A Message From The Deans
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The great scientist-engineer Theodore Von Karman said that “scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was.” That clear-cut distinction between science and engineering might have been true in the mid twentieth century, but it is not true now. Engineering and applied science and their analytical precepts are an integral part of endeavors that were formerly thought of as pure science.
Since the 1990s, there has been a blending of pure science, with its applications, and engineering where the project technical objectives, not the discipline, drives the research initiatives. In addition, the realization now exists that the analytical tools of engineering practice and research can be applied successfully to a broad range of professions, especially in business and finance. In many ways, engineering has become the new liberal art, providing a firm intellectual foundation for many different types of careers.
Columbia Engineering’s program of study, both undergraduate and graduate, is designed to meet the new reality of the world in which we live. Our School has long recognized the need for collaboration among and between scientific and technological disciplines to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. We have also fostered connections with Columbia’s other major professional schools in areas of overlapping interest. Because of this foresight, our School will continue to serve as a dynamic hub for the intellectual and scientific forces of the University.
On the undergraduate level, we offer you Columbia’s famed Core Curriculum and the opportunity to minor in an evergrowing range of liberal arts subjects, from English and history to philosophy and music. In addition to the variety of academic options, research opportunities abound. Last year, there were more than 260 research projects available for undergraduates alone. The research opportunities are even more numerous for graduate students.
On all levels of study, Columbia Engineering provides the tools of modern technology and rigorous academic programs to allow you to pursue your goals, whether they are interdisciplinary, business-oriented, or within traditional engineering fields. We welcome you to take full advantage of the opportunities our world-class teaching and research university offers.
Gerald A. Navratil
Interim Dean
Morton B. Friedman
Vice Dean