3-2 Engineering Program

Christina Bauer

Seamus Lagan

Serkan Zorba, Program Coordinator

Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to solve real world problems ranging from building bridges to designing computer chips. Whittier College has established cooperative programs with engineering schools at a number of prestigious universities, allowing students to benefit from the broad intellectual training offered by a liberal arts college and the technical training offered by an engineering school. Students in the 3-2 program normally spend three years at Whittier College and two years attending an engineering school. The five-year program leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whittier College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from a university. The Engineering 3-2 Program web page, accessible through the Whittier College web page and at http://www.whittier.edu/Academics/3-2EngineeringProgram/, provides up-to-date information and announcements important to students planning to complete the program.

Guidelines for the Three-Two Program in Engineering

To be recommended for admission to engineering school, students must ordinarily complete 90 credits of coursework at Whittier College including the prescribed sequence with at least a 3.0 overall GPA, a minimum grade of “C” in each of the 3-2 program core courses, and a 3.0 GPA in the core courses. Students recommended by their advisor and the 3-2 director will normally be admitted to at least one of the cooperating universities. The B.A. from Whittier College will be awarded only after a student has successfully completed all of the graduation requirements at both schools.

As part of the 3-2 program, students may elect to pursue a Whittier College B.A. degree in Physics, Math, or Chemistry. The course requirements for these options are extensive and completion of the program in five years requires careful planning. Alternatively, students in the 3-2 program may elect to complete a B.A. in Science and Letters from Whittier College. The requirements for this program are more flexible than the requirements for a B.A. in a particular science. Students who do not complete the entire 3-2 program (e.g., do not finish engineering school) will be awarded a B.A. from Whittier College only after completing all of the requirements of a B.A. as described in the Whittier College Catalog. This will usually entail returning to Whittier College for two semesters.

The B.A. in Science and Letters cannot be awarded to students who do not complete an engineering program. All required Liberal Education courses and Core 3-2 courses must ordinarily be completed at Whittier College. Other courses required for the B.A. can usually be taken either at Whittier College or the engineering school. Courses taken at the engineering school to fulfill Whittier College requirements must be approved in advance by the appropriate department, the Registrar, and by the Director of the 3-2 program.

Science and Letters

Some 3-2 students may wish to complete a B.A. in Science and Letters in combination with an engineering degree. This option offers more flexibility than the 3-2 majors in chemistry, physics, or math, but students cannot receive a B.A. in Science and Letters without completing an engineering program. The requirements for the Science and Letters major include the Liberal Education program, the 3-2 core courses, and the requirements for a minor in Physics, Chemistry, or Mathematics, and three additional credits of upper division courses in any of these disciplines.

Programs

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