Engineering

Your Career in Engineering Begins Here

Do you want to design and build machines, vehicles, bridges, tunnels, roads, or buildings? If you’re considering a career in engineering, you’ll find unmatched support and guidance from F&M’s STEM Professions Advising team.

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:

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.

Graduate School Preparation

Many F&M engineering students choose to pursue advanced degrees in engineering after graduating. With the help of OSPGD’s 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.

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

Student Spotlight

Explores ‘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 Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development (OSPGD). Pronounced “os-puh-god,” OSPGD prepares F&M students and graduates for success in every aspect of life beyond college.

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