• A Message From The Deans
• Mission of the School
• About the School and University
• Undergraduate Studies
  • Undergraduate Programs
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • Undergraduate Tuition, Fees and Payment
  • Financial Aid for Undergraduate Study
• Graduate Studies
• Faculty Administration
• Departments and Academic Programs
• Undergraduate Minors
• Interdisiplinary Courses and Courses in Other Divsions of the University
• Campus and Student Life
• Scholarships, Fellowships, Awards, and Prizes
• University and School Policies Procedures, and Regulations
• Directory of University Resources

Undergraduate Programs

The undergraduate programs at The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) not only are academically exciting and technically innovative but also lead into a wide range of career paths for the educated citizen of the twenty-first century. Whether you want to become a professional engineer, work in industry or government, or plan to pursue a career in the physical and social sciences, medicine, law, business, or education, SEAS will provide you with an unparalleled education.

SEAS firmly believes that students gain the most when engineering is brought up front, early in the four-year curriculum. Therefore, first-year students use the networked, high-performance workstations and multimedia software of the Botwinick Multimedia Learning Laboratory as part of their technical core requirements. Here students apply fundamental principles of engineering design to modeling advanced engineering and applied science problems. Later in the four-year program, students often use the Laboratory's symbolic, numeric, and graphical computing power in ever-deepening integration with classroom, laboratory, and research work of their chosen engineering program.

While pursuing their own interests, undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in a broad range of ongoing faculty research projects encompassed by the Undergraduate Research Involvement Program (URIP). An annual URIP publication sent to students describes faculty projects in which students may participate, lists necessary qualifications, and details whether the student's participation will be voluntary, for academic credit, or for monetary compensation.

In addition to in-depth exploration of engineering and applied science, SEAS undergraduates explore the humanities and social sciences with Columbia College students through intellectually challenging Core Curriculum courses taught by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. These courses in art, literature, music, major cultures, and economics, among others, provide students with a broad, intellectually disciplined, cultural perspective on the times they live in and the work they do.

Policy on Degree Requirements

The First Year—Sophomore Program

Liberal Arts Core for SEAS Students: 27-Point Nontechnical Requirement

This requirement provides a broad liberal arts component that enhances the SEAS professional curriculum to help students meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Our students are destined to be leaders in their professions and will require sophisticated communication, planning, and management skills. The SEAS Committee on Instruction established the school's nontechnical requirement so that students would learn perspectives and principles of the humanities and social sciences as part of a well-rounded and multiperspective education. Through discussion, debate, and writing, students improve their ability to engage in ethical, analytic, discursive, and imaginative thinking that will prove indispensable later in life.

• SEAS students must take 16 to 18 points of credit of required courses in list A and 9 to 11 elective points chosen from the approved courses in list B. The total combined number of nontechnical points (from lists A and B, below) must add up to at least 27. Neither list can be modified by advising deans or faculty advisers.

• Advanced Placement (AP) credit in appropriate subject areas can be applied toward the 9-point elective nontechnical requirement.

If electing the Global Core sequence (formerly Major Cultures), students must take two courses from the Global Core course list for a letter grade. Complete information about the Global Core requirements can be found in the Columbia College online bulletin.

A. Required Nontechnical Courses (16-18 points of credit)

These courses must be taken at Columbia.

1. ENGL C1010: University writing (3 Points)

2. One of the following two-semester sequences: HUMA C1001-C1002: Masterpieces of Western literature and philosophy. (All students registering for this course should be prepared to discuss the first six books of the Iliad on the first day of class.)
or
COCI C1101-C1102: Introduction to contemporary civilization in the West,
or
any Global Core sequence (2 courses) from List A of the Global Core Requirement, or a List A and a List B or C course in the same culture (6-8 Points)

3. One of the following two courses:
HUMA W1121: Masterpieces of Western art,
or
HUMA W1123: Masterpieces of Western music (3 Points)

4. ECON W1105: Principles of economics (This course can be satisfied through Advanced Placement; see the Advanced Placement chart on page 14.) (4 Points)

B. Elective Nontechnical Courses (9-11 points of credit)

The following course listing by department specifies the courses that either fulfill or do not fulfill the nontechnical requirement.

