Pre-Engineering

Program Advisor: Lyle Lichty

Although Cornell College does not offer an engineering degree, students at Cornell have several options by which to prepare for a career in engineering. Through the Combined Degrees Program in Engineering, students may enter an engineering school after three years at Cornell and then transfer credits back to complete the Cornell degree. Some students may prefer to finish their degree at Cornell and then spend two to three years at an engineering school to obtain the Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Students may also directly enter a graduate program in engineering after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Cornell, usually with a major in one of the natural sciences, mathematics, or computer science.

The best option for a particular student depends on the intended field of engineering and on whether or not the student plans to obtain a professional engineering license. For this reason, students should consult with the pre-engineering advisor during their first year of study at Cornell.

Combined Degrees Program in Engineering

The Combined Degree Program in Engineering (three years at Cornell and two to three years at an approved university) is designed for students who wish to become professional engineers. A student who completes this five to six year sequence will receive a baccalaureate degree from Cornell College and the Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an approved engineering school.

To be recommended by Cornell College for the Combined Degree Program in Engineering, a student must have satisfied the requirements set forth in the course catalogue under ``Degree Programs in Combination with Professional Schools,'' and have successfully completed the following prerequisites for admission to an engineering program:

MAT 121 (Calculus of a Single Variable)
MAT 122 (Calculus of Several Variables)
MAT 221 (Linear Algebra)
MAT 236 (Differential Equations)
PHY 111, 112, and 114 (General Physics I, II, and Laboratory)
CHE 121 and 122 (Chemical Principles I and II) or 161 (Accelerated General Chemistry)
CSC 140 (Foundations of Computer Science).
For those planning to specialize in chemical engineering, CHE 225, 326, and 327 (Organic Chemistry I, II, and Laboratory) are also required.

Interested students should contact the pre-engineering advisor during their first year at Cornell.

Advantages of Pre-engineering at Cornell

We believe our program offers a number of advantages over many larger undergraduate engineering programs. First, students are typically able to enjoy much smaller class sizes and personalized attention in all their lower-level courses. Second, they are able to explore all the opportunities inherent in a liberal arts atmosphere, possibly even settling on a path other than engineering along the way. Third, they gain access to specialized engineering programs at the point where it matters most: in their upper-level courses specific to their chosen engineering specialty.