Biomedical engineers link biology, medicine, and engineering to improve human health. Biomedical engineers may work closely with medical doctors to design and evaluate prosthetic devices (e.g., heart valves, spinal and hip implants); work with computer analysis of medical images; work with new materials for implants and tissue-engineered implants; and use computers to analyze genetic structures and functions. This major is commonly used as a route to medical school. The Department of Biomedical Engineering fosters interdisciplinary activities across departments and colleges and maintains strong ties with the Carver College of Medicine.

Each student prior to completing their second year will need to choose a focus area that best fits their goals for their degree.

• Sample Four-Year Plan and Focus Areas 
• BME Plan of Study form

Chemical engineers use the industrial application of chemicals to make or improve the world around us. They use microbes to produce pharmaceuticals and chemicals; develop new sources of energy; create artificial organs; and design the next generation of polymers. They construct synthetic fibers to make clothes more comfortable, develop methods to mass-produce drugs, making them more affordable, and create safer, more efficient methods of refining petroleum products, making energy more productive and cost effective.

Each student prior to completing their second year will need to choose a focus area that best fits their goals for their degree.

• Sample Four-Year Plan (click on General 4-year Plan)
• Focus Areas
• Plan of Study submission form

Civil and environmental engineers work with technology, people, and nature in designing and managing essential elements of society’s infrastructure such as highways, bridges, buildings, tunnels, dams, and water-supply systems. They also devise environmentally friendly ways to manage and process society's waste, destroy toxic substances, remove pollutants from the water or the air; and ensure the sustainable well-being of the built and natural environments.

Each student prior to completing their second year will need to choose a focus area that best fits their goals for their degree.

• Sample Four-Year Plan (click Civil Engineering Curriculum Guide)
• Focus Areas
• Plan of Study form

Computer engineering combines the best of electrical engineering and computer science to design and build the systems that power our digital world. From smartphones and smart homes to self-driving cars and artificial intelligence, computer engineers create the hardware and software that make modern technology possible.

Students in the computer engineering program learn how computers work from the ground up, i.e., from circuits and microprocessors to high performance computer architecture, software systems, and machine learning. They gain hands-on experience designing electronic systems, programming embedded devices, and developing intelligent systems that sense, think, and respond to their environment.

Our curriculum bridges hardware and software, giving students the skills to design everything from low-level computer chips to high-level computing applications. Coursework includes digital design, computer architecture, programming, software design, data structures, algorithms, embedded systems, internet of things, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Graduates of the program are well prepared for careers in industries such as computing, software design, hardware design, communications, robotics, developing smart devices, healthcare technology, artificial intelligence, and more. They also have a strong foundation for graduate study in fields like computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, or computer science.

In short, computer engineering is where innovation meets implementation. Computer Engineers turn ideas into the smart technologies that shape our future.

The major provides technical depth and breadth as well as flexibility and the opportunity for students to customize their programs according to their own goals. Students choose one of several focus areas according to the type of job or research they plan to pursue. More than 20 focus areas are available. Students also have the opportunity to work with their academic advisor to build a focus area plan that adheres to their goals and objectives. Focus areas allow students to personalize their curriculum and prepare them for the jobs or research they intend to pursue.

In their senior year, students complete a two-semester capstone design sequence culminating in a significant, original project.

Programs designed to lead to professional licensure are subject to federal regulations regarding informational disclosures. Please see Professional Licensure Disclosures by Program for further information.

Computer and electrical engineers work at the core of many technologies we take for granted including: electrical power, wireless communication, consumer electronics, digital computing, computer software, computer networks, electronic databases, automatic controls, medical imaging, remote sensing, and the miniature devices that make all of these technologies possible.

Electrical engineers find employment in all of these areas and, more generally, anywhere smart technology is employed. They consistently rank among the most sought after, and highest paid, technology professionals. Electrical engineering is also an excellent starting point for further study in medicine, law, and business.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering fosters interdisciplinary activities across many departments and colleges and maintains particularly strong ties with the Carver College of Medicine, the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the Department of Computer Science.

• Sample Four-Year Plan 
• Focus Areas
• ECE Forms

Electrical engineers work at the core of many technologies we take for granted including: electrical power, wireless communication, consumer electronics, digital computing, computer software, computer networks, electronic databases, automatic controls, medical imaging, remote sensing, and the miniature devices that make all of these technologies possible.

Electrical engineers find employment in all of these areas and, more generally, anywhere smart technology is employed. They consistently rank among the most sought after, and highest paid, technology professionals. Electrical engineering is also an excellent starting point for further study in medicine, law, and business.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering fosters interdisciplinary activities across many departments and colleges and maintains particularly strong ties with the Carver College of Medicine, the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the Department of Computer Science.

• Sample Four-Year Plan
• Focus Areas
• ECE Forms

Civil and environmental engineers work with technology, people, and nature in designing and managing essential elements of society’s infrastructure such as highways, bridges, buildings, tunnels, dams, and water-supply systems. They also devise environmentally friendly ways to manage and process society's waste, destroy toxic substances, remove pollutants from the water or the air; and ensure the sustainable well-being of the built and natural environments.

Each student prior to completing their second year will need to choose a focus area that best fits their goals for their degree.

• Sample Four-Year Plan (click Environmental Engineering Curriculum Guide)
• Focus Areas
• Plan of Study form

Industrial engineers organize the people, information, energy, materials, and machines involved in the production process, focusing on plant design and management, quality control, and the human factors of engineering, e.g. how humans can best interact with technology. Industrial engineers may use integrated design and manufacturing techniques to renovate the production systems of a Fortune 500 company; develop data-mining tools to analyze and optimize patient care in a major hospital; assess driver distraction due to cell phone use in automobiles and develop safer driver assistance systems.

Each student prior to completing their second year will need to choose a focus area (FA) that best fits their goals for their degree.

• Sample Four-Year Plan  
• Focus Areas
• Focus Area Form

Mechanical engineers use energy principles and mechanics to design machines such as engines and motors. Mechanical engineers work in the areas of automotive, robotics, manufacturing, and in the design of machines. They may develop robots for space exploration; use a computer to simulate freezing of human cells; improve devices to utilize alternative energy sources, such as fuel cells, wind turbines, and solar energy converters.

• Mechanical engineering courses
• Focus areas
• Plan of Study form

Students can join the College of Engineering as Undeclared Engineering. The sample plan for Undeclared Engineering only provides suggested coursework for the first three semesters since requirements begin to vary more in the third semester and beyond. Students are encouraged to declare their major before taking coursework in the third semester on the sample plan to ensure progress toward completion of their declared degree.