Engineering
About the program
Augustana offers well-established coordinated degree programs with top engineering schools in the Midwest. A student can earn a bachelor of arts degree from Augustana and a bachelor of science degree in engineering from one of six elite engineering schools in the Midwest. The program allows students to achieve their engineering goals through the context of a liberal arts foundation, while customizing their education through valuable experiences.
 |
| Students at work in Augustana College Science Building, where engineering majors would take most of their classes. |
Program features
- Coordinated degree programs with the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Purdue University, Washington University (St. Louis), Iowa State University, University of Iowa and University of Minnesota.
- The program normally requires three years at Augustana followed by at least two years in residence at the engineering school.
- While at Augustana, the student pursues a broad education in the liberal arts while simultaneously obtaining the basic training in mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science required to study engineering.
Outside the classroom
- Beginning early in their first year, students work closely with their engineering advisor to plan and monitor academic progress.
- Summer research opportunities are available in physics and engineering; programs usually run 10 weeks and offer a stipend plus housing and transportation.
- Augustana has a chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society. The college also has a physics and engineering society, which raises the awareness of physics and engineering out side the department through demonstrations, projects and talks.
What our graduates say
Dr. David Clayton ’99:
David Clayton graduated from Augustana with a bachelor’s in physics, then earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. He received a master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California. Clayton currently works at Exponent, Inc., in Los Angeles, Calif., as an engineer in the Thermal Sciences practice performing investigations and analyses related to fires and explosions, with an emphasis on cause, origin, propagation and related combustion phenomena.
“Choosing the pre-engineering option was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. Three years at Augustana provided countless academic and social opportunities I would have missed out on at a larger engineering school, and the learning environment and academic nature of the college provided a tremendous background with which to start my engineering education.”
Tyler Schurr ’09, pre-engineering major:
“The pre-engineering program at Augustana provided me with an unparalleled introduction to the physics and mathematics that are the foundation of engineering. The smaller class sizes offer students the ability to talk with professors as needed in or out of class. What I learned at Augustana has made me well prepared for my future engineering career.”
Aaron LaCroix ’99:
Aaron LaCroix graduated from Augustana with a bachelor’s in physics, then earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He later earned an MBA from Lake Forest (Ill.) Graduate School of Management. He is a product design engineer at Deublin Company in Waukegan, Ill., and recently received U.S. and European patents for industrial product design.
“The pre-engineering curriculum at Augustana did an excellent job preparing me for my eventual studies at the University of Illinois. At Augustana, I was part of a close community of learners and got to know the professors. These were opportunities that otherwise would have not been possible at a much larger institution and the experience proved its value in my later studies.”
For more information, see Coordinated Degree Programs and contact Dr. James Van Howe.
