College of Engineering
www.eng.vt.edu

Hassan Aref, Dean
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies: Ed Henneke
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Bevlee A. Watford
Associate Dean for Administration: Roderick Hall
Assistant Dean for Distance Learning and Computing: Glenda Scales
Norris Hall

Mission of the College

  • Virginia Tech is the home of the commonwealth's leading College of Engineering. It is known in Virginia and throughout the nation for the excellence of its programs in engineering education, research, and public service.
  • The mission of the College of Engineering is to serve the citizens of Virginia, the nation and the world by developing and transferring engineering knowledge that will improve the quality of life. The vision of the college is to create an educational environment which is recognized as a national leader among engineering colleges at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The goals of the college are
    • to attract high-caliber students and to provide them with a top-quality engineering education in preparation for productive careers;
    • to invest in faculty development to enhance Virginia Tech's reputation as a research university and a leader in graduate education; and
    • to forge new links with industry and government to facilitate economic development within the commonwealth and the nation.
  • The excellent reputation of the College of Engineering is verified by several independent rankings. In the latest survey of "America's Best Colleges," U.S. News & World Report ranked Virginia Tech's College of Engineering 7th among undergraduate engineering schools that offer Ph.D.s. According to the survey, eight of the colleges' undergraduate programs were ranked among the top 25 in the nation. For more than a decade, the college has excelled in its research expenditures, remaining in the top 10 percent among U.S. engineering schools.
  • Among engineering schools nationwide, the college ranks eighth in number of bachelor's degrees awarded, 13th in master's degrees, and 18th in Ph.D.s. It is the 15th largest producer of women engineers earning bachelor's.
  • The College of Engineering offers bachelor of science degrees in the following areas, all accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET): Aerospace, Biological Systems, Chemical, Civil/Environmental, Computer, Computer Science, Electrical, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Industrial and Systems, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical, Mining and Minerals, and Ocean.
  • Engineers play an important role in modern society. They design and develop new and better materials, products, and processes for households and industries, from tiny semiconductors to huge dams. Engineers are needed across a broad spectrum of industry from the traditional to emerging fields. Engineers must not only satisfy society's demand for improved performance, reliability, and safety of products, they also are expected to supply solutions for environmental and social problems created by new technology.
  • Men and women trained in engineering will find many professional outlets. They may join large or small manufacturing industries or they may offer their skills and knowledge as professional consultants. They may work in government or private research laboratories or teach and do research in universities. If the future leads them into other professions (medicine, law, business), their engineering education will provide a sound base. Graduates of the College of Engineering are in high demand. Our student-run EXPO attracted over 300 employers in 2003, and we are a key recruiting school for over 40 major corporations.
  • In providing the best possible education for our students, the College of Engineering seeks to ensure that all engineering graduates (not including computer science) meet the standards put forth by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, as described by the criteria listed here. These criteria state that the engineering graduates have:
    1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;
    2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;
    3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs;
    4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;
    5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;
    6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;
    7. an ability to communicate effectively;
    8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context;
    9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning;
    10. a knowledge of contemporary issues; and
    11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
  • Furthermore, each degree granting department in the College has educational objectives for their graduates that exist in addition to these criteria, and are program specific.
  • It is essential that engineers, regardless of specialty, be well versed in mathematics, the physical sciences, and the engineering sciences so that they can adapt readily to meet the ever-changing demands of the profession. But professional training is not enough engineers need to have imagination and insight. They must understand the history and traditions of the society in which they live. So also must they be broadly familiar with the social sciences and humanities. Last, but not least, engineers must be able to communicate effectively with higher management and the general public. The college is implementing a program of "writing across the curriculum," in which writing is incorporated as an integral part of many courses, rather than isolated in a few specific courses. Formal oral presentations are also an important part of many of our courses. Engineers who are well educated, not just well trained, will be better equipped to develop scientific knowledge into useful technology.

