How many students express interest in pursuing engineering after Carleton?

There are 50–60 students on the engineering email list.

How many students per year choose to pursue the formal Dual Degree Program?

Roughly 0–3 students per year apply to the Washington program.

Why is there such a large discrepancy between student interest in the Dual Degree Program and students who actually apply to the program?

After 3 years at Carleton, students have built close relationships with their peers and the faculty. Thus, they want to graduate with their class. Also, many students want to take full advantage of their liberal arts education. The 3-2 or 3-3 engineering program places heavy restrictions on the number and breadth of courses students can take and can restrict — or even prevent — the study abroad experiences students have access to. Therefore, the 4-2 or 4-3 program can be a better option for students allowing them more time to meet the dual degree requirements, study abroad, and still graduate with their class.

What have Dual Degree program graduates studied at Washington University?

Participants in the Washington University Dual Degree Program have pursued computer engineering.

What is the coursework like at the partner engineering school?

  • At the partner institution, students are required to take 3-4 engineering courses per semester to complete the engineering part of their degree.  The Washington University website has a sample course schedule for different engineering degree programs. 
  • It is important to keep in mind that as part of the Dual Degree Engineering Program, you must complete an engineering degree in 2 or 3 years. Carleton students are used to balancing their schedules between courses heavy in papers, problem sets, labs, and performances.  However, this program is structured so that Carleton students take the majority of their non-science classes at Carleton and must therefore take mostly technical courses at the partner institution.

Where have students gone who pursued engineering after Carleton, but did not do the Dual Degree Program?

Recent four-year graduates have entered engineering programs at the University of California-Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, the University of Colorado, the University of Georgia, the University of Minnesota, Princeton University, the University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne, the University of Rochester, Purdue University, the University of Virginia, the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Texas, the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin, Cornell University, Northwestern University, the University of Maryland, and Rice University.

These students have pursued degrees (MS and/or PhD) in electrical engineering, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, architectural engineering, and biomedical engineering.

What is the advantage of a Dual Degree Program over just getting a Carleton degree and then applying to an undergraduate or graduate engineering program?

  • For students who want to do engineering work that requires an engineering license (e.g., civil engineering and some areas of mechanical engineering), the 3-2 and 4-2 B.A./B.S. programs allow the student to sit for the licensure exam. This exam is not required to practice most forms of engineering (see “Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Liberal Arts Students Interested in Engineering” for a more detailed information on this statement).
  • The 3-3/4-3 have the advantage of the the 3-2 and 4-2 program with the addition of the MS degree in one extra year. Also by being admitted directly to the graduate school, which has a guaranteed funding model for accepted participants. 
  • This document describes the challenges one student faced when they decided to pursue the path for the Professional Engineering (PE) license, but did not earn an ABET-accredited BS degree.

What is the advantage of getting a Carleton degree and then applying to an undergraduate or graduate engineering program over the Dual Degree Program?

  • For students interested in engineering work that does not require a license, there is the flexibility to apply to any engineering program that does specifically the sub-area of engineering that they are interested in. Many engineering schools have faculty with particular expertise in particular sub-disciplines within a particular general area of engineering (e.g., rocket propulsion or airplane engine design within aerospace engineering). Thus this option allows students to apply to schools that specifically focus on what they want to do.
  • See “Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Liberal Arts Students Interested in Engineering” for a more detailed answer to this question.

Should I do a B.S. or M.S. in engineering?

If I am interested in the Dual Degree Program what should I major in?

  • Most students interested in engineering major in chemistry, physics, mathematics, or computer science. For example:
    • Students interested in chemical engineering  typically major in chemistry.
    • Students interested in computer engineering may major in math or computer science.
    • Students interested in mechanical or electrical engineering will major in physics.
  • Although it is possible to fulfill a humanities major and complete the requirements, a student should consult the engineering adviser before assuming they qualify for the dual degree program.

If I am interested in the Dual Degree Program, what courses should I take?

