Virginia Tech
Is Transforming
Engineering Education
The Virginia Tech
campus is located
in southwest
Virginia, rich in
natural beauty
such as the
Cascades
waterfall.
The Top Ten Reasons Why Virginia Tech
Is the Best Place to Become an Engineer
1 3
We have a national
reputation as a premiere
engineering school.
Our research strengths
afford learning opportunities
for students.
• U.S. News & World Report
consistently ranks us among the
top undergraduate engineering
programs in the country
• engineering school deans ranked
recently seven of the College’s
undergraduate programs among
the top 25 in their fields
nationwide
• in the most recent survey of the
Engineering Workforce
Commission of the American
Association of Engineering
Societies, we are ranked 8th
nationally for the number of
undergraduate degrees awarded
• Virginia Tech created a new
technological paradigm in
supercomputing technology with
its design and construction of
System X, the fastest
supercomputer in the world in a
university setting
www.tcf.vt.edu/systemX.html
• we are one of the top five major
research universities for patents and
in the top ten percent of all
accredited engineering schools for
research expenditures
• our faculty members understand the
latest technologies used by industry,
and they transfer that knowledge
back to the students
2
required to have a wireless
laptop computer
• we believe computer tools that
are on the leading edge of
technology provide the best
possible tools for performing
engineering problem solving
www.eng.vt.edu/academics/
comp_require.php
• we have remained in the
vanguard, and Blacksburg was
labeled “the most wired town in
America” by NBC Nightly News
4 5
We are a leader
in instructional technology.
• Virginia Tech’s Math Emporium is a
bold example of the potential of
instructional technology to improve
student learning
www.emporium.vt.edu
• over 20 years ago we became the
first large public university to require
a personal computer for our
engineering students, and we have
maintained our technological
computing edge
• today, all incoming freshmen are
We assume a
transformational
leadership role
in engineering education.
• we initiated a writing and
communications program for
See Ten Reasons, page 3
Students often become
involved in research
early on in their
academic careers. This
student is conducting
research in the tissue
engineering laboratory.
We offer the highest quality
learning experience.
• professorial-level faculty members
teach more than 95 percent of all
engineering classes
• our faculty members have both
national and international
reputations in their areas of
expertise, and their work with
industry and government
agencies brings a hands-on,
cutting-edge dimension into the
classroom
• as one of the top five polytechnics
in the country, we offer
undergraduates an unequaled
“Hands-on, Minds-on” learning
experience
1
apart of common devices) to learn
how they are designed and why,
and ultimately put them back
together
Piloting “Specter,” a
half-composite, halfhuman entry, Virginia
Tech engineering
students set two world
records and won two
first place prizes during
the international
Human-Powered
Submarine contest in
Escondido, Calif.
Continued from previous page
engineering students — designed to
increase our engineering students’
marketability after graduation
• the College received $2 million in
funding from the National Science
Foundation to further develop and
enhance our engineering student
support programs
• the National Academy of
Engineering has promoted Virginia
Tech as a leader in engineering
education
•
•
•
•
•
6
We have an unprecedented
10,000 square feet
of space dedicated to a
student projects laboratory.
•
• our Joseph F. Ware Jr., Laboratory
is unique in engineering education.
It is the central home to a variety of
student projects that allow the
design teams to build various types
•
of cars, a human-powered
submarine, airplanes, steel bridges,
and other hands on projects
www.eng.vt.edu/warelab/
• for the freshmen, a specially
designed laboratory space, the
Frith Lab, allows students to use
reverse engineering (the taking
2
7
Our student design teams
and organizations
consistently win national
awards.
Virginia Tech is a
charter member of the
Global Engineering
Education Exchange
Consortium.
8
• this consortium is a group of over
30 American member universities
and a consortium of western
European universities with new
members continuously added from
the Autonomous Vehicle Team won
around the world
first place overall at the 12th annual • engineering students have the
Intelligent Ground Vehicles
opportunity to spend a semester or
Competition
a year studying in one of 17
our aerospace and ocean engineering
countries overseas
students have won more aircraft,
spacecraft, and ship design awards
We are committed
than any other students in the
country at international design
to promoting environmental
competitions
and global awareness.
