The College of Engineering

Engineering as a discipline strives to find answers to humanity’s most pressing issues. The emphasis at Drexel University's College of Engineering is in going beyond the academics to the application of learning, facilitating a career as an innovator and solution-driven engineer that can make a difference right from the start.

The engineering curriculum provides a strong foundation and a thorough understanding of scientific, mathematical, and engineering fundamentals, while the hands-on components of the programs give added perspective for applying these areas of knowledge creatively to a take on any engineering challenge.

About the College

For more than 130 years, engineering has been the cornerstone of the University. From the start through today, the engineering programs have valued applied learning, exploration of emerging subjects and the preparation of students for the launch of their careers as innovators and solution-driven engineers. Through teaching the foundation sciences and providing opportunities to discover the boundaries of the disciplines, faculty and industry experts guide students through the curriculum with emphasis on hands-on learning in classrooms, participation in research, gaining experience through our renowned co-op program, enhancing perspectives and showing students how they can make an impact. The College of Engineering offers students a diverse academic learning and research environment embodying the highest standards of knowledge to explore interests and find innovative solutions that promote economic development, improve the human-condition and preserve our planet. Through these principles students become technically trained, adaptable engineers who advance from their studies dedicated to the practice and discovery of sustainable solutions to our society's greatest challenges. 

The objectives of the undergraduate program in the College of Engineering are:

• To offer an education that will give graduates the flexibility to adjust to future changes in technology
• To develop a sense of professionalism and entrepreneurship
• To provide a framework for concentrated study in a professional area

To implement those objectives the curricula of the College of Engineering are designed to provide a firm grounding in basic science and liberal arts, along with broad-based engineering sciences and professional engineering subjects.

In addition to the engineering curriculum, the college offers majors in Engineering Technology and Construction Management.

Cooperative Education

In five-year cooperative programs, engineering majors spend a total of 12 terms in school and six terms on co-op assignment. Freshmen attend classes for three terms. During their sophomore, pre-junior, and junior years, students generally attend class for two terms and are assigned a cooperative employment position for two terms each year.

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

About the Traditional Engineering Curriculum

Degree Requirements

The degree of Bachelor of Science in the engineering specialties is comprised of academic work and six terms of co-op or engineering experience for the five-year program. For the four-year program, only two terms of co-op are required. Transfer students must complete a minimum of two terms of co-op or engineering experience in order to earn a cooperative engineering degree accredited by ABET. 

Engineering students must maintain an overall grade point average of 2.0 in all required courses in their major.

Curricular Organization

Students in the traditional engineering programs study many of the same subjects during the three terms in the first year. After the first year, curricula begin to differentiate more and more, as major-specific coursework is introduced.

The first two years are devoted to the foundation of the engineering curriculum. Their purpose is to provide an integrated view of the basic sciences and an introduction to the art of engineering, which they do through group projects that deal with open-ended problems characteristic of the practice of engineering. Students also learn to use both computer- and laboratory-based engineering tools to support data gathering, analysis, engineering design, problem-solving, and evaluation.  

Incoming engineering students take placement exams in June before their first year to determine their readiness in calculus, physics, and chemistry. Students who demonstrate the preparation and skills to succeed in our core math and science courses will immediately be placed into those courses starting in the fall term. Students that may need additional preparation are given the option to participate in online, self-paced preparatory reviews which can lead to a fall placement in the core courses. Fall schedules may also be affected by transfer and/or advance credit. 

Professional subjects are introduced in the second year and completed by the fourth year. The fifth year in all curricula contains at least one elective sequence so that students can study some aspect of engineering more deeply. In addition, all curricula provide a senior design experience in the fifth year.

Electives

Recognizing the importance of general education, all curricula require that courses be taken in this area, including some identified as Writing Intensive. These requirements are described in more detail in the General Education Requirements section.

In addition to a minimum of 30.0 General Education Credits, most programs have other types of required electives as well, including math/science, communications, technical, and free.  Technical electives are courses in engineering, science, or management that build on the required professional courses and lead to a specific technical specialization. Elective sequence options should be discussed with and approved by academic advisors. Free electives are generally any course but should also be discussed before registering.  

The Common Curriculum

While programs vary in curricular detail, the following courses are fairly common to most. See each program's plan of study for specifics.
 

General Education Requirements

The General Education Program is designed to give engineering students an opportunity to take a set of courses that complement their technical studies and satisfy their intellectual and/or career interests. All engineering majors must take thirty (30.0) credits. Nine (9.0) of the thirty credits are designated as follows and must be completed by all majors:

General Education requirements for specific majors can be found in the degree requirements for each major. The remaining credits can be chosen from the disciplines listed below.

