College of Engineering
Course Descriptions & Programs of Study
- Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
- Biological Systems Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computer Science
- Construction Engineering and Management
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Engineering Education
- Engineering Science and Mechanics
- General Engineering
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mining and Minerals Engineering
Dean: Julia Ross
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Keith Thompson
Associate Dean for Administration and Chief of Staff: Edward L. Nelson
Associate Dean for International Programs and Information Technology: Glenda R. Scales
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies: interim
Web: www.eng.vt.edu
Mission of the College
Virginia Tech is the home of the commonwealth's leading and largest college of engineering. The College of Engineering is known throughout the state and nation for the excellence of its programs in engineering education, research, and public service. Virginia Tech Engineering currently supplies more than half of Virginia's engineering workforce and is the 7th largest producer of engineers in the country.
The vision of the college is to prepare students for productive careers by way of a top-quality engineering education; to invest in faculty development in support of strides in research and Virginia Tech's role as a leader in graduate education; and to forge partnerships with industry and government to facilitate economic development within the Commonwealth and the nation. As the college aims for impact through research, education, and engagement, Virginia Tech Engineering will seek to foster working relationships between students, faculty, and partners.
Virginia Tech engineering students are among the best and brightest in the nation. During their time at the college, they engage with world-class faculty and participate in hands-on learning experiences that span course instruction, student design teams, internship opportunities, and study abroad programs. They learn to work across and outside disciplines to solve the world's most complex problems, as part of a collaborative culture that has flourished at Virginia Tech.
The College of Engineering offers bachelor of science degrees in the following areas: Aerospace Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Construction Engineering and Management, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Ocean Engineering. The Biomedical Engineering program will seek accreditation following the awarding of the first bachelor of science degrees to graduates, expected in 2022. The Computer Science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET. www.abet.org All other College of Engineering undergraduate programs in engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. Additionally, the college of engineering offers graduate degrees related to each of these areas and in the interdisciplinary program of Systems Engineering.
College Rankings
In U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2020" survey, released in September 2019, the College of Engineering's undergraduate program is ranked No. 13 among all undergraduate engineering programs that also offer doctoral degrees. Top 10 ranked departments include the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The latest national survey, released by the American Society for Engineering Education for fall 2018, ranked the College of Engineering in the following categories: No. 8 for the number of women awarded bachelor's degrees, No. 5 for tenured/tenure track faculty members, No. 4 for the number of tenured/tenure track women faculty, No. 9 for the number of African American faculty, No. 10 for the number of Asian tenured/tenure track faculty, and No. 8 for the number of Hispanic tenured/tenure track faculty. For total bachelor's degrees awarded by schools, Virginia Tech ranked No. 7 in the nation; No. 34 for master's degrees awarded, and No. 9 for doctoral degrees. In total enrollment, the College ranked No. 9 in the nation for undergraduates with 7,904 students and No. 25 in the nation for graduate students at 2,144 (240 schools reporting).
At a Glance: The College of Engineering
The Virginia Tech College of Engineering fosters opportunities for hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and exploration of emerging and innovative subject areas.
Creativity abounds in the classroom. In the Department of Engineering, Associate Professor Scott England has worked to make the mathematical principles taught in his Astromechanics course more accessible to students by bringing in examples from the launch of two spaceflight missions in which England has participated as a researcher. England linked in-class material on satellite ground-tracks to an actual spacecraft that launched during the school year, and led discussions of how the ground-track plays into the operations and remote sensing of the spacecraft. In her "Introduction to Spatial Visualization" course, Assistant Professor Diana Bairaktarova integrates techniques like 3D printed object manipulation and free-hand and outdoor sketching in a multi-modal approach to sharpening students' spatial visualization skills.
As part of an ongoing initiative supported by blockchain industry leader Block.one, the Department of Computer Science offers a blockchain capstone course, bootcamp, and team challenge that enables students to learn more about the emerging blockchain field and its broad applications. The initiative allows students to engage with and learn from industry experts, including Block.one chief technology officer and computer science alumnus Dan Larimer.
At Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia, a new master of engineering degree in computer science has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, marking the first newly created program for the campus. The new graduate degree will prepare students with high-demand skills in cutting-edge fields like data analytics, machine learning, and computer security. The campus will bring together hundreds of new graduate students, dozens of new faculty members, and numerous industry partners. At its Blacksburg campus, Virginia Tech also plans to add at least 2,000 more undergraduate students studying computer science, computer engineering, and software engineering over the next eight years.
