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Pre-Engineering

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Engineered for Impact

Solve real-world problems with analytical inquiry, creative curiosity, hands-on experimentation, and collaborative teamwork. At F&M, you can lay the groundwork for an engineering degree on a liberal arts foundation, integrating your major with our STEM career community and degree partnerships.

About Pre-Engineering at F&M

Engineering is a specialized career pathway at F&M. Rather than a standalone major or minor, you will build a distinctive experience, pairing a major like physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and biology with targeted engineering preparation.

In F&M's liberal arts environment, you'll have the advantage of building skills that top engineering graduate programs and employers seek, including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and humanist perspectives, on top of the strong research, and quantitative and analytical foundation you'd expect. Guided by F&M's STEM career community and your expert professors, you’ll explore high-impact options like flexible degree partnerships, specialized mentored research and engineering-related projects, access to cutting-edge analytical equipment, and tailored career tracks, equipping you with the exact skills to launch your future in engineering.

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:

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 Beth Grimm, Director of STEM Professions Advising, at beth.grimm@fandm.edu.

Graduate School Preparation

Many F&M engineering students choose to pursue advanced degrees in engineering after graduating. With the help of the STEM Professions Advising team, you can learn which courses, skills, and experiences you need to be a competitive graduate school applicant.

Research Opportunities 

While most undergraduate institutions reserve research opportunities for their graduate programs, we want you to engage now — not later. At F&M, you’ll find numerous opportunities to dive into practice and enjoy hands-on experience in and out of the classroom.
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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

Some F&M students choose to complete their entire undergraduate degree at F&M before enrolling directly in graduate programs in various disciplines, including:
  • Aerospace engineering
  • Biomedical engineering
  • Civil engineering
  • Computer engineering
  • Data science
  • Industrial engineering
  • Materials science
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Operations research
  • Robotics
They’ve secured admission to top programs at institutions, including:
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Columbia University
  • Cornell University
  • Duke University
  • George Mason 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
Explore Success Beyond F&M »

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.”

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

learn more »

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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