Engineering Career Pathways

A young man manipulates equipment in a lab

Engineering Career Pathways

Explore a Career in Engineering

��Ƶians take their degrees in many different directions. ��Ƶ’s 3-2 engineering pathway offers you a powerful springboard to achieve your goal of earning a liberal arts degree and an engineering degree. After five years, you’ll hold two degrees: a B.A. from ��Ƶ and a B.S. from one of our 3-2 partner institutions. ��Ƶ’s partnerships with top-tier engineering programs at Washington University in St. Louis, Columbia University, the California Institute of Technology, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make it possible for you to spend three years at ��Ƶ, followed by two years at a cooperative engineering program.

With the solid foundation you get at ��Ƶ, you’ll thrive in your engineering classes. Your communication skills and ability to work well in teams will give you a head start on your engineering studies. And as technology evolves at an ever-faster rate, you’ll be able to adapt and succeed throughout your career, thanks to your ��Ƶ education.

Compared to students who start as engineering majors at engineering schools, students who participate in 3-2 programs through ��Ƶ are about twice as likely to graduate with an engineering degree.

Wondering what you need to do to get started on your 3-2 engineering pathway? No special application is needed. The 3-2 faculty adviser will help you develop a course plan that fulfills all the pre-engineering requirements. New students should meet with the 3-2 adviser before registering for their first semester of classes at ��Ƶ.

Compared to students who start as engineering majors at engineering schools, students who participate in 3-2 programs through ��Ƶ are about twice as likely to graduate with an engineering degree. Moreover, 3-2 graduates bring better soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, which will set you apart as a leader as you advance your career.

Pre-Engineering Pathways

There are several pathways you can follow to pursue an engineering degree after getting a head start here at ��Ƶ. In most cases, you’ll complete most of the B.A. requirements in your three years at ��Ƶ before moving on to an engineering program at another institution. The 3-2 program adviser will help you build your course schedule, choose a major, and explore partner schools.

Cooperative Programs at Partner Institutions

In the 3-2 pathway, students spend three years at ��Ƶ, where they receive extensive support in their studies, and two years in one of the engineering programs affiliated with ��Ƶ.

Dartmouth’s Dual Degree Program

Students interested in engineering can alternatively consider the year-long off-campus-study 2-1-1-1 track at .

Graduate Studies in Engineering

Direct admission to an engineering graduate program is almost exclusively limited to physics graduates. It can be the most efficient and economical way to earn a graduate degree in engineering.

Popular Majors for Students Interested in Engineering

Most 3-2 students major in science at ��Ƶ while also exploring other areas of study in the humanities and social sciences. ��Ƶ will give you the problem-solving, creative thinking, and communication skills that the College is known for. Writing well, speaking clearly, and thriving in collaborative environments are valuable in any field, but particularly for an aspiring engineer. You’ll complete most of the B.A. requirements in your three years at ��Ƶ. Here are a few of the majors commonly chosen by students interested in engineering.

Physics

Physics explores the fundamental principles and laws that govern the universe and develops problem-solving skills. The American Institute of Physics finds that about one-third of physics graduates who go directly into the workforce after graduation take engineering jobs.

Learn more about physics at ��Ƶ

Chemistry

Knowledge of chemistry is crucial for understanding materials, processes, and the impact of chemicals on engineering applications, and is particularly useful for chemical engineering.

Learn more about chemistry at ��Ƶ

Mathematics

Mathematical principles and problem-solving skills are valuable in all engineering disciplines, but particularly operations research and industrial engineering.

Learn more about the mathematics major

Explore all our majors and concentrations

Our Institutional Partners

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Program Requirements for Partner Institutions

(Please check affiliate’s individual requirements.)

Mathematics through Linear Algebra (Math 215) and Differential Equations (Math 220)
Two semesters of physics (Physics 131-132)
One semester of chemistry (Chemistry 129 or 210); more for chemical engineering programs
3.3 GPA; higher GPA is required for some programs and some schools

Program Requirements for the California Institute of Technology

Recommended: two additional courses in physics (Modern Physics and Mechanics)
A year of chemistry
Twenty-four semester hours of humanities and social studies. At least six of these hours must be in humanities (art, history, languages, literature, music, philosophy) and at least six hours must be in social studies (anthropology, economics, political science, psychology).