“Centuria,” a single-engine jet aircraft • we offer environmentally conscious
designed by undergraduate
course work through a Green
engineering students from Virginia
Engineering concentration — one of
Tech and their counterparts at
the first engineering schools in the
Loughborough University in the U.K.
country to do so
won the Best Overall Award in NASA’s
• we offer an array of international
Revolutionary Vehicles and Concepts
study abroad programs and
competition
collaborative design experiences
Virginia Tech’s human-powered
with foreign engineering colleges,
submarine set two world records in
providing the opportunity to work
2004 and won two first place prizes
on international project teams and
at the International Human-Powered
gain an understanding of the
Submarine Contest
unique challenges of international
for the third year in a row, a team of
projects
Virginia Tech engineering students
won first place in the National
Our students get jobs!
Material Handling Student Design
•
we
serve as a key recruiting school
Competition for their design of an
for well over 500 companies
industrial facility
student programming teams captured • our students host one of the largest
recruiting fairs in the country,
four out of five top places in the
Engineering Expo
Association for Computing Machinery
www.sec.vt.edu/expo.php
Mid-Atlantic Region Programming
• the majority of our seniors have
Contest
jobs lined up well in advance of
the Student Engineers’ Council (SEC)
graduation
has earned the Best Council Award
•
an
engineering degree from Virginia
from the National Association of
Tech is well-respected by
Engineering Student Councils for the
employers due to our graduates’
past two out of three years and
high rate of job success
annually makes significant
contributions to enhance innovative
engineering education programs
9
10
The undergraduates are the technology leaders when it comes to
programming. Thus, the engineering students are fortunate to have
access to Virginia Tech’s CAVE, believed to be the only such facility
at a University that is open to students 24/7. The CAVE is a useful
tool for scientific visualization to help make discoveries. The CAVE
is also unique because it is linked to Virginia Tech’s System X, the
fastest supercomputer at any academic facility in the world.
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“For me, the most valuable thing about studying engineering was that it
literally taught me how to think. After four years of engineering, I feel more
comfortable solving problems. Not just engineering problems, but any type of problem.
The Virginia Tech engineering curriculum forces you to learn how to systematically
approach problems and how to structure solutions, a skill that will help in many other
areas of your college and professional life.”
Nick Reinholtz
Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2005
4
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About Blacksburg
Many students and alumni describe the
Virginia Tech surroundings as “picture perfect.”
Blacksburg, located in Montgomery County in
southwestern Virginia, is a beautiful, small-town
area with a friendly, “feel at home” atmosphere
and has many features of a big city. Blacksburg
is located 40 miles southwest of Roanoke and
270 miles south of Washington, D.C. Students
comment that they can travel for 10 minutes in
one direction to hike and camp and 10 minutes
in the other direction to dine and shop.
Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech campus
are served by a public transit system nationally
recognized for excellence, the Blacksburg
Transit, or “BT.” The area is home to dozens of
restaurants, a growing number of lodging
facilities, numerous shopping areas, a movie
theater complex, three golf courses, and two
bowling alleys.
Blacksburg offers a variety of cultural
activities at very reasonable prices (often free).
Each year the Arts Series at Virginia Tech and
Radford University (located in nearby Radford,
Virginia) attract musical, dance, and other
performing groups. In addition, Virginia Tech
Union brings current movies and live concerts to
campus.
Blacksburg is surrounded by a variety of
recreational areas. Canoeing and inner-tubing
are popular summer activities on the New River,
less than 20 minutes from the Virginia Tech
campus. Mountain Lake Resort, Claytor Lake
State Park, and Smith Mountain Lake State Park
are all within a 60-mile radius of Blacksburg.
Jefferson National Forest, including
Pandapas Pond and the Cascades Waterfall, is
a popular site for hiking and camping. The
Appalachian Trail is an additional challenge for
hiking enthusiasts, while motorists may enjoy
the scenic views and many attractions along the
Blue Ridge Parkway. Bikers may travel along any
of five bike trails in the area, and spelunkers will
find many caves to explore. During the winter
months, snow skiing or snow boarding is
available at Winter Place, about an hour’s drive
from campus.