(Professional, workshop, lab, project, scientific, studio, music instruction, and master's-level professional courses do not satisfy the 27-point nontechnical requirement.)

AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES: All courses

AMERICAN STUDIES: All courses

ANCIENT STUDIES: All courses

ANTHROPOLOGY:
All courses in sociocultural anthropology
All courses in archaeology except field work
No courses in biological/physical anthropology [V1010, V1011, W3204, V3940, G4147-G4148, W4200, G4700]

ARCHITECTURE: No courses

ART HISTORY AND ARCHEOLOGY: All courses

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES: All courses

ASIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES: All courses

ASTRONOMY: No courses

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: No courses

BUSINESS: No courses

CHEMISTRY: No courses

CHINESE: All courses

CLASSICS: All courses

COLLOQUIA: All courses

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE AND SOCIETY: All courses

COMPUTER SCIENCE: No courses

DANCE: All courses except performance classes

DRAMA AND THEATRE ARTS: All courses except performance classes, THTR BC2120: Technical production, THTR BC3135: Set design, and THTR BC3134: Lighting design

EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: No courses

EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURE: All courses

ECONOMICS: All courses except:
W3025: Financial economics
W3211: Intermediate microeconomics
W3213: Intermediate macroeconomics
W3412: Introduction to econometrics
W4020: Economics of uncertainty and information
W4211: Advanced microeconomics
W4213: Advanced macroenomics
W4261: Introduction of accounting and finance
W4280: Corporate finance
W4412: Advanced econometrics
W4415: Game theory
W4918: Seminar in applied econometrics
W4930: Seminar in mathematical modeling in economics
BC1001: Introduction to macreconomics
BC1002: Introduction to microeconomics
BC2411: Statistics for economics
BC3018: Econometrics
BC3033: Intermediate macroeconomic theory
BC3035: Intermediate microeconomic theory

EDUCATION: All courses

ENGLISH AND COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: All courses

FILM STUDIES: All courses except:
lab courses, and
W3850: Senior seminar in screenwriting
W4005: The film medium: script analysis

FRENCH AND ROMANCE PHILOLOGY: All courses

GERMANIC LANGUAGES: All courses

GREEK: All courses

HISTORY: All courses

HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE: All courses

ITALIAN: All courses

LATIN: All courses

LATINO STUDIES: All courses

MATHEMATICS: No courses

MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES: All courses

MIDDLE EASTERN AND ASIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURES: All courses

MUSIC: All courses except performance or instrument instruction classes (which do not count toward the 128 credits required for graduation)

PHILOSOPHY: All courses except:
F1401: Elementary logic
V3411: Introduction to symbolic logic
V4137: Non-classical logic
G4431: Introduction to set theory
G4424: Modal logic
CSPH W4801: Mathematical logic I
CSPH G4802: Incompleteness results in logic
Courses in logic

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: No courses

PHYSICS: No courses

POLITICAL SCIENCE: All courses

PSYCHOLOGY
No lab courses. Only:
W1001: The science of psychology
W2235: Thinking and decision making
W2240: Human communication
W2280: Introduction to developmental psychology
W2610: Introduction to personality
W2620: Abnormal behavior
W2630: Social psychology
W2640: Introduction to social cognition
V2680: Social and personality development
W3615: Children at risk

RELIGION: All courses

SEAS:
Only:
SCNC W3010: Science, technology and society
BMEN E4010: Ethics for biomedical engineers
EEHS E3900: History of telecommunications

SLAVIC LANGUAGES: All courses

SOCIOLOGY: All courses except SOCI V3212: Statistics and methods

SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE: All courses

SPEECH: No courses

STATISTICS: No courses

URBAN STUDIES: All courses

VISUAL ARTS: No more than one course, which must be at the 3000-level or higher

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES: All courses

WRITING: All courses

Technical Course Requirements

The prescribed First Year-Sophomore Program curriculum requires students to complete a program of technical course work introducing them to five major areas of technical inquiry: engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science.

