemistry II (4cr)
    • BIOL 117 General Biology I (4cr)
    • BIOL 118 General Biology II (4cr)
    • PHYS 153 Calculus-based Physics I (4cr)
    • PHYS 154 Calculus-based Physics II (4cr)
    • Computer Science – one course in a high-level programming language
    • Completion of a minor in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical science, or physics

Completion of B.S. in Engineering Program at Washington University

 

Additional courses required for application to Washington University:

Additionally, students must complete specific course requirements for application into some of the engineering programs at Washington University

For Biomedical Engineering

BIOL 206 General Microbiology (4cr)
CHEM 203 Organic Chemistry I (4cr)
CHEM 204 Organic Chemistry II (4cr)

Electrical Engineering

—no additional coursework required for application in 2010

For Chemical Engineering

CHEM 203 Organic Chemistry I (4cr)
CHEM 204 Organic Chemistry II (4cr)
ENV 112 Environmental Science (4cr)
MATLAB proficiency strongly recommended

For Computer Science & Computer Engineering

Additional computer programming courses selected with adviser, including a second programming language

Mechanical Engineering

—no additional coursework required for application in 2010

Systems Science & Engineering

—no additional coursework required for application in 2010