Committed to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech engineering faculty and students seek out opportunities for service and outreach. Starting in 2017, engineering education faculty member Jake Grohs led a three-year program, VT PEERS, that connects middle school students and teachers in rural Appalachian Virginia with local engineers and Virginia Tech researchers and students to engage in hands-on engineering activities. Undergraduate and graduate students from across the college's 12 departments and two schools have volunteered with the program. And as the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the country in spring 2020, engineering students put their education and skills to the test to help design and manufacture critical personal protective equipment and ventilator components to support local hospitals.
Major Undergraduate Scholarships
In the 2019-2020 academic year, over three million dollars in scholarship funds were awarded to undergraduate students in the College of Engineering. Scholarships are available at two levels: departmental & college. While all scholarships are merit-based (all required a minimum 3.0 overall GPA to be awarded), many may also require a demonstration of financial need per the FAFSA. More information about the types of scholarships awarded can be found at https://eng.vt.edu/academics/undergraduate-students/scholarships-for-current-students.html
Additional Facts about the College
The University Honors Program offers a unique challenge to students who excel in their pursuit of learning. 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 semesters on campus, 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 grade point average, 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.
In fall 2005, 4,800 prospective students applied for admission to the College of Engineering. By fall 2020, over 11,000 applied. Over 11,000 students were enrolled in undergraduate and graduate engineering departments at Virginia Tech as of fall 2019. In the entering 2019-20 freshman class, the average SAT score for the general engineering student was 1291 and the average high school grade point average was 4.2 on a weighted scale. Females made up 26% of the fall 2019 freshman class, and 22% of the total college population in fall 2020. Out-of-state students in engineering come primarily from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Members of under represented populations (including women) make up a third of the college's undergraduate enrollment.
74% of the 2018-2019 College of Engineering bachelor's degree graduates were working full time within 6 months of graduation (and 83% of those reported being employed in a field directly related to their major). Another 12% of the 18/19 graduates were pursuing advanced degrees within 6 months of graduation. The average annual salary at the bachelor's level was $70,000.
Admission to Major
All students admitted to the College of Engineering as freshmen or external transfers are placed in the Department of Engineering Education and are designated as general engineering majors. Admission to a degree program is competitive, with departmental restrictions established each year by the college. Upon completion of a set of required freshman-level courses, and completion of 12 hours of A-F graded coursework at Virginia Tech, students with acceptable academic records are eligible for a major change into one of the college's undergraduate majors.
Students wishing to transfer into an engineering major or change majors from another college or degree program within the university must meet current standards set by the college for each engineering program. All major changes are processed by the Director of Enrollment Management/Academic Affairs office.
The college has a guaranteed admission agreement with the Virginia Community College System. VCCS students who complete the transferable Associate Degree in engineering with a minimum 3.2 overall grade-point-average are guaranteed admission to the College of Engineering as a General Engineering major. Not all Virginia Community Colleges offer engineering courses. Please review Guaranteed Admisison Agreement (found on Undergraduate Admissions website) for specific information on this agreement.
Engineering Technology credits are not accepted for transfer by the College of Engineering.
Required Academic Progress and Graduation Requirements
The University requires a student maintain a 2.0 or higher overall GPA to remain in Good Academic Standing.
Additionally, departments have minimum requirements for graduation, which 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, eligibility requirements for enrollment have been established by individual departments.
The senior academic year must be completed in residence while enrolled in the major department in the College of Engineering.
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.
Degree Requirements
The graduation requirements in effect during the academic year of admission to Virginia Tech apply. Requirements for graduation are listed on checksheets. Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements and university obligations for degree completion. The university reserves the right to modify requirements in a degree program.
Please visit the University Registrar's website at https://www.registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/checksheets.html for degree requirements.
Graduation Requirements
Degree requirements in the college range from 123 to 132 semester hours. Students should see their departmental advisors to determine the exact requirements of their degree. The 2.0 minimum GPA requirement for graduation also applies to all courses attempted in the student's departmental major; substituted non-departmental courses are not included. Where courses have substantial duplication, credit toward graduation will be given for one course only.
The senior academic year must be completed in residence while enrolled in the major department in the College of Engineering.
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.
Degree Requirements
The graduation requirements in effect at the time of graduation apply. When choosing the degree requirements information, always choose the year of your expected date of graduation. Requirements for graduation are outlined in university publications known as "Checksheets". The number of credit hours required for degree completion varies among curricula. Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements and university obligations for degree completion.
The university reserves the right to modify requirements in a degree program. However, the university will not alter degree requirements less than two years from the expected graduation year unless there is a transition plan for students already in the degree program.
Please visit the University Registrar website at www.registrar.vt.edu/graduation/checksheets/index.html for degree requirements.