Engineering Major, B.S.E.

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree is a practical, flexible engineering program which requires a solid foundation in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and communications as well as the engineering science core. A total of 130 hours are required in the four-year Bachelor of Science in Engineering program. Fifteen hours of mathematics through differential equations, and 14 hours of chemistry and physics are required. All engineering students also must complete the University Core requirement. At least 63 hours of engineering courses are required – 33 hours of engineering core classes, including intro to engineering and intro to design, statics, dynamics, strength of materials, electrical circuits, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and 30 hours of engineering electives.

An engineering student can complete the program in four to five years, depending on the student’s mathematical proficiency at the time of entrance to the program. The four-year track is for students who enter USI prepared for MATH 230   (Calculus I) in their first semester. Those students who do not enter the program ready for MATH 230  will take an additional three to eight hours of mathematics courses necessary to raise their mathematical abilities to a required level and three to six hours of additional engineering courses designed to improve their problem-solving skills.

The engineering degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET). In addition to full course offerings in the daytime, courses in the engineering curricula are regularly offered at night to accommodate students whose personal schedules limit their access to daytime course offerings. Cooperative education opportunities are available to students enrolled in engineering. The co-op experience is designed to assist the student in developing an understanding of human relationships and in learning to work with others as a member of an engineering team. Individual growth is enhanced by the realization that, in addition to demonstrating theoretical knowledge, one also is learning to become an integral part of the working interrelationship between the academic and professional worlds. On the job and at the University, the co-op student obtains first-hand knowledge of professional practices, expectancies, and opportunities. At the same time, the student is offered a realistic test of career interest and aptitude. Participation in this program enables the student to make a more intelligent selection of a position after graduation.

In accord with the University’s transfer policy (found in the undergraduate admission requirements and regulations section), the faculty of the engineering department examine on a case-by-case basis the transcripts of students transferring from other institutions. Failure to achieve a grade of C or better in a required engineering course at another institution will necessitate repeating the course.

Petition for permission to waive any program requirements must be approved by the chair of the engineering department. After admission into the engineering program, required engineering courses may be taken at another institution for transfer of credit only when approved in advance by both the student’s advisor and the department chair.