Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2008-2009 
    
Undergraduate Record 2008-2009 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Engineering Science


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Engineering Science (ES) is an interdisciplinary, undergraduate, engineering degree program. Students select an engineering science major in order to pursue interests in technical areas which lie at the interstices of traditional engineering disciplines or combine elements of engineering and science not currently possible through other degree programs. This degree program prepares students for careers in engineering or graduate study in fields for which there are no established undergraduate degree programs at the University of Virginia including applied mathematics, engineering physics, materials science, nanotechnology, mechatronics, and global engineering. The ES degree program recognizes that technology and society are evolving at such a rapid pace, that a new discipline could become an established career field prior to it being institutionalized as a degree offering. This program also affirms the unique role of the engineering scientist in the technology path from innovation to societal impact.

Two curricular tracks are available within Engineering Science: Standard and Interdisciplinary Engineering. The standard track requires a secondary minor in a natural science or mathematics. The interdisciplinary engineering track requires the secondary minor to be a SEAS technical minor.

Engineering Science students, in collaboration with their advisors, define a plan of study (POS), commensurate with their interests and the concept of constrained flexibility. The POS identifies the curricular track, the primary technical minor, the secondary technical minor, and an area of concentration (AOC).

The primary minor must satisfy the specific requirements of an approved technical minor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and must consist of at least five courses; the secondary minor must be selected from approved SEAS technical minors or from the natural science or mathematics minors within the College of Arts and Sciences. The courses required for specific minors are as listed by the relevant department in SEAS or CLAS. AOC courses are chosen to define clearly the major field of study and include advanced project courses in the fourth year.

The advanced project courses, which may be used as a basis for the senior thesis, are designed to provide a research or engineering design experience, which unifies the three main components making up the plan of study.  In all cases, both an advisor and the ES Program Director must approve the specific plan of study in order to guarantee that all degree requirements are being met.

The flexibility offered by the Engineering Science degree program makes it an attractive option for certain students:

1.    The standard track provides a rigorous technical curriculum, integrating engineering, natural science, and mathematics.  It is especially suited for students interested in graduate study and/or basic research and development.  In addition, it provides a path for preparation for professional training in law, business or medicine.  The standard track is advisor-approved, but student-driven in that the details of the curriculum are defined by the interests and career aspirations of the student, with the advisor making sure that the POS meets the requirements for the ES degree.

2.    The interdisciplinary track is an interdisciplinary engineering program, preparing the student for a career in an emerging field of engineering, in a field at the interstices of two existing engineering disciplines, or in a discipline for which there is presently no undergraduate degree offering at the University of Virginia. The interdisciplinary track will often be advisor-approved and student-driven.  It differs from the standard track in that it has a greater focus of courses in the SEAS.

3.    In some cases, an interdisciplinary engineering track will be developed and approved by SEAS faculty that will become a prescribed set of courses.  Successful completion of such a set of courses will result in a notation on the student’s transcript, akin to the notation for a minor. For example, The Materials Science and Engineering option in Engineering Science provides excellent preparation for either graduate school or for a materials engineering position in industry (see MSE program). 

4.    Each track offers sufficient flexibility to allow study abroad, research-for-credit courses, and internships.

Engineering Science Curriculum (127 credits)


Second Semester Credits: 17


  • Science elective I Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 1 below)
  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 2 below)

Third Semester Credits: 16


  • Primary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 3 below)
  • Secondary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 4 below)
  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 2 below)

Fourth Semester Credits: 16


  • Advanced Math/CS elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 5 below)
  • Science elective II Credits: 4
    (See footnote 6 below)
  • Primary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 3 below)
  • Secondary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 4 below)
  • STS 2xx/3xx elective Credits: 3

Fifth Semester Credits: 18


  • Primary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 3 below)
  • Secondary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 4 below)
  • Area of concentration Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 7 below)
  • Advanced elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 9 below)
  • HSS elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 2 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 8 below)

Sixth Semester Credits: 15


  • Primary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 3 below)
  • Secondary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 4 below)
  • Area of concentration Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 7 below)
  • Advanced elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 9 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 8 below)

Seventh Semester Credits: 15


  • Advance project Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 10 below)
  • Primary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 3 below)
  • Secondary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 4 below)
  • Area of concentration Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 7 below)

Eighth Semester Credits: 15


  • Primary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 3 below)
  • Secondary minor elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 4 below)
  • Advance Project Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 10 below)
  • Unrestricted elective Credits: 3
    (See Footnote 8 below)

Footnotes


(1) Science elective I: Chosen from ECE 200; BIOL 201, 202; MSE 209; CHEM 152; PHYS 252 or advisor-approved 2xx SEAS technical elective.

(2) HSS electives are chosen from the approved list available in A122 Thornton Hall.

(3) Primary minor electives must be chosen so as to earn an approved SEAS technical minor.
    Once minor requirements are satisfied, any 2xx or higher technical SEAS course is acceptable.

(4) Engineering Science: Secondary minor electives must be chosen so as to earn an approved minor in mathematics or a natural science.

    Engineering Science/Interdisciplinary Engineering Track: Secondary minor electives must be chosen so as to earn an approved SEAS technical minor. Once minor requirements         are satisfied, any 2xx or higher technical SEAS, mathematics, or natural science course is acceptable.

(5) Advanced math/CS elective: One 3xx-level or higher mathematics courses in SEAS or CLAS; or one 2xx-level or higher course in computer science.

(6) Science elective II: Either CHEM 152 with lab or PHYS 252 with workshop is required.

(7) Area of concentration: Courses are chosen so as to provide identity and depth to the student’s major field. Advisor approval is required.

(8) Unrestricted electives may be chosen from any graded course in the University except mathematics courses below MATH 131, including STAT 110 and STAT 112, and courses that substantially duplicate others used for the student’s degree.

(9) Advanced elective: 3xx level or higher course in the natural sciences or SEAS. The course must have science or mathematics prerequisites. Two credits of advanced laboratory work must be included which may be satisfied by a named lab course (e.g., MAE 200L, MAE 210L, MSE 310) or independent study (e.g., ENGR 495, MSE 452).

(10) Advanced projects is a graded research, independent study, or design course intended to supplement the student’s thesis work. Individual or group projects are possible. Engineering in Context (EIC) courses may substitute, upon advisor approval.

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