College of Engineering

The College of Engineering offers engineering programs leading to the BS degree in Bioengineering, Civil, Computer, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering and the BS degree in Computer Science, Physics, or Data Science, which is offered jointly with the College of Arts and Sciences.

Engineering students acquire a strong foundation in the basic sciences and mathematics along with applied sciences associated with their major. Subsequently, a progression of innovative design experiences culminates in a senior design project. Beginning in the freshman year students in the college use high-tech laboratories and sophisticated computer systems. The many faculty involved with significant research projects bring excitement into the classroom and tie theory to practical applications.

Students develop the knowledge, creativity and expertise to succeed in today’s rapidly changing technical world. Graduates recruited by industry find rewarding careers; others earn advanced degrees in competitive graduate programs around the country.

Through cooperation with industry and government agencies, the college also offers students the opportunity to obtain valuable work experience before graduation. Qualified students can participate in internships or cooperative education programs, gaining practical engineering experience, a taste of the “real world” and significant income to help offset college expenses.

The Civil, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. The Computer Science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Goals of the College of Engineering

Mission

The College of Engineering strives to serve the needs of the region and the nation by creating and disseminating knowledge through research and teaching and preparing students to excel in their chosen profession and to be contributing citizens in a diverse, changing world.

Vision

The vision of the College of Engineering is to be recognized globally for excellence in engineering/science education and research and for innovative and interdisciplinary solutions for societal needs.

Values

The College of Engineering is committed to the following core values: integrity, excellence, innovation, respect, responsibility, collaboration, and inclusiveness.

Strategic Goals

Developed to align with UMass Dartmouth’s Transform 2020 strategic plan, the College of Engineering’s strategic plan includes the following goals:

Enhance and enrich educational opportunities and ensure a focus on the student
Recruit, retain, and enable a diverse community of exceptional faculty, students, and staff
Increase research enterprise and impact
Develop strategic partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations
Develop a sustainable infrastructure
Increase visibility, outreach, and community engagement
Devise a business model to manage and increase resources/funding and efficiency
Establish a culture of innovation and change

Transfer Agreements

The College of Engineering has agreements that facilitate the transfer of students from community colleges and four-year institutions that lack the engineering baccalaureate.

Course and program articulation matrices facilitate planning and transfer between UMass Dartmouth engineering curricula and the courses and programs at Bristol, Bunker Hill, and Massasoit Community Colleges. Transfer applicants from other institutions are assessed individually.
Students at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Framingham State College and Worcester State College who complete a specified 2-year curriculum and meet performance standards receive guaranteed admission to identified engineering programs at UMass Dartmouth.

Cooperative Education and Internships in the College of Engineering

The college offers an optional Co-operative Education program. Co-operative education provides an excellent opportunity for students to obtain valuable experience while studying at the university. Students enrolled in co-op spend two semesters and two summer sessions working at companies, engineering firms and government agencies. During these sessions, students are paid by their employers while applying their engineering knowledge. Participation in the co-op program extends the typical four-year BS degree for engineering and computer science programs to five years; however, it provides experience students need to successfully compete for highly sought-after jobs. It also provides an opportunity to earn money while enhancing their education.

Requirements for Acceptance

Students must have a minimum GPA to be admitted to the co-op program and to have satisfied additional departmental requirements. A student will be denied further co-op participation if his/her GPA falls below the required GPA or if other requirements are not met.

Placement

The College of Engineering will assist students in finding an industry placement. Placement is not automatic. Students are responsible for preparing their resumes and posting them in the formats provided by the Career Development Center; furthermore, they are responsible for interviews with prospective companies and convincing the company that they will be a successful co-op employee.

On the Job Performance

Co-op students in the field are required to submit a report at the end of each work session to their department chairs. Students are also expected to follow the rules and regulations set by their employers and perform all duties assigned to them professionally.

Graduation Requirement

To graduate with a co-op certificate each student must have successfully completed the following sessions:

CO-OP-1: Participation in co-op seminars
CO-OP-2: First co-op work session
CO-OP-3: Second co-op work session
CO-OP-4: Third co-op work session
CO-OP-5: Fourth co-op work session

CO-OP-1 requires participation in a set of seminars presented by the college and the preparation and posting of a resume according to the specified format. Students then register for the zero-credit CO-OP-2 through CO-OP-5, successfully complete the work sessions and submit work session reports. Performance is graded by the faculty co-op coordinator.

Co-op Work Sessions

The typical schedule for co-op students is shown below:

	Fall	Spring	Summer
Year 1	School	School	School
Year 2	School, Enroll in co-op	School, Co-op seminars	Work
Year 3	School	School	Work
Year 4	Work	Work	Work (Optional)
Year 5	School	School	Graduate

Each co-op student’s specific schedule is to be approved by the department Co-op Coordinator and the college Co-op Office.

Internships

Many faculty in the College of Engineering have excellent relationships with engineering employers in the region and nation, generating many opportunities for engineering internships. In addition, students often contact employers directly and arrange internships with the assistance of faculty advisors.

An internship is a supervised, practical learning experience, usually scheduled during the last two years of the student’s program. Interns engage in engineering work and earn credit for their experience. Immediate supervision is by the company or agency, and except in unusual circumstances the work is done outside the university. A faculty advisor monitors the internship and works with the company or agency to see that the work is appropriate for the course credit.

Internship may be used as a technical elective, with prior approval from the department chair and Dean’s office. Before the internship begins, students must submit a proposal detailing the work and learning experience for the approval of the internship advisor. Students should keep daily journal of their work and send copies or a written summary to the faculty advisor each week. A report summarizing the internship is required at the conclusion of the experience. There may be other requirements which must also be met. Co-op students can use one of these engineering internship courses to obtain credit for a qualified work experience.

Internships are usually undertaken on a part-time basis while the student continues taking classes; however, some internships are full-time and may be far from campus. In those cases the intern may not be able to enroll in other courses, but they must maintain appropriate health insurance as specified by the university.

Special Admission Programs

Alternative Paths

The engineering programs are rigorous, requiring strong high school preparation and high motivation. Students who have demonstrated an aptitude for engineering based upon SATs, or have demonstrated the ability and motivation for engineering studies as evidenced by their high school record, but have some deficiencies in their high school program, may still be offered admission to the College of Engineering.

Depending on the results of placement tests in mathematics, students may be placed into one of three courses in the fall semester: (a) MTH 153 (or 151), Calculus; (b) MTH 150, Precalculus; or (c) MTH 150E, Precalculus Enhanced. In the first case, the students will follow one of the standard programs shown on the following pages for each major. In cases (b) and (c), the start of Calculus is delayed a semester, which then extends the program completion beyond four years. Some students in cases (b) and (c) may be able to improve their mathematics standing by taking courses during the summer. If they are able to improve their Accuplacer scores sufficiently on a re-test, they will be placed in a higher-level math course and curriculum.

Reduced Load

Students may carry a lighter course load than that defined by the standard curriculum. A five-year schedule is recommended for those students who need time for a part time job, sports or other time-consuming extracurricular activities. Some students who start on the standard curriculum later find it necessary to extend their program to 4 1/2 or 5 years. Some students may find it better adopt a 5-year schedule from the beginning. Personalized programs can be arranged through consultation with the student’s faculty advisor.