Program Requirements for Columbia University

One course in computing, a knowledge of C, C++, Java, Python, or MATLAB
One course of economics
27 non-technical credit hours

Program Requirements for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

One additional semester of physics
Four courses in humanities and social studies
Persons interested in chemical engineering should have a year of organic chemistry.
Those interested in environmental or biomedical engineering should have some cell biology.
A major at ��Ƶ must be completed, but credit to complete it can be transferred back from the engineering school. Usually a ��Ƶ major in chemistry, computer science, mathematics, or physics is required

Program Requirements for Washington University

One course in computing (CSC 161)
Fifteen hours of humanities and social studies, with at least six hours in humanities and at least three hours in social studies

Program Requirements for Dartmouth College

Because Dartmouth’s B.E. degree requires at least nine courses in math and science, preparing for your fifth year requires advance planning. We strongly encourage you to include upper-level courses that support your engineering interests in your studies at your home college. Examples include:

Linear algebra and differential equations
Electromagnetism and atomic physics
Organic and physical chemistry
Cell, molecular, or environmental biology

In addition, Dartmouth’s BE degree requires a full year’s worth of courses in the liberal arts (e.g., arts, languages, humanities, and social sciences), which may be drawn from courses taken here or at your home college.

There are many things I learned while getting my liberal arts education that I wouldn’t have been able to experience if I went straight to pursuing an engineering degree in a university, and vice versa.

Clinton Sabah ’21

I went to ��Ƶ because a wanted to be a well-rounded engineer. … I got confidence, really, in my own skills, in my own ability to learn and to lead.

Joe Beggs ’19, CEO at GENAssist and HIVE Medical

>90% of 3-2 students

complete their engineering degrees successfully

2x more likely

3-2 students are almost twice as likely to graduate with an engineering degree than students who major in engineering

83% of 2023 Graduates

were accepted to their first or second choice of graduate school and program

Career Exploration Experiences

The ��Ƶ College (CLS) should be your first stop when you’re ready to start thinking about a career in engineering and how to get there. The CLS offers lots of resources and support, including financial support, to help you find your career pathway. Students interested in an engineering career are also a good fit for ��Ƶ’s , which is advised and managed by experienced CLS staff. You’ll benefit from specialized advising while learning about engineering topics with your peers.

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Internships and Networking with Alumni and Recruiters

��Ƶ alumni in all areas of engineering are willing and eager to help students explore different career pathways. Internships, summer research experiences, externships, and job shadowing with alumni in engineering all provide good insights into what it it is like to work as an engineer in a particular field. The Science, Engineering, and Sustainability career community leader can help you connect with ��Ƶ alumni in the professional engineering field that appeals to you.

Connecting with Recruiters

Connecting with recruiters is useful for physics majors who want to go directly into engineering jobs after they graduate. Your CLS adviser can help connect you with recruiters.

Winter Break Courses

Washington University offers winter break courses (Intro to Mechanical Engineering and Intro to Electrical Engineering) that provide insights into what it would be like to take engineering courses.

Funding for Career-Building Experiences

Interested in an unpaid internship, but can’t afford to live in a faraway city without a paycheck? CLS may be able to help. Financial support for internships, transportation, professional clothing, and more are available for students with need.

Math equations are written on a window, behind which are sillhouetes of people.

3-2 Engineering Programs Give ��Ƶians the Best of Both Worlds

��Ƶ’s 3-2 partnerships grant students their B.A., B.S., and an engineering education unlike any other.

Nick Hunter in warm clothing near a spillway

How a Spanish Major Can Help with an Engineering Graduate Degree

Talk about flexible. Nick Hunter ’15 is using the skills he developed as a Spanish major in his graduate program in engineering.

Resources for Students Interested in Engineering

Advising recommendations for Pre-Engineering students

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