Innovations of the College of Engineering

  • Virginia Tech engineering undergraduates are fortunate to have a combination of excellent classroom instruction and the opportunity to participate in "hands-on, minds-on" engineering training. Two unique facilities, established by the generosity of College of Engineering alumni, are available to undergraduates. In the Joseph F. Ware, Jr. Advanced Engineering Laboratory, students design and construct competition projects including SAE Formula race cars, All-Terrain Mini-Baja vehicles, human-powered submarines and land vehicles, radio-controlled aircraft, autonomous land and underwater vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and solar-powered houses. In the Frith Freshman Engineering Design Laboratory, freshman learn engineering principles by working with a number mechanisms donated by industry sponsors.
  • In 2003 Virginia Tech built a supercomputer that was ranked the third most powerful in the world and is, perhaps, the least expensive terascale computer ever built. Computer scientists and engineers created the supercomputer by tying together 1,100 of Apple’s new G5 desktop computers to achieve top-dollar performance. "Virginia Tech X" cost the university only $5.2 million, a fraction of what most terascale computers cost. As such, this supercomputer should serve as a model that will allow other universities, who are not in the supercomputer game, to own their own facilities.
  • Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia are the leaders of a consortium selected by NASA to create the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), a research and education collaboration with a potential value of $379 million in grants over the next 20 years. Other university members of the National Institute of Aerospace Associates consortium are the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and University of Maryland-College Park. The strategic partnership will foster unique and advanced aerospace research and will offer graduate degrees in science and engineering through on-campus and distance-learning courses. The NIA and its campus are located near the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
  • Computer Science (CS) is now the 12th department in the College of Engineering. For more than 30 years, CS was part of the College of Arts and Sciences, which has been reorganized as part of the university's restructuring process. Nationally, CS departments reside productively in a variety of settings. However, the highest-ranked departments tend to function in an engineering rather than a sciences setting. In addition, the high-ranking and large-resource base of the College of Engineering should help support the department's strong, internally motivated efforts to improve as a department.
  • In 1984 the Virginia Tech College of Engineering became the first public institution to require freshman students to have desktop computers. Now the computer requirement for Virginia Tech engineering freshmen has changed from a desktop to a laptop to reflect the increased technology needs of students. About two-thirds of students live off campus and spend several hours each week going back and forth from campus to home for computer use. Having a laptop enables students to take their computers to class, group meetings, and study sessions. Network plug-ins and wireless network access are being made available in classrooms and study areas around the campus.
  • Tenured or tenure track faculty teach more than 90 percent of all engineering courses at Virginia Tech. Engineering faculty members focus on solving real world problems, and share these experiences in the classroom. The work of the faculty with industry brings modern, up to date knowledge back to the classroom quicker than any textbook. These experiences provide a hands on dimension that results in the superlative quality of engineering teaching for which Virginia Tech is so well known.
  • Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University have established a joint school of biomedical engineering and science. The Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences will offer M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering (BME), as well as opportunities for collaborative research. Joint instructional and research programs will initially focus on biomechanics, tissue and cell engineering, and bioimaging and signal analysis. Wake Forest will lead in bioimaging and signal processing, while Virginia Tech will lead in the biomechanics and tissue and cell engineering areas.

Engineering Software and Computations Concentration

  • The College of Engineering offers a concentration in Engineering Software and Computations (ESC) that is available to all majors in the college. The purpose of the program is to certify students who have developed a higher degree of expertise in the application and development of systematic methods for the specification, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of high quality software and computation systems.
  • The concentration requires a minimum of 18 hours of course work, comprising 12 hours of required core courses and at least 6 hours of elective courses chosen from a set of approximately 40 approved courses. Courses taken in the major degree program may be co-counted towards the concentration. The course work is spread throughout the college and is not focused in any one department.
  • Upon completion of this program, students will have a basic knowledge of a fundamental set of software and computational tools and techniques along with direction on how and when they can be applied to engineering problem solving. Students will also acquire an understanding of advanced principles and concepts in the development and use of engineering software and computational tools.
  • This concentration program will be available to any undergraduate engineering student enrolled and in good academic standing in a participating department of the college. Students should declare their candidacy for the concentration by completing the appropriate paperwork once they have achieved junior status.
  • For further information students should see http://www.eng.vt.edu/esc/