Course Subjects

General Education electives must be non-technical. Computer, math, engineering, and science courses do not count as General Education electives.

Courses in the following subject codes fulfill General Education requirements, other than those listed as exclusions. Additional courses may be accepted upon academic advisor approval.

Accounting (ACCT), Africana Studies (AFAS), ANIM (Animation), Anthropology (ANTH), Arabic (ARBC), Architecture (ARCH), Art History (ARTH), Legal Studies (BLAW), Chinese (CHIN), Communication (COM), Criminology & Justice Studies (CJS), Culinary Arts (CULA), Dance (DANC), Economics (ECON), Education (EDUC), English (ENGL, except ENGL 101, ENGL 102, ENGL 103 & ENGL 105), Entertainment & Arts Management (EAM), Entrepreneurship (ENTP), Environmental Studies & Sustainability (ENSS), Film Studies (FMST), Finance (FIN), French (FREN), General Business (BUSN), German (GER), Global Studies (GST), Hebrew (HBRW), History (HIST),  Honors (HNRS), Hotel & Restaurant Management (HRM), Interior Design (INTR), International Business (INTB), Italian (ITAL), Japanese (JAPN), Jewish Studies (JWST), Korean (KOR), Language (LANG), Law (LAW ), Management (MGMT), Marketing (MKTG), Military Science (MLSC, except lab courses), Music (MUSC), Music Industry Program (MIP), Operations Management (OPM), Operations Research (OPR), Organizational Behavior (ORGB), Philosophy (PHIL), Photography (PHTO), Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE ), Product Design (PROD), Project Management (PROJ), Political Science (PSCI), Psychology (PSY), Public Health (PBHL), Real Estate (REAL), Science Technology & Society (SCTS), Screenwriting & Playwriting (SCRP), Sociology (SOC), Spanish (SPAN), Special Education (EDEX), Sports Management (SMT), STEM Teacher Education (ESTM), Taxation (TAX), Theatre (THTR), TV Studies (TVST), Visual Studies (VSST), WEST Studies (WEST), Women's and Gender Studies (WGST), and Writing (WRIT).

Non-lab ROTC courses taken at the University of Pennsylvania in Naval Science (NSCI) and at St. Joseph's University in Aerospace (AER) may be transferred to fulfill General Education requirements.

There are many elective courses with no pre-requisites, but note that they must also meet the criteria outlined on this page to count specifically as a General Education elective.

Special Programs

BS/MS Accelerated Degree Program

The Accelerated Degree Program of the College of Engineering provides highly talented and strongly motivated students to progress toward their educational goals. This is achieved by completing a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in the same five years it generally takes to complete the BS only. 

Students prepare for this plan of study in their first and second years, and are often ready for graduate studies program in their fourth and fifth years when they have shown readiness to tackle graduate-level coursework. A 5-year Plan of Study is key to fulfilling the requirement of completing both degrees at the same time. Interested students are encouraged to begin discussing their interest with their academic advisor after their first term at Drexel.

Students admitted provisionally at the time they were accepted to the College of Engineering may still apply in their second or third year, but are not obligated to do so. Likewise, those not accepted provisionally may apply and will be accepted if they meet the entrance criteria.

The division of courses toward the BS and MS degrees during the fourth and fifth years may impact some students' financial aid package. They will be directed to speak with specialists in Drexel Central as part of the application process.

Visit the BS/MS program on the College of Engineering website to learn more. 

Facilities

Core Engineering Facilities

The College of Engineering's Innovation Studio hosts activities for all class levels, from First-Year Design at one end through Senior Design at the other. It includes 3D printers, multiple sensor suites, and the college machine shop that students can use for projects and clubs. It supports the flow of ideas from design through complex fabrication.

A team of Drexel faculty and staff designed the studio to allow activities of many scales as well as to promote open communication within and across groups of students. The lab tables accommodate work in small and larger groups.

The Innovation Studio is an example of Drexel's commitment to undergraduate education by providing up-to-date, high-quality technology to facilitate the kind of experiential learning that keeps Drexel at the cutting edge.

Department Facilities

Departments within the College of Engineering have many new and upgraded laboratories and cutting-edge equipment appropriate for required lab coursework within their respective curricula and for the emerging research conducted in the departments. Visit the Drexel Engineering departments for more information.