All first-year SEAS undergraduate students take ENGI E1102: Design fundamentals using the advanced computer technologies (4 points), in the Botwinick Multimedia Learning Laboratory. In this course, students learn the basics of engineering design along with professional and teamwork skills through participation in community service projects for real clients in local communities.

While students need not officially commit to a particular branch of engineering until the third semester, most programs recommend, and in some cases may require, that particular courses be taken earlier for maximum efficiency in program planning. For information concerning these requirements, students should turn to the individual program sections in this bulletin.

Professional-Level Courses for First- and Second-Year Students

First- and second-year students are required to take at least one professional-level course chosen from the list below. The faculty strongly encourages students to schedule two of these courses. (The Botwinick Multimedia Learning Laboratory course in computer and engineering design technology, ENGI E1102, which is required of every first-year student, is not included in this list.)

Each course is designed to acquaint SEAS students with rigorous intellectual effort in engineering and applied science early in their academic careers. If a student chooses to take the second professional-level course, such a 1000-level course may, at the discretion of each department, be used as an upper-level technical elective normally satisfied by 3000-level or higher courses.

The courses stipulate minimal prerequisites. Each course serves as an introduction to the area of study in addition to teaching the subject matter. Each course is taught by regular department faculty and thus provides a double introduction to both subject area and faculty.

The courses are:

APPH E1300y Physics of the human body
The human body analyzed from the basic principles of physics: energy balance in the body, mechanics of motion, fluid dynamics of the heart and circulation, vibrations in speaking and hearing, muscle mechanics, vision, gas exchange and transport in the lungs, structural properties and limits, and other topics.

APAM E1601y Introduction to computational mathematics and physics
Mathematics and physics problems solved by using computers. Topics include elementary interpolation of functions, solution of nonlinear algebraic equations, curve-fitting and hypothesis testing, wave propagation, fluid motion, gravitational and celestial mechanics, and chaotic dynamics.

BMEN E1001x Engineering in medicine
The present and historical role of engineering in medicine and health care delivery. Engineering approaches to understanding organismic and cellular function in living systems. Engineering in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Medical imaging, medical devices: diagnostic and surgical instruments, drug delivery systems, prostheses, artificial organs.

CHEN E1040y Molecular engineering and product design
Examines the ways in which chemical and biological sciences are interpreted through analytical design and engineering frameworks to generate products that enhance human endeavor. Culture of chemical engineering and the wide variety of chemical engineering practices, through lectures by department faculty and practicing chemical engineers, trips to industrial facilities, reverse engineering of chemical products, and a chemical design competition.

CIEN E1201y Design of buildings, bridges, and spacecraft
Basic principles according to which many structures are designed, constructed, and maintained in service. How strength and safety are treated and the role of the computer at this design stage. Performance requirements, such as noise and motion limitations. Classic and new materials of construction, their important features, and laboratory demonstration of properties. Management of both design and construction projects, and follow-up assessment monitoring and control.

EAEE E1100y A better planet by design
Sustainable development and management of Earth resources (water, minerals, energy, and land) are now recognized globally as an essential goal. A "systems analytic" approach to understanding feedbacks and interactions between human activity and the environment is introduced. Elements of integrated assessment, modeling, forecasting and decision analysis are illustrated by means of case studies of current resource and environment concerns.

ELEN E1201x and y Introduction to electrical engineering, with laboratory in circuit design
Exploration of selected topics and their application. Electrical variables, circuit laws, nonlinear and linear elements, ideal and real sources, transducers, operational amplifiers in simple circuits, external behavior of diodes and transistors, first order RC and RL circuits. Digital representation of a signal, digital logic gates, flipflops.