In addition, the Virginia Tech campus
surrounds an official Virginia Historic Landmark,
Smithfield Plantation.
http://civic.bev.net/smithfield
Overview of Engineering Degree Programs
Aerospace Engineering
The aerospace engineering program of study
emphasizes aerodynamics, structures, propulsion,
and flight mechanics with instructional material
leading to a year-long capstone design experience in
the senior year. Design teams are often multidisciplinary with students from other majors. Faculty
teach and conduct research in the areas of aero/
hydrodynamics, structural mechanics, dynamics and
control and multidisciplinary design optimization. The
Department has extensive facilities including worldclass wind tunnels, water tunnels, structural test
equipment, computer systems and a full-scale, fullmotion flight simulator.
http://www.aoe.vt.edu/academics/undergrad/
AE.php
Biological and Systems Engineering
The Department of Biological and Systems
Engineering’s unique curriculum allows students to
combine their interests in engineering and biology.
The degree programs at the undergraduate level focus
on two aspects of the overall mission: production of
biological materials while protecting the environment
and production of value added products through
further processing of these materials. The educational
goal is to graduate biological systems engineers to
support sustainable production, processing, and
utilization of biological materials and to protect natural
resources.
http://www.bse.vt.edu
8
heat transfer, mass transfer, control, verbal and written
communications, and reaction kinetics, along with
professional ethics and environmental awareness.
http://www.che.vt.edu
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil engineers are the principal designers, constructors,
operators, and caretakers of many of the constructed
facilities and systems that contribute to the high quality of
life enjoyed in the United States. The civil engineer has a
major role in providing the many forms of enclosed space
used by humans, transportation systems, water supply
systems, and the facilities for waste disposal and other
human interactions with the physical environment. The
Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering offers educational programs in all these
major areas of civil engineering practice.
http://www.cee.vt.edu
Computer Engineering
Computer engineering combines the principles and
techniques of electrical engineering and computer
science and more. Computer engineers continually push
the capability and applicability of computers in industry
and every facet of modern life. The major technical areas
of computer engineering include networking, VLSI and
design automation, machine intelligences, computer
software, and biomedical. This program prepares
engineers to analyze and solve computer-orientated
problems.
http://www.ecpe.vt.edu/ugrad/cpe.html
Chemical Engineering
Computer Science
Skillful and creative applications of the principles of
chemistry, biochemistry, biology, mathematics, and
physics are needed to solve the problems now
confronting society. The modern chemical engineer is
the professional concerned with finding economically
and socially acceptable solutions. The chemical
engineering program prepares graduates for
employment in a great variety of industries including
the chemical, petroleum, biochemical,
pharmaceutical, paper, environmental, fibers, plastics,
food, electronics, and consumer product industries.
The curriculum integrates studies in fluid mechanics,
The computer science major is software oriented (in
contrast to the hardware-oriented computer engineering
major). Computer science majors design and develop
software, from the systems that control the functioning of
the computer (such as operating systems and compilers)
to applications software for areas such as numerical
analysis, graphics, and databases. The Department is at
the forefront of cutting-edge research in such fields as
bioinformatics, human-computer interaction, software
engineering, and high-performance computing and
communications systems.
http://www.cs.vt.edu
“Centuria,” a single-engine
jet aircraft designed by
undergraduate engineering
students from Virginia
Tech and their
counterparts at
Loughborough University
in the U.K., won the Best
Overall Award in NASA’s
2004 Revolutionary
Vehicles and Concepts
Competition.