Green Engineering

  • The university concentration in Green Engineering allows interested students to obtain a recognized concentration in Green Engineering in addition to their primary degrees in the College of Engineering. In order to obtain a university-recognized concentration in Green Engineering, students are required to take 18 credit hours in the concentration area. At least two new Green Engineering core courses have been developed, along with new interdisciplinary effective courses. Furthermore, existing in-major required courses have been modified to include substantial "green content." In order to receive a concentration in Green Engineering, students will be required to distribute their 18 required credit hours as follows: 6 credits in identified Green Engineering core courses; at least 6 hours in interdisciplinary, elective courses identified as containing substantial "green content"; and up to 6 credits in in-major, required courses identified as containing substantial "green content."
  • In addition to the environmentally conscious engineering principles which are stressed throughout the college, significant emphasis is found in the Departments of Biological Systems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mining and Minerals Engineering. Two departments, Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), offer more formalized education in this important area. BSE offers a specialty in land and water resources engineering. This curriculum is focused on nonpoint source pollution control, conservation of natural resources, development and implementation of best management practices for protecting surface and groundwater quality, application of information support systems for land-use planning and natural resources management, and waste management. CEE offers an environmental engineering option at the B.S. level. This program includes course work in the areas of contaminated groundwater and soil cleanups, solid and hazardous waste treatment, water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, water and air quality management, and groundwater/surface water modeling. As noted above, the college also offers two master's level degree programs in environmental areas. A number of scholarships may be available through the Green Engineering Program.

Examples of Accomplishments at the National Level

  • "Nightrider" zoomed into first place, "Schwermobile" ran a close second and "Raging Red Air-Powered Corvette" followed with a strong third--thanks to the ingenuity of freshmen in Virginia Tech Engineering Education classes. Their miniature air-powered vehicles made a clean sweep of the 2003 National Air-Powered Car Design Contest, sponsored by Engineering Design Graphics Division of the American Society of Engineering Education. In just one semester, the Virginia Tech engineering freshmen designed and built their vehicles to specifications, wrote and illustrated reports replete with illustrations and computer graphics, and made digital videos of the vehicles in action. The first place Nightrider team received $2,000 in scholarship funding.
  • "The Liberty"--an electrically powered, hydrogen-fueled, twin-prop, corporate air taxi aircraft designed by undergraduate aerospace and industrial engineering students from Virginia Tech and Loughborough University in the United Kingdom--won first place in NASA's Revolutionary Vehicles Concepts and Systems Competition. The competition challenged students to develop innovative concepts and systems for all types of future aircraft. The Virginia Tech/Loughborough team designed Liberty to take advantage of modern fuel cell and hydrogen storage technology. The five-person air taxi is designed to be powered by twin electric motor driven propellers and a liquid hydrogen fuel cell system.
  • Virginia Tech students won first place and three other top-12 places during the 2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Programming Contest. The contest, sponsored by IBM, drew a record number of participants, with 161 teams from 73 colleges and universities competing at nine sites throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Each competing team, made up of three students led by a student or faculty coach, worked to solve a series of six to eight challenges designed to test creativity, teamwork and computer programming skills. The winning team correctly solved the most problems in the shortest time within the maximum of five hours allotted for the contest. This marked the 20th time in 22 years that a Virginia Tech team has won the right to compete in the international finals of the contest.
  • A team of Virginia Tech ocean engineering seniors won first place in the international 2003 James W. Lisnyk Ship Design Competition, sponsored jointly by the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. This is one of the few times in the history of the competition that a team from the United States has placed first.
  • A team of Virginia Tech engineering and geography students and their autonomous vehicle "Cliff" were among only 15 entrants out of the original 106 to quality to compete in the world's first Grand Challenge race. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense's research arm, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Grand Challenge offered $1 million to the team whose vehicle could complete a route of 150 miles through the Mojave Desert--with no human intervention allowed past the starting line. No vehicle completed the course this year, but DARPA plans to continue the competition in 2005.
  • The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded fellowships for graduate studies to five Virginia Tech College of Engineering seniors for the 2004-2005 academic year. Each fellowship provides three years of funding, including a tuition supplement and a stipend of $30,000 per year. NSF graduate fellows are selected on the basis of a number of criteria, including academic merit, proven ability to conduct research and future academic and research goals.
  • More than 100 students have joined the new Virginia Tech chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), a group initiated fall semester 2003 by three mechanical engineering undergraduates. EWB is an international organization that helps developing areas worldwide with their engineering needs, while involving and training interested engineering students. Working in partnership with local communities, EWB engineers typically take on small-scale projects involving basic water, energy, and educational facilities.

Major Undergraduate Scholarships

  • For the 2003-2004 academic year, more than $1.4 million was awarded to undergraduate students in the College of Engineering. Funding is provided by 64 endowed scholarships administered by the College and 127 endowments administered throughout the engineering departments. The Marshall Hahn Scholarship was awarded to 182 students who entered the College fall semester 2003. The majority of the Marshall Hahn scholars ranked in the top three percent of their high school class and had SAT scores above 1400. The largest sponsor of upper-class scholarships continues to be the Gilbert and Lucille Seay Scholarship Fund, with 130 students receiving a total of $207,600 in scholarship funding.