GRAP E1115x and y Engineering graphics
Visualization and simulation in virtual environments; computer graphics methods for presentation of data. 3-D modeling; animation; rendering; image editing; technical drawing.

MECE E1001x Mechanical engineering: micro-machines to jumbo jets
The role of mechanical engineering in developing many of the fundamental technological advances on which today's society depends. Topics include airplanes, automobiles, robots, and modern manufacturing methods, as well as the emerging fields of micro-electro-mechanical machines (MEMS) and nanotechnology. The physical concepts that govern the operation of these technologies will be developed from basic principles and then applied in simple design problems. Students will also be exposed to state-of-the art innovations in each case study.

MSAE E1001y Atomic-scale engineering of new materials
An introduction to the nanoscale science and engineering of new materials. The control and manipulation of atomic structure can create new solids with unprecedented properties. Computer hard drives, compact disc players, and liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are explored to understand the role of new materials in enabling technologies. Group problem-solving sessions are used to develop understanding.

Physical Education

Music Instruction

Music instruction and performance courses do not count toward the 128 points of credit required for a B.S. degree. Please note that this includes courses taken at Teachers College, Columbia College, and the School of the Arts.

Visual Arts Courses

Students are allowed to take courses in the Visual Arts Department for general credit to be applied toward the B.S. degree. However, no more than one visual arts course, which must be taken at the 3000-level or higher, may count toward the non-technical elective requirement.

Advanced Placement

Prior to entering Columbia, students may have taken the College Entrance Examination Board's Advanced Placement Examinations in a number of technical and non-technical areas. Students may be assigned to an advanced-level course in mathematics, chemistry, or physics. A maximum of 16 points may be applied.

In the required pure science areas, the number of advanced placement academic credits awarded to students of engineering and applied science varies from the levels awarded for liberal arts programs, notably in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science. The benefit of advanced placement is acceleration through certain First Year-Sophomore Program requirements and thus the opportunity of taking specialized courses earlier.

Each year the school reviews the CEEB advanced placement curriculum and makes determinations as to appropriate placements, credit, and/or exemption.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

STUDY ABROAD

Study abroad represents a significant enhancement to your engineering education. Students engaged in international study discover insights into other cultures, develop new perspectives, and learn to reflect on how their own culture has shaped their understanding of the world.

With proper planning, SEAS undergraduate students can study abroad. Most do so in the spring semester of their sophomore year or in their junior year. In general, students take technical and non-technical electives while abroad, although completing required courses is possible in some circumstances. It is essential that students begin planning during their first year by meeting with Scott Carpenter, assistant dean of academic affairs and study abroad, in 105 Carman (). Dean Carpenter helps students clarify their goals for international study, make the right preparations for their program, and integrate their study-abroad courses into the Columbia curriculum. Students also gain approval from their departmental advisers to ensure that their work abroad meets the requirements of their majors.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to participate in a semester- or year-long study-abroad program, students must:

• have at least a 3.0 GPA
• be making good progress toward finishing the Core Curriculum
• have at least intermediate proficiency in the local language, if it is not English
• take a language or literature course in the designated language the semester before going abroad
• have completed a course pertaining to the country or region where they intend to study
  

Please note, for programs in countries where the language of instruction is not English, students must take all course work in the local language.

To obtain permission to study abroad, students must be cleared by Dean Scott Carpenter by October 15 for spring programs and March 15 for fall and academic-year programs. A review of each student's academic and disciplinary records is conducted as part of this process. Students on academic or disciplinary probation are not permitted to study abroad during the term of their probation. Students must also register with the Office of Global Programs for study abroad by November 15 for spring programs and April 15 for fall and academic-year programs.

Study-abroad students remain enrolled at Columbia and tuition is paid to Columbia. Students participating in Columbia-approved programs pay housing costs directly to their host or sponsoring institution. Students receiving financial aid at Columbia will remain eligible for financial aid when they study abroad with Columbia's approval. Students who wish to be considered for financial aid while studying abroad should consult the Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing (407 Lerner).