Electrical
Engineering
Almost every technology
in modern life relies on
electrical engineering in
some way. The electrical
engineering program
prepares engineers to
develop the tools and
techniques to sense,
measure, convert,
transmit, control, and
receive energy and
intelligence. Electrical
engineers work on projects as small as mosquito-sized
robots, to controlling massive, million-mile structures,
such as the nation’s power grid. Virginia Tech’s research
programs in telecommunications, fiber optics, power
systems, power electronics, and photonics are ranked
among the top in their fields.
http://www.ecpe.vt.edu/ugrad/ee.html
Engineering Education
The Department of Engineering Education carries out the
mission to create and teach first-class, modern courses
for the freshman engineering students at Virginia Tech.
The freshman program includes many innovative “handson” labs and team projects. Graduate courses in the area
of engineering education are also being added to prepare
future engineering professors.
http://www.enge.vt.edu
Engineering Science and Mechanics
The Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics
provides a strong foundation and a sturdy framework for
the discovery, development, transfer, and implementation
of new knowledge in the areas of mechanics of materials
and material systems, fluid mechanics, dynamics and
vibration, biomechanics, and computational methods.
The Department is fully committed to providing an
environment for strong undergraduate and graduate
education that emphasizes fundamental understanding
rather than specialization, high quality teaching,
innovation, frontier-level research, and service to the
professional mechanics community.
http://www.esm.vt.edu
Industrial and Systems Engineering
The Industrial and Systems Engineering Department
utilizes innovative and creative systems, technologies,
and processes to achieve the highest quality of
instruction. The field of industrial engineering embraces a
broad spectrum of technical activities including the
classical techniques of work methods, production and
facilities planning, quality control, and safety. It also
embraces the fields of human factors, operations
research, manufacturing systems, and organization and
management systems.
http://www.ise.vt.edu
Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering
has collaborated with Wake Forest
University Baptist Medical Center
to create the School of Biomedical
Engineering and Sciences. This heat
transfer laboratory is part of SBES.
engineering is the broadest, encompassing a wide
variety of engineering fields and many specialties.
Although it is commonly assumed that mechanical
engineers are automotive engineers, in fact,
mechanical engineers are employed in an enormous
range of technical areas including: acoustics, airconditioning, automatic controls, computer-aided
design, energy management, fluid dynamics, tribology,
robotics, biomechanics, and turbomachinery, just to
name a few. Virginia Tech’s programs in mechanical
engineering are consistently ranked in the top 10 to 15
per cent of Mechanical Engineering Departments in
the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
http://www.me.vt.edu
Mining and Minerals Engineering
The goal of the Mining and Minerals Engineering
curriculum is to expose students to an extensive range
of studies that comprise mining engineering, including
mineral exploration, evaluation, development,
extraction, processing, and conservation. Courses are
designed to introduce students to the intersecting
environmental and economic factors that affect
resource development. Professional development is
facilitated by an emphasis on the application of
computers to mining and minerals processing
operations. The Department’s laboratories and nearby
pilot plant offer hands-on experience with the most
current technology in the industry.
http://www.mining.vt.edu
Materials Science and Engineering
The diverse faculty and technical staff in the Materials
Science and Engineering Department have combined
expertise in development, manufacturing,
characterization, testing and application of ceramic,
metal, polymer, composite, and microelectronic materials
systems. The Department supports a Communications
Program Center where students receive instruction in
writing and communications as an integral part of their
studies.
http://www.mse.vt.edu
Mechanical Engineering
Of the many engineering disciplines, mechanical
Ocean Engineering
Ocean engineering is a diverse field. At Virginia Tech,
the major focus areas are ocean vehicles and
structures including ships, advanced marine vehicles,
offshore platforms and submarines. Both
undergraduate and graduate programs focus on
computer-aided analysis and design of ships, using
methods based on first principles. Virginia Tech is the
home of MAESTRO, today’s most advanced computerbased method for structural analysis and optimization
of ship, submarine, and offshore platform structures.
http://www.aoe.vt.edu/academics/undergrad/
OE.php
9
Academic Information
Virginia Tech’s history in engineering is rich. Founded in 1872 as an agricultural and
mechanical school, engineering courses were among the first offered on the campus.
Today, all of our college freshmen are enrolled in the General Engineering program and
assigned an advisor. The General Engineering program provides a solid educational foundation
that emphasizes the use of computers in the analysis and solution of engineering problems and
employs state-of-the-art software packages ( www.enge.vt.edu ).