Additional Facts about the College

  • The University Honors Program offers a unique challenge to the student with extraordinary intellectual and creative ability. The program is available to all engineering departments and includes the opportunity for enrollment in accelerated courses, enriched sections, and independent study.
  • A five-year Cooperative Education program for qualified students is available in all of the engineering curricula. After at least two qualifying semesters, students may alternate semesters of study on campus with work periods in industry. Participants are required to have a minimum of a 2.0 overall GPA, and students must have earned a 2.0 in the semester prior to any work experience. Individual departments may impose higher GPA restrictions, including ones based on in-major GPA. The coop options of all programs leading to the bachelor's degree are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
  • Approximately 7,700 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate engineering departments at Virginia Tech. More than 45 percent of the undergraduate students are from out-of-state, primarily from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. In the entering 2003-2004 freshman class, the average SAT score for the general engineering student was 1268 and the average high school grade point average was 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. Approximately 19 percent of the entering class are female. Another 15 percent ar members of under-represented populations.
  • Of the 2001-02 College of Engineering graduates who were employed full-time, (the most recent year for which statistics are known), 97.1 percent were employed in a field related to their major. The average annual salary at the bachelor's level was $40,000.

Admission

  • All students admitted to the College of Engineering as freshmen are placed in the Department of Engineering Education and are designated as General Engineering students. Upon completion of a set of required freshman-level courses, students with acceptable academic records are eligible for transfer into one of the college's thirteen degree programs. (The exception is that students who are on the Dean's List their first semester may elect to transfer after one semester.) Admission to a degree program is competitive, with departmental restrictions established each year by the college. Students transferring to Virginia Tech from another college or university will be considered for admission to a degree granting engineering program if they have completed all courses required of Virginia Tech engineering freshmen, based on transfer credit evaluation by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Other eligible transfer students may be offered admission into the General Engineering program. All freshmen and transfer admission decisions are made by the University Undergraduate Admissions Office.
  • The college has a transfer articulation agreement with the Virginia Community College System. VCCS students who complete the Associate Degree in engineering with a minimum 3.0 grade-point-average and who complete a specified list of academic courses are typically admitted to the College of Engineering. Not all Virginia Community Colleges offer engineering courses. The Associate Degree in engineering is offered at J. Sargeant Reynolds, Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Tidewater, Thomas Nelson, New River, and Virginia Western Community Colleges. The Associate Degree in science with specialization in engineering is offered at Piedmont Virginia Community College.
  • Engineering Technology credits are not accepted for transfer by the College of Engineering.
  • Students wishing to transfer into an engineering program from another college or degree program within the university must meet current standards set by the college for each engineering program. Application materials are available in the College of Engineering Academic Affairs office in 212 Hancock Hall.

Required Academic Progress

  • Minimum requirements for graduation include the attainment of at least a "C" (2.0 Grade Point Average) average, both overall and in-major. Some departments may have additional requirements or specifications concerning the acceptability of C- or lower grades for in-major courses. Students are expected to sustain progress towards completion of their degree requirements, consulting with their academic advisor regularly.
  • In addition to meeting university requirements, the engineering student is expected to attain a GPA (grade point average) of at least 2.0 by the end of the freshman year in order to pursue sophomore and junior level professional courses. The student must maintain that GPA level until the completion of the program. Similar progress is required to reach the 2.0 level in the departmental major. Freshmen may not be able to transfer into departments of their choice for the sophomore year unless their academic records are competitive. Successive semesters with an average GPA less than 2.0, even while maintaining the required minimum GPA, or successive semesters in which the accumulated GPA is progressively reduced, will be considered unsatisfactory and may result in academic suspension. Additional requirements have been established by individual departments.
  • Entry into a degree-granting department requires that a student successfully complete all first year required courses. Additional requirements are specific to degree programs and are as follows:
  • Biological Systems Engineering: a student must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or greater
  • Chemical Engineering: a student must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or greater and have completed CHEM 2114 and 2124, or CHEM 2535 and 2545.
  • Computer Engineering: a student must earn a grade of C- or greater in the following courses: ENGE 1024 and 1104, MATH 1114, 1224, 1205 and 1206, ECE 1574 and PHYSICS 2305.
  • Electrical Engineering: a student must earn a grade of C- or greater in the following courses: ENGE 1024 and 1104, MATH 1114, 1224, 1205 and 1206, ECE 1574 and PHYSICS 2305.
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering: a student must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or greater.
  • Mechanical Engineering: a student must have an overall GPA of 2.5 or greater.
Requirements for transfer into Computer Science May 2004 – May 2005:
Applicants must meet all three requirements below.
    1. Requirement 1 (Overall GPA):
      Overall GPA >= 2.0
    2. Requirement 2 (Math courses):
      1. Credit for two of the following three math courses: 1114, 1205, 1206.
      2. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0) must have been earned in EVERY mathematics course taken which is required for the Computer Science major, whether it is 1114, 1205, 1206 or any higher level mathematics course. Courses with grades below "C" (2.0) or with a "W" must be repeated before applying for transfer.
    3. Requirement 3 (CS courses):
      Beginning in Fall 2003, CS 1705 and 1706 replaced CS 1044 and 1704 in the CS curriculum.