Program Information

Choosing the right program is an important step in planning to study abroad. Study-abroad programs vary widely in size, geographical location, academic philosophy, language requirements, living arrangements, and opportunities for research and internships. Students must establish a set of goals for the study-abroad experience, taking into account their foreign-language skills and adaptability to new environments, as well as their research objectives and professional aspirations.

Students should visit the Office of Global Programs website to review various lists of approved program options and consult with OGP staff for specific information. Students must have their program choice approved by the Office of Global Programs (204 Lewisohn).

Summer study-abroad programs allow students to earn credits for language instruction and nontechnical electives. Students can participate in Columbia-approved summer programs for transfer credit or on Columbia-sponsored programs for direct credit. The Columbia-sponsored summer programs include the Chinese Language Program in Beijing, the Business Chinese and Internship Program in Shanghai, the Italian Cultural Studies Program in Venice, and the Columbia University Programs in Paris at Reid Hall.

Non-credited internships abroad—the EDGE and CEO programs—are coordinated by the Center for Career Education. Please visit their website for more information.

Academic Credit

Students in Columbia-sponsored programs receive direct Columbia credit, and the courses and grades appear on your academic transcript. These include Reid Hall, Paris; the Berlin Consortium for German Studies; the Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies; and the Tsinghua University program in Beijing.

Credit from approved programs is certified as transfer credit toward the Columbia degree upon successful completion of the program verifiable by academic transcript. Students must earn a grade of C or better in order for credits to transfer. Course titles and grades for approved programs do not appear on the Columbia transcript and the grades are not factored into the student’s GPA.

Faculty from the SEAS academic departments have the responsibility to assess all work completed abroad and make decisions about how these courses fit into major requirements. It is imperative that students gain course-by-course approval from their department prior to departure on a study-abroad program.

Combined Plan Programs

The Combined Plan (3-2) Program within Columbia University

The Combined Plan with Other Affiliated Colleges

There are over one hundred liberal arts colleges, including those at Columbia, in which a student can enroll in a Combined Plan program leading to two degrees. Every affiliated school has a liaison officer who coordinates the program at his or her home institution. Inasmuch as each liberal arts college requires the completion of a specified curriculum to qualify for the baccalaureate from that institution, students interested in this program should inform the liaison officer as early as possible, preferably in the first year.

The 3-2 Combined Plan Program, B.A./B.S. at The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is designed to provide students with the opportunity to receive both a B.A. degree from an affiliated liberal arts college and a B.S. degree from SEAS within five years. Students complete the requirements for the liberal arts degree along with a pre-engineering course of study in three years at their college and then complete two years at Columbia. Combined Plan students are required to complete all SEAS requirements within four consecutive semesters. Please note that no change of major is guaranteed.

Admission to SEAS at the end of the junior year is guaranteed for those students who have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better; are recommended by the liaison officer; and have completed the appropriate preparation successfully.

Guaranteed admission into The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science’s undergraduate Combined Plan Program is offered to applicants who have met the following requirements:

• have been enrolled at an affiliated school for at least the past two years;
• have received an overall GPA and a pre-engineering GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• have received three favorable recommendations, from the Combined Plan liaison and both a science and a math instructor at the home institution;
• have successfully completed the course load stipulated by the articulation agreement between the home institution and Columbia, which includes (a) the science and math prerequisite courses listed in the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide and (b) the major and distribution requirements prescribed by the home institution.

Another available option is the 4-2 B.S. degree program. This is designed to allow students to graduate from their liberal arts college with a B.A. degree and then transfer to SEAS to complete a B.S. degree in two years. Students should have followed a related course of study at their liberal arts college. Requirements for guaranteed admission to the 4-2 B.S. degree program are the same as above, with the additional requirement that if the applicant has already graduated from the affiliated school, he or she must apply to the Combined Plan Program within one year of graduating.

