Gettysburg
College
Physics Department
STUDENT HANDBOOK
The Dual-Degree
Engineering Program
| "Although
we modern persons tend to take our electric lights, radios, mixers, etc.,
for granted, hundreds of years ago people did not have any of these things,
which is just as well because there was no place to plug them in....
What
in the world is electricity? And where does it go after it leaves the toaster?"
-Dave
Barry
"It is a great profession. There is the
satisfaction of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the
aid of science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realization in stone
or metal or energy. Then it brings jobs and homes.... elevates the standards
of living and adds to the comforts of life. That is the engineer's high
privilege." -Herbert Hoover
|
 |
Looking for an opportunity to
pursue a specialized career in engineering on a broad and solid liberal
arts foundation? The Dual-Degree Engineering
 Program at Gettysburg College
is operated in collaboration with Columbia
University,
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, and
Washington
University in St. Louis. In the past, Gettysburg College
students such as George Settle '80 and Alfred Kenlin, '95, concentrating
on mechanical engineering, and Alejandro Soberano,'91 and Haitong
Wang,'96, concentrating on electrical engineering, have taken advantage
of this program to obtain their degrees from Washington University
at St. Louis. Bill Fehringer,'00, Julia Lynch,'02
and Ben Dickman,'03, have
successfully completed
their 3-2 studies at Columbia University. Marek
Danis,''06, successfully completed his classes and degree at Columbia.
Brian O'Neill, Class of '92, obtained his degree in civil engineering at Penn
State, in addition to his physics degree at Gettysburg, so keep in mind that
other collaborations may be possible, as well!
 Students in this program normally attend Gettysburg
for three years and then complete the program in two more years at the
applicable school of engineering. A student completing the program will
receive both an engineering degree from the engineering school and a bachelor
of arts or science degree from Gettysburg College. Its design encourages:
-
Students who are interested both in liberal arts
and in engineering to pursue both goals. The liberal arts have a
significant role to play in the education of engineers, and many engineering
firms are increasingly seeking engineers with a liberal arts background
because of their communication and writing skills. Because engineers conceive
and apply technology for service to mankind, it is important that engineers
have an understanding of society's cultural and ethical values, and the
ability to articulate those values.
-
Students interested in engineering, but not yet
certain of their commitment to the field. In the Dual-Degree Engineering
Program at Gettysburg, students can investigate other fields simultaneously
with engineering, thus allowing those whose interests change to switch
majors without the loss of too much valuable time in proceeding towards
their degrees.
The Dual-Degree Program also introduces students
to engineering more gradually than an engineering school does. While this
point is important for able students who may need time to mature, one should
not make the mistake of considering the cooperative program as an easy
way to get an engineering degree. By the time these students leave Gettysburg,
they will be expected to compete with upper-class engineers, and our curriculum
is designed to prepare them for that.
The cooperative agreements Gettysburg has with
these institutions give preferred status for transfer to recommended Gettysburg
students. Although these agreements do not guarantee admission to the engineering
institution, no student who has been recommended for transfer has ever
been refused admission. Students should note, however, that in most instances
a 3.00 average is required for recommendation by the Department. In certain
cases such as electrical engineering, where student enrollment in engineering
schools is very competitive, an even higher GPA may be required. RPI, for
example now requires transfer students admitted to their electrical engineering
department to have maintained a 3.3 grade average.
Since students must satisfy Gettysburg's distribution
requirements and also take the necessary science and engineering courses
within three years, it is very important to plan schedules carefully with
the help of their academic advisors. Any student considering transferring
after junior year is strongly urged to speak with the coordinator for this
program as soon as possible, to obtain assistance in determining
the specific requirements of the engineering discipline in which she/he
may be interested.
|
|
A typical1 schedule for a Dual-Degree
student goes something like this:
JUNIOR YEAR:
| FALL |
|
|
SPRING |
|
Chemistry
107 |
|
|
Chemistry
108 |
|
Math
225 |
|
|
Distribution Requirement/Elective |
| Distribution Requirement/Elective |
|
|
Distribution Requirement/Elective |
| Economics 101 |
|
|
Elective |
| Elective |
|
|
Elective |
1This is a typical schedule that will differ from
student to student, depending on the engineering discipline pursued. Chemical
engineers, for example, are normally required to take two semesters of
organic chemistry, and an additional semester of physics may be required
by some schools for electrical engineering and related disciplines. Some
electives, therefore, may have to be selected to fill certain requirements.
