College of Engineering

Course Descriptions & Programs of Study

Dean: Julia Ross
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Keith Thompson
Associate Dean for Administration and Chief of Staff: Edward L. Nelson
Associate Dean for Equity and Engagement: Bevlee A. Watford
Associate Dean for International Programs and Information Technology: Glenda R. Scales
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies: Pamela VandeVord

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 seventh 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 2021" survey, released in September 2020, the College of Engineering's undergraduate program is ranked No. 13 among all undergraduate engineering programs that also offer doctoral degrees and seventh among public universities in the nation. 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 with Industrial Engineering at 8, Civil at 9, and Environmental at 6.

The latest national survey, released by the American Society for Engineering Education for fall 2019, 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.10 for the number of African American faculty, No.10 for the number of Asian tenured/tenure track faculty, and No.9 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.37 for master's degrees awarded, and No.11 for doctoral degrees. In total enrollment, the College ranked No.6 in the nation for undergraduates with 8,927 students and No.24 in the nation for graduate students at 2,206.

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 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Associate Professor Kimberly Ellis teaches undergraduate students the Production Planning Game, which tasks teams of students to form a company and develop production plans for the assembly of three different products. When developing the production plans, students address most of the decision problems covered in the course as they strive to maximize their profit. They execute their plans in several high-energy evening sessions. In the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Associate Professor Anne Staples organized her Fall 2020 Fluid Mechanics I - Control Volumes course into weekly modules that began with an example of fluid dynamics in everyday life and gave students an extra-credit opportunity to explore the topic in more depth using hands-on at-home experiments, like producing a hydraulic jump in their sink.

The college's offerings, both in Blacksburg and the Washington, D.C., metro area, continue to grow. 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 equips 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 a significant number of undergraduate students studying computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, and related disciplines over the coming years.

Major Undergraduate Scholarships

In the 2020-2021 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 2020. In the entering 2020-2021 freshman class, the average high school grade point average was 4.2 on a weighted scale. Females made up 23% of the fall 2020 freshman class, and over 20% 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 2019-2020 College of Engineering bachelor's degree graduates were working full time within 6 months of graduation (and 88% of those reported being employed in a field directly related to their major). Another 13% of the 19/20 graduates were pursuing advanced degrees within 6 months of graduation. The average annual salary at the bachelor's level was $73,000.

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 Admission 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.