  • If you plan to pursue the Dual Degree Program, make sure to look at the course requirements for each of the programs you are interested in. The Curriculum Guide for Washington University outlines the Carleton courses that meet various requirements for the program.
  • Please keep in mind that some courses are not offered every term or even every year.
  • You may be able to transfer courses taken at other institutions to qualify for the program, but you typically cannot transfer those courses to your Carleton transcript for Carleton credit. You would submit the the transcript from that institution directly to Washington University. Also you may not be able to use non-Carleton courses to meet prerequisites for Carleton courses. You should always talk to the Dual Degree Program Liason before you take non-Carleton courses to meet Carleton course pre-reqs and/or Dual Degree course requirements.

I am NOT interested in the Dual Degree Program. Which courses should I take?

The General Engineering Curriculum Guide provides recommendations of courses to help you pursue engineering beyond Carleton. You do not need to take all of these courses to go into engineering. The courses you choose to take will depend on your major and the type(s) of engineering you are interested in. Feel free to schedule a meeting with the pre-engineering advisor to discuss which courses are most appropriate for your future plans.

What should I do if I think I am interested in the Dual Degree Program?

  • During your first-year at Carleton, you should look through the program requirements for Washington University and put together a 3- or 4-year course schedule at Carleton. A Schedule Planning Worksheet has been provided to help you map your courses. 
  • Then you should schedule a meeting with the pre-engineering adviser and the department chair of the field in which you plan to major at Carleton.
  • You should also sign-up for the engineering email list by contacting either Trenne Fields or the Pre-Engineering Advisors. The engineering email list is used to send out information about when dual degree representative will be on campus, announcements from the dual degree programs, application deadline reminders, and events of interest to students interested in engineering.

When do I have to make a decision regarding the Dual Degree Program?

  • For the 3-2 or 3-3 program, you should express your intent to apply to the pre-engineering advisor near the beginning of spring term of your sophomore year. In order to comps during your junior year you must complete the Dual Degree Registration Form within the first three weeks of spring term your Sophomore year. For the 4-2 or 4-3 program, you should express your intent to apply to the pre-engineering advisor near the beginning of fall term of your senior year. You will also need to complete the Dual Degree Registration Form preferably before starting comps.
  • You will need to complete the Request for Liason Recommendation Letter Form and submit the form at the beginning of Winter Term for the year you intend to apply to the program. You should then plan to meet with the pre-engineering advisor to make sure that everything is in order before you apply to the Dual Degree Program during winter of your Junior or Senior year as appropriate.

Please note that although you do not need to make your decision until late in your Carleton career for the 4-2 or 4-3 program, you should start thinking and planning during your first year at Carleton or, at the latest, fall of your sophomore year.  Plan to meet with the engineering adviser and the department chair in your intended major prior to the winter term of your second year at Carleton. If you want to pursue the 3-2 or 3-3 program, you need to register with the registrar’s office by the third week of your Spring Term your Sophomore year.

Is there a B.A./M.S. version of the Dual Degree Program at Washington University?

Yes, there is an option of pursuing a Master’s degree at Washington University, although this option is preferred admission rather than guaranteed admission. In the case of the 4-2 B.A./M.S. option or the 3-3 B.A./B.S./M.S. option, the Carleton student must complete all requirements for a Carleton degree and the pre-requisites for the engineering program within 3 years, petition the Academic Standing Committee to graduate early, and apply to and be accepted into the Master’s program. For the 4-2 or 4/3 option, the requirements are similar, however, the student does not need to petition the Academic Standing Committee.

What if I decide that I want to get a Professional Engineering (PE) License, but I don’t have an ABET accredited degree?

There is still a path to taking the licensure exam required to pursue to PE path, but it can be challenging. This path is dependent on the state in which one is trying to obtain licensure. [As a reminder, an advantage of the Dual Degree program is that you earn an ABET accredited BS degree that allows you to sit for the Engineering Licensure Exam. A BA or MS degree is not sufficient to qualify to take this exam.]

A former student who pursued architectural engineering, which has aspects that are close to civil engineering – a field PE licensure is very advantageous, shares her experience in meeting the alternate requirements to qualify to take the licensure exam in this document. The document has information to contact her directly for more information on her experiences..