For further information on the 3-2 B.A./B.S. program and the 4-2 B.S. program, you are encouraged to e-mail your questions to: . You may also call 212- 854-2522 or contact Combined Plan Coordinators, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 212 Hamilton Hall, Mail Code 2807, 1130 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027.

The 4-2 M.S. program is designed to allow students to complete an M.S. degree at SEAS in two years after completion of a B.A. degree at one of the affiliated schools. This program will allow students the opportunity to take undergraduate engineering courses if necessary. Please contact the Office of Graduate Student Services, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, 524 S. W. Mudd, Mail Code 4708, 500 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027. You may also e-mail questions to .

The following colleges are affiliated with SEAS in the Combined Plan; admission requirements and other information may be obtained from them or by contacting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Additional information is available online.

The Combined Plan—Affiliated Colleges and Universities
Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Albertson College, Caldwell, ID
Albion College, Albion, MI
Alfred University, Alfred, NY
Allegheny College, Meadville, PA
Arcadia University, Glenside, PA
Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD
Austin College, Sherman, TX
Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Barnard College, New York, NY
Bates College, Lewiston, ME
Beloit College, Beloit, WI
Bethany College, Bethany, WV
Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL
Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Carroll College, Helena, MT
Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA
Centre College, Danville, KY
Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA
Clark University, Worcester, MA
Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
College of Notre Dame, Baltimore, MD
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
Columbia College, New York, NY
Davidson College, Davidson, NC
Denison University, Granville, OH
DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Dillard University, New Orleans, LO
Doane College, Crete, NE
Drew University, Madison, NJ
Earlham College, Richmond, IN
Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
Elon College, NC
Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT
Fordham University, Bronx, NY
Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA
Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY
Hastings College, Hastings, NE
Hendrix College, Conway, AR
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL
Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL
Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA
Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, KS
Knox College, Galeburg, IL
Lawrence University, Appleton, WI
Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
MacMurray College, Jacksonville, IL
Marietta College, Marietta, OH
Miami University, Oxford, OH
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
Millsaps College, Jackson, MI
Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA
Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA
Nebraska Wesleyan University,
Lincoln, NE
Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA
Pitzer College, Claremont, CA
Providence College, Providence, RI
Queens College, Flushing, NY
Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA
Reed College, Portland, OR
Rollins College, Winter Park, FL
St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY
St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY
School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY
Scripps College, Claremont, CA
Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Great Barrington, MA
Spelman College, Atlanta, GA
State University of New York, Fredonia, NY
State University of New York, Geneseo, NY
State University of New York, Binghamton, NY
Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
University of the South, Sewanee, TN
University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI
Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA
Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN
Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA
Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
Wells College, Aurora, NY
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA
Whitworth College, Spokane, WA
Willamette University, Salem, OR
William Jewell College, Liberty, MO
Williams College, Williamstown, MA
Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH
Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Yeshiva University, New York, NY

The Junior-Senior Programs

Students may review degree progress via DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) as presented on Student Services Online. Required courses not completed by this time are detailed as deficiencies and must be completed during summer session or carried as overload courses during the final two years of study.

Having chosen their program major, students in their third and fourth year are assigned to an adviser in the department in which the program is offered. In addition to the courses required by their program, students must continue to satisfy certain distributive requirements, choosing elective courses that provide sufficient content in engineering sciences and engineering design. The order and distribution of the prescribed course work may be changed with the adviser's approval. Specific questions concerning course requirements should be addressed to the appropriate department or division. The Vice Dean's concurrent approval is required for all waivers and substitutions.

Tau Beta Pi

The Tau Beta Pi Association, a national engineering honor society, was founded in 1885 "to mark in a fitting manner those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as undergraduates in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering, and to foster a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges." Columbia's chapter, New York Alpha, is the ninth oldest and was founded in 1902. Many Columbia buildings have been named for some of the more prominent chapter alumni: Charles Fredrick Chandler, Michael Idvorsky Pupin, Augustus Schermerhorn, and, of course, Harvey Seeley Mudd.