During the freshman year, students select their major from 13 degree-granting engineering
programs: Aerospace, Biological Systems, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Computer Science,
Electrical, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Industrial and Systems, Materials Science and
Engineering, Mechanical, Mining and Minerals, and Ocean. Students are asked to select their
degree program after completing the freshman courses and are assigned both an Academic
and Career Advisor within their major. In addition to mathematics, physical sciences, and
engineering sciences, engineering students also take core courses in the humanities and social
sciences.
Design and project work throughout the undergraduate program culminate in senior
capstone design projects which allow students to draw on their creativity, imagination, and
motivation as well as their engineering education. Senior design projects are a realistic
simulation of solving a complex problem in the work place, providing invaluable experience.
Co-operative Education and Internships
All undergraduates have the opportunity to participate in the Cooperative Education or
Internship program in order to gain work experience related to their majors. In addition to
departmental Co-op and Career Advisors, the Office of Career Services provides each
department with a Co-op Coordinator. Graduating seniors have “seek and accept” job
opportunities with traditional manufacturing organizations as well as non-traditional
organizations such as banking, service organizations, government agencies, and consulting
firms ( www.career.vt.edu/coop/coop1.html ).
Student Support Services
The College of Engineering offers advising, counseling, and support for academic and
personal concerns. The Student Engineers’ Council Student Assistance Center provides peer
tutoring services for all of the freshman and sophomore level math, science, and engineering
courses ( www.sac.org.vt.edu/main.html ).
The College of Engineering sponsors residential learning and living communities for
engineering students. Participants’ academic and residential lives are united through special
programming that teaches strategies and skills to be successful in classes and career searches.
Both Hypatia (for women) and Galileo (for men) provide students with built-in study partners
and a ready group of other first-year engineering students who share similar interests. A fall
semester seminar course covers topics such as academic and professional development
strategies. For the spring semester, guest speakers, field trips, and group projects provide the
opportunity to explore engineering from first hand accounts while simultaneously building
network skills. Community service projects are utilized to facilitate leadership development
while encouraging youth to learn about engineering.
The Student Transition to Engineering Program (STEP) is a five-week bridge program for
students about to begin their freshman year. The goal of STEP is to ease the transition from
high school to college by providing opportunities to become familiar with the academic rigor
and environment as well as available resources. STEP provides incoming students with
10
academic enrichment in selected subjects historically challenging for first year students.
The College of Engineering provides mentoring for freshman engineering students.
Mentoring occurs when a person who has successfully negotiated a particular area
shares his or her knowledge to assist others who are going through a similar process.
Successful upperclass engineering students are assigned a group of freshman students,
helping the first year students by serving as resources for academic issues, assistance in
developing skills, and acting as a sounding board for new thoughts and ideas.
The Transfer Study Experience
The College has a transfer articulation agreement with the Virginia Community
College System (VCCS). VCCS students who complete the Associate Degree in
Engineering at participating colleges with a minimum 3.0 grade-point-average and who
complete a specified list of academic courses are given special consideration for
admission to the College of Engineering. The Associate Degree in Engineering is offered
at J. Sargeant Reynolds, New River, Northern Virginia, Piedmont, Southwest Virginia,
Thomas Nelson, Tidewater, and Virginia Western Community College.
A mentoring program is available for incoming transfer students to the College,
bringing together the new transfer student with a former transfer student to Virginia Tech.
The Dual Degree Program
The College has a transfer articulation agreement with the Virginia Community
College System (VCCS). VCCS students who complete the Associate’s Degree in
Engineering with a minimum 3.0 grade-point-average and who complete a specified list
of academic courses are given special consideration for admission to the College of
Engineering. Not all Virginia Community Colleges offer engineering courses. However,
the Associate’s Degree in Engineering is offered at J. Sargeant Reynolds, Northern
Virginia, Thomas Nelson, Southwest Virginia, New River Community, Tidewater, and
Virginia Western Community Colleges.