At least one distribution requirement
must satisfy Gettysburg College's non-western requirement. Students
planning to attend Washington University will have to choose distribution
requirements very carefully. Washington requires that a student take a
three-course sequence in some social science, arts or humanities discipline.
A student wishing to complete the Dual-Degree
Program at Columbia University may select from the following fields:
| Applied Geophysics |
Engineering Mechanics |
| Applied Physics |
Environmental Engineering |
| Bioengineering |
Industrial Engineering |
| Biomechanics |
Metallurgy/Materials Science |
| Chemical Engineering |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Civil Engineering |
Mineral Engr/Chemical Metal. |
| Computer Science |
Mining Engineering |
| Electrical Engineering |
Nuclear Engineering |
| Operations Research |
4-2 options:
Qualified students who wish to graduate from Gettysburg
prior to entering Columbia can also complete the requirements for a B.S.
degree in engineering in two years.
Rensselaer offers B.S. degrees in the following
engineering and science fields:
| Aeronautical Engineering |
Engineering Science |
| Biomedical Engineering |
Environmental Engineering |
| Chemical Engineering |
Management Engineering |
| Civil Engineering |
Materials Engineering |
| Computer/Systems Engineering |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Electric Power Engineering |
Mechanics |
| Electrical Engineering |
Nuclear Engineering |
3-3 Program:
RPI also offers a 3-3 program. A student would
complete his/her junior year at Gettysburg and then transfer to RPI for
an additional three years. This program, which requires a slightly superior
record than the 3-2 plan, completes the requirements for the bachelor's
degree at Gettysburg and the B.S. and the Master of Engineering degrees
at RPI.
4-2 Program:
Graduates of Gettysburg in the physical sciences
or mathematics who have superior records may qualify for admission to RPI
after graduation to work on a Master of Science degree.
Note: RPI has an interesting web site,
Project
Links. Designed to develop educational materials that link mathematical
topics with applications in engineering and science, which you might find
both informative and useful.
Washington University offers the following engineering
and science fields to Dual-Degree students:
| Chemical Engineering |
Engineering and Public Policy |
| Civil Engineering |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Computer Science Systems |
Science and Engineering |
| Electrical Engineering |
Combined Degree Programs:
Students may also elect the combined B.S.-M.S.
program and earn both degrees in six semesters of work at Washington University.
A combined B.S. (Engineering)-M.B.A. (Graduate School of Business Administration)
is also available. Again, the program requires a minimum of three years
or six semesters of work at Washington University after three years at
Gettysburg.
Other Options in Engineering:
While Gettysburg does not maintain cooperative
engineering agreements with other institutions, it may still be possible
to transfer to an engineering institution other than Columbia University,
RPI, or Washington University - the Universities of Illinois, Iowa, Pittsburgh
and Delaware, for example. In these cases, students had to petition the
Gettysburg Academic Standing Committee, but approval was not difficult
to obtain. As in the other cooperative agreements, students were able to
receive degrees from both institutions.
Students may, of course, decide for one reason
or another to stay at Gettysburg for four years, even though they still
want to become engineers. Those who have obtained B.A. degrees at Gettysburg
College with a major in physics and with appropriate grades, will be accepted
with full standing by many institutions into their engineering master's
degree programs. Our web sites on
curriculum
and
graduate
study contain additional information on this possibility.
If you would like to speak with a professor
regarding this program and its possibilities for you, please feel
free to contact Dr. Sharon Stephenson.
She would be pleased to hear from you!
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"Anything one man can imagine,
others will make real." -Jules
Verne |
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Guide to Physics
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