Undergraduate students whose scholarship places them in the top eighth of their class in their next-to-last year or in the top fifth of their class in their last college year are eligible for membership consideration. These scholastically eligible students are further considered on the basis of personal integrity, breadth of interest both inside and outside engineering, adaptability, and unselfish activity.

Taking Graduate Courses as an Undergraduate

The Bachelor of Science Degree

Students who complete a four-year sequence of prescribed study are awarded the Bachelor of Science degree. The general requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree is the completion of a minimum of 128 academic credits with a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) at the time of graduation. The program requirements, specified elsewhere in this bulletin, include the First Year-Sophomore course requirements, the Junior-Senior major departmental requirements, and technical and nontechnical elective requirements. Students who wish to transfer points of credit may count no more than 68 transfer points toward the degree, and must satisfy the University's residence requirements by taking at least 60 points of credit at Columbia.

The bachelor's degree in engineering and applied science earned at Columbia University prepares students to enter a wide range of professions. Students are, however, encouraged to consider graduate work, at least to the master's degree level, which is increasingly considered necessary for many professional careers.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), an organization formed by the major engineering professional societies, accredits university engineering programs on a nationwide basis. Completion of an accredited program of study is usually the first step toward a professional engineering license. Advanced study in engineering at a graduate school sometimes presupposes the completion of an accredited program of undergraduate study.

The following undergraduate programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology: chemical engineering, civil engineering, Earth and environmental engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering. A complete listing of all programs registered with the State of New York is available online.

The 4-1 Program at Columbia College

Students who are admitted as first-year students to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and subsequently complete the four-year program for the Bachelor of Science degree, have the opportunity to apply for admission to either Columbia College or Barnard College and, after one additional year of study, receive the Bachelor of Arts degree.

The program will be selective, and admission will be based on the following factors: granting of the B.S. at SEAS at the end of the fourth year; fulfillment of the College Core requirements by the end of the fourth year at SEAS; a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the College Core and other courses; and the successful completion of any prerequisites for the College major or concentration.

Interested students should contact their Advising Center for further information.

Minors

Undergraduates in The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science may choose to add minors to their programs. This choice should be made as early as possible, but not later than the fall of their sophomore year, when they also decide on a major.

In considering a minor, students must understand that all minors are not, and cannot, be available to all students. In addition, the School cannot guarantee that a selected minor can be completed within the usual residence period needed for a major. Indeed, students choosing minors should expect to encounter scheduling difficulties. The potential for the successful completion of a minor depends on the student's major and the minor chosen, as well as the course schedules and availability, which may change from year to year. The list of minors, as well as their requirements, appear in the section "Undergraduate Minors."

Programs in Preparation for Other Professions

The Fu Foundation School of Engineer-ing and Applied Science prepares its students to enter any number of graduate programs and professions outside of what is generally thought of as the engineering field. In an increasingly technological society, where the line between humanities and technology is becoming increasingly blurred, individuals with a thorough grounding in applied mathematics and the physical and engineering sciences find themselves highly sought after as professionals in practically all fields of endeavor.

Engineering students interested in pursuing graduate work in such areas as architecture, business, education, journalism, or law will find themselves well prepared to meet the generally flexible admissions requirements of most professional schools. Undergraduate students should, however, make careful inquiry into the kinds of specific preparatory work that may be required for admission into highly specialized programs such as medicine.

Pre-Med

Engineering students seeking admission to dental, medical, optometric, osteopathic, or veterinary schools directly after college must complete all entrance requirements by the end of the junior year, and should plan their program accordingly. Students should consult with their adviser and the Office of Preprofessional Advising to plan an appropriate program. Students should also connect with the Office of Preprofessional Advising to learn more about extracurricular and research opportunities related to premed studies.