The head of the freshman engineering program, Hayden
Griffin, enjoys the design projects as much as the students do.
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Student Opportunities
All undergraduates have a wealth of opportunities from which to choose: the University Honors
Program and undergraduate research, collegiate athletics and intramural sports, music
ensembles and marching band, study abroad and co-ops with industry. Virginia Tech offers over
450 different organizations and organized activities from which to choose. The College of
Engineering offers 40 engineering-specific student organizations, including student chapters of
professional engineering societies.
What You Can Expect
Engineering is an exciting and rewarding discipline, but it takes hard work and dedication to
complete your studies. You will be required to work harder and longer than you’ve ever worked
before. We will ask you to treat school like a full-time job, meaning that you will be in class and
studying an average of 45 to 72 hours a week depending on your course credit load (average 15
to 18 per semester). However, we also encourage you to learn good time management skills that
will enable you to take classes outside your engineering curriculum and to become involved in
extracurricular activities.
What You Will Gain
Along with a diversity of college student life and work opportunities, engineering students will
develop problem solving and critical thinking skills, team-building and leadership skills, writing and
presentation skills, interpersonal and communication skills, and a strong work ethic and
professionalism. All graduating seniors have the opportunity to take the Fundamentals of
Engineering exam on-campus in preparation for professional licensure.
Admissions Information
Admission to the College of Engineering is competitive with openings for approximately 1300
students each year. These 1300 students represent about 25 percent of the total number of
applications. SAT scores typically range from 1200 to 1600 and high school GPAs range from 3.4
to a high of 4.8 when AP and honors courses are weighted. A challenging high school curriculum,
including AP and honors courses, engineering foundations, and computer programming is very
beneficial. Physics is required and calculus is also important. Participation in math and science
clubs and fairs is recommended. Valuable personal characteristics include creativity, imagination,
insight, a strong work ethic, and good time management and study skills.
Scholarship Information
The College of Engineering spends more than $550,000 in scholarships for freshmen. As
these students progress, the College uses some $14 million of its endowment money to fund
undergraduate scholarships at the sophomore to senior level. In addition, the Departments of Civil
and Environmental Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering have the Via and Bradley
Scholarship Endowments, valued at close to $28 million each. The Industrial and Systems
Engineering Department has the Grado Endowment. A substantial portion of the earnings on
these endowments is devoted to scholarships and fellowships.
The Dean’s Scholar Program, for incoming freshmen, provides $5000 per year for up to four
years of engineering undergraduate study. Any incoming freshman in the College of Engineering is
invited to apply to receive the scholarship. Upperclass scholarships range from $500 to full tuition
and fees for four years. Upperclass students can also qualify for scholarships based on academic
and leadership achievements.
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For further information about the College of Engineering
or to register for an Engineering Information Session
(11:00-12:00 daily, M-F)
please go to
www.eng.vt.edu/academics/info_sess.php
or contact:
College of Engineering
212 Hancock Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0275
Phone: (540) 231-3244
E-mail: engris@vt.edu
For further information about admission to the University
or to receive an application, contact:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
201 Burruss Hall, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0202
Phone: (540) 231-6267
E-mail: vtadmiss@vt.edu
Additional information about related programs
can be found at the following web sites:
Virginia Tech: http://www.vt.edu
College of Engineering: http://www.eng.vt.edu
CREDITS
Associate Dean: ...................................... Dr. Bevlee Watford
Editor: ............................................................. Karen Gilbert
Designer: ..................................................... David Simpkins
Cover Photograph: .......................................... Rick Griffiths
Inside Photography: ........... Rick Griffiths, John McCormick
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Statement
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the
basis of race, sex, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, political
affiliation, or sexual orientation. The university is subject to Titles VI and VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment
Assistant Act of 1974, the Federal Executive Order 11246, Governor Gilmore’s State
Executive Order Number Two, and all other rules and regulations that are applicable.
Anyone having questions concerning any of those regulations or accessibility should
contact the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office, 336 Burruss Hall (0216),
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, (540) 231-7500, TTY (540) 231-9460.
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