      Requirement 3 for CS performance can be fulfilled by any one of the following five alternatives as long as the courses are taken at Virginia Tech:

      Pass:
      1. both (CS 1104 & CS 1044) >= B (3.0), or
      2. both (CS 1104 & CS 1054 [only if 1054 taken Fall 2003]) >= B (3.0), or
      3. both (CS 1104 & CS 1705) >= B (3.0), or
      4. both (CS 1705 & CS 1706) >= C (2.0), or
      5. either (CS 1704 or CS 1706 or CS 2704 or CS 2604) >= C (2.0).
Students passing both courses in pair "a" with a "C" (2.0) or better but with at least one course below a "B" (3.0) must then attempt to fulfill the requirement with either pair "c" or "d," as appropriate. Note: Virginia Tech does not allow courses passed >= "C" (2.0) to be repeated.
Students passing both courses in either pair "b" or "c" with a "C" (2.0) or better but with at least one course below a "B" (3.0) can continue to CS 1706 and must earn >= "C" (2.0), thereby satisfying pair "d."
Note:
I. Virginia Tech does not allow courses passed >= "C" (2.0) to be repeated.
II. CS 1054 is acceptable as a substitute for CS 1705 only for the offering of 1054 taught in Fall 2003.
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or transfer credit for any course listed in the five alternatives above does not meet the requirement of a grade earned in the course at Virginia Tech. Students with AP, IB, or transfer credit must meet Requirement 3 by fulfilling, with courses taken at Virginia Tech, one of the alternatives above.
  • Except for certain designated courses, enrollment in engineering courses may be limited to students enrolled in the College of Engineering and/or in particular engineering departments.
  • Summer school provides an opportunity to overcome correctable deficiencies in GPA, make up courses failed or missed, and/or take advanced work to permit early graduation.
  • A student attempting at least 12 credits for grade and earning a GPA of 3.4 or higher will be included on the "Dean's List." A student attempting at least 12 credits for grade and earning a GPA of 3.75 or higher, with no grade less than B-, will be included on the "Dean's List with Distinction."
  • Students who fail to demonstrate proficiency in use of the English language may be required to complete additional courses in English writing and/or speech.

Graduation Requirements

  • Degree requirements in the college range from 120 to 136 semester hours. Students should see their departmental advisor to determine the exact requirements of their degree. The 2.0 GPA minimum requirement for graduation also applies to all courses attempted in the student's departmental major; substitute non-departmental courses are not included. Where courses have substantial duplication, credit toward graduation will be given for one course only. Up to 2 credits in physical education may be used toward graduation as free elective credit. ESM 4404 and other courses below the academic potential of the engineering student may not be used towards graduation.
  • The senior academic year must be completed in residence while enrolled in the major department in the College of Engineering.
  • Engineering curricula have uniform minimum requirements in the humanities and social sciences. The 18-credit minimum includes 6 credits of Freshman English, usually completed during the first year, and 12 credits of humanities and social science electives selected from Areas 2 and 3 (6 credits each) of the university core curriculum.
  • Although pass/fail courses may be authorized for those who maintain a GPA above 2.0, students should recognize future disadvantages when transferring to other departments or applying for admission to other professional or graduate colleges. Engineering students are expected to take all major department courses on a grade basis. Independent study and undergraduate research courses are available for those who maintain a GPA above 2.0 overall and in their departmental majors; some departments may require a higher GPA.
  • The College of Engineering will accept advanced ROTC credit as free elective credit towards graduation. Some departments in engineering may allow the use of selected ROTC courses to meet technical elective requirements. Consult specific departments in the College of Engineering for information.