It is necessary to apply for admission to health professions schools a little over one year in advance of the entry date. If candidates are interested in going directly on to health professions school following graduation, they should complete all requirements and the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) by the summer following the junior year. It is, however, entirely acceptable to delay application and entrance to these schools several years beyond graduation, if desired.

Candidates planning for an application to medical or dental school will also need to be evaluated by the Premedical Advisory Committee prior to application. A Premedical Advisory Committee application is made available each year in December. Please consult with the Office of Preprofessional Advising for more information regarding this process.

The Engineering School's curriculum covers many of the premedical courses required by medical schools. However, in addition to completing the mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses required by the First Year-Sophomore Program, most medical schools ask for a full year of organic chemistry, a full year of biology, and a full year of English.

The following courses are required by medical schools:

One year of calculus for some schools
One year of physics, with lab
One year of general chemistry, with lab
One year of biology, with lab (BME labs will qualify)
One year of organic chemistry, with lab
One year of English
Biochemistry or additional biology (required by some schools)

Pre-Law

Students fulfilling the curriculum of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science are well prepared to apply to and enter professional schools of law, which generally do not require any specific pre-law course work. Schools of law encourage undergraduate students to complete a curriculum characterized by rigorous intellectual training involving relational, syntactical, and abstract thinking. A sound liberal education is best for most pre-law students. While selecting courses, keep in mind the need to hone your writing skills, your communication skills, and your capacity for logical analysis.

Courses in history, political science, economics, statistics, and anthropology help students understand the structure of society and the problems of social ordering with which the law is concerned. The study of philosophy, literature, fine arts, foreign languages, and other cultures imparts familiarity with traditions of universal thought and trends that influence legal developments nationally and internationally. The examination of human behavior through sociology and psychology will aid a prospective law student in understanding the types and effects of behavior to which the law relates.

The systematic ordering of abstractions and ideas in logic and the sciences contributes much to a pre-law student’s ability to analyze, understand, and rationally organize his or her thoughts. Finally, it is useful in some fields of law for a student to have a fundamental knowledge of technology, engineering, computers, and accounting.

New York State Initial Certification in Adolescence Education Grades 7–12 for Teachers of Mathematics and the Sciences or in Childhood Education Grades 1–6

The Barnard Education Program provides courses leading to certification to teach in New York State (with reciprocal agreements with forty-one other states) at either the elementary or secondary level. Students gain experience and develop skills in urban school classrooms. Interested students should apply for admission to the program and supply an essay and letters of recommendation no later than the first Monday in October of the junior year. These forms may be downloaded from the Barnard College Office of Education website or picked up in the 336 Milbank Hall office. Coursework required includes courses in psychology and education, including practicum and student teaching, totaling 23–26 points of credit depending on level of certification sought (please see the website for specific courses).

Certification to teach mathematics requires 36 points in mathematics. Pure science courses required are: 36 points in the sciences, of which 15 must be in the area of the certification sought: chemistry, biology, physics, or Earth science.

Application deadline is the first Monday in October of the student’s junior year. Students who plan to study abroad during their junior year should apply during the fall semester of their sophomore year. Students should decide on their interest in teacher certification by the end of the first year in order to start course work in the sophomore year.

Barnard College Education Program
336 Milbank Hall
212-854-7072

Joint Programs

School of Law

School of International and Public Affairs

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia offer a joint program enabling a small number of students to complete the requirements for the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of International Affairs in five years instead of six. Not only an excellent academic record but also maturity, fluency in an appropriate foreign language, and pertinent experience will determine admission to this program. Applications are processed in the junior year by the Center for Student Advising.

Registered Programs

The New York State Department of Education requires that this bulletin include a listing of registered programs, both undergraduate and graduate (see chart). Enrollment in other than registered or otherwise approved programs may jeopardize a student’s eligibility for certain student aid awards.

The letter “X” or the name of a degree on the chart indicates that a program is registered with the New York State Department of Education.