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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING*
Aerospace engineers develop leading-edge technology and integrate it into aerospace
vehicle systems for exploration, infrastructure, and defense applications. Many kinds of engineers
work in the aerospace industry; however, aerospace engineers have the broad, multi-disciplinary
understanding needed to play an important role as architects and integrators of increasingly
sophisticated systems. The study of aerospace engineering prepares students for the design,
analysis, and testing of aeronautical and astronautical vehicles and their components, including
airplanes, helicopters, launch vehicles, satellites, and other spacecraft, as well as jet- and
rocket-propulsion systems.
Aerospace engineers are often motivated by a strong interest in things that fly.
They are typically analytical and innovative, with some mechanical aptitude. The curriculum emphasizes
fundamental core knowledge, practices, and technologies and their integration in flight vehicles.
Aerospace engineering builds on the technical pillars of aerodynamics, propulsion, structures,
and controls, with computing and information taking an increasingly important role. Students
choose from electives in subjects such as airplane performance, flight testing, space propulsion,
composite structures, automatic controls, orbital mechanics, and computational methods.
Many students emphasize either aircraft or spacecraft applications. Hands-on elective projects
serve as capstones to the vehicle design experience. To prepare graduates to compete successfully
in a truly global economy, the faculty has set high standards.
Go to the Aerospace Engineering
Department website for more information.
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ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING*
Architectural engineers apply scientific and engineering principles to the design
and construction of buildings and building systems. Architectural engineering encompasses topics
from various disciplines that apply to buildings and building systems, including architecture,
civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. At Penn State, architectural
engineering is a five-year program leading to a professional bachelor of architectural engineering degree.
Prospective students frequently ask about the difference between architecture and
architectural engineering. An architectural engineering program emphasizes the engineering aspects of
the building design and construction process, while an architecture program concentrates on the
aesthetics and functional layout of buildings.
Go to the Architectural
Engineering Department website for more information.
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BIOENGINEERING
Bioengineering is the application of engineering techniques and methods to the solution
of problems in medicine and biology. Graduates of the major assume positions in the health care industry,
pursue further studies of the biomedical and engineering sciences in graduate school, or enter medical
school. Industrial employment in the design, production, product research and development, technical service,
and sales is available at the entry level for graduates with a bachelor's degree.
Go to the Bioengineering
Department website for more information.
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BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING*
Biological engineering prepares students for many exciting career opportunities in the diverse areas
of biological and food processing systems, bio-energy, off-road machinery development, protection of land
and water resources, and structural design. Employment opportunities for biological engineers will continue
to increase as the world shifts towards biology-based production. Additionally, demand is increasing for
more abundant supplies of nutritious, high-quality food at affordable prices, while the environmental
impact of materials production and processing needs to be considered. Biological engineering graduates
are uniquely qualified to design solutions to these challenges. Biological engineering students select
the Biological and Food Engineering Option or the Agricultural Engineering Option.
Go to the Agricultural &
Biological Engineering Department website for more information.
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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING*
Chemical engineering is a very versatile profession—you'll find
chemical engineers employed in a broad array of industries ranging from pharmaceutical and biotechnical
companies to semiconductor manufacturing to start-up companies converting the latest laboratory
discoveries to large-scale commercial production.
Chemical engineers work with catalysts to develop new ways to manufacture medicines
and plastics; they develop control systems that enable the safe production of products from semiconductors
to household soap; they design chemical and petroleum plants; they research the effects of artificial
organs on blood flow; and they develop the equipment and processes necessary for advances in biotechnology.
The breadth and variety reflects the unique emphasis of chemical engineering on understanding
and manipulating the molecular properties of matter. While chemistry emphasizes the facts and principles of
science, chemical engineering emphasizes its practical application for the development of new products
and processes.
Go to the Chemical Engineering
Department website for more information.
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CIVIL ENGINEERING*
Civil engineers plan, design, construct, and operate, and maintain the physical
works and facilities essential to modern life: highways, streets, bridges, dams and leeves, and
water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment systems. Civil engineers work with
architects and other engineers in the design and construction of buildings and industrial structures
and facilities. They also have a major responsibility in remediating environmental hazards.
Go to the Civil &
Environmental Engineering Department website for more information.
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COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Computer engineering deals with the practical aspects of the design and use of
computer systems for information processing. Computer engineers research and develop new computer
systems, study their reliability and fault tolerance, evaluate their performance, investigate
computer communication requirements, or work on artificial intelligence and robotics. In this major,
students can learn about hardware design and software systems, as well as theory and applications
of computers.
Go to the Computer Science &
Engineering Department website for more information.
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COMPUTER SCIENCE
The computer science undergraduate major at Penn State has two phases. The first phase
includes structured programming languages; the concepts of modern computer science; and efficient,
productive programming. The second phase then moves to data structures, programming languages, and
computer systems in detail. Course work involves computer applications and the polishing of
programming skills.
Go to the Computer Science &
Engineering Department website for more information.
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ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING*
Electrical engineering, one of the broadest of all engineering majors, is much
more than just building electrical circuits. An electrical engineer is responsible for integrating
electronic devices into all facets of our daily lives. Applications of electrical engineering
encompass such diverse fields as analog and digital electronics, electro-magnetism, control systems,
digital signal processing, communications, eletro-optics, electronic materials and device fabrication,
power, image processing space sciences, and computer engineering.
Students can find an area of specialization within electrical engineering that builds
on their interests, whether they enjoy math, computers, physics, or chemistry. Although students will
need a certain level of competence in each of these areas, the diversity of electrical engineering
allows students in this major to tailor their course work toward their strengths and interests.
Go to the Electrical Engineering
Department website for more information.
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ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY**
The electro-mechanical engineering technology degree program provides the basic
undergraduate education required for a career as an electro-mechanical engineering technologist.
The program emphasizes a breadth of knowledge in all fields of engineering technology related to
typical manufacturing, production, or assembly plant processes. Basic coverage is provided in all
major areas of technology involved in the operation and control of manufacturing and production
processes, including instrumentation and monitoring methods, principles of machine design,
automated control techniques, thermal and fluid sciences, computerized manufacturing systems,
principles of electrical and electronic circuit operation, computer-aided drafting and design,
economics of production, and statistical analysis and quality control.
Go to the Electro-Mechanical
Engineering Technology website for more information.
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ENGINEERING SCIENCE*
The engineering science major combines the understanding of basic engineering practices
with in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of the engineering sciences: electricity and magnetism, fluid
and solid mechanics, mathematics, computer applications, materials, and thermodynamics and heat transfer.
With this broad training, engineering science graduates are prepared for multidisciplinary engineering
careers and a wide range of employment options.
Because the engineering science major is the honors program for the College of Engineering,
a minimum of a 3.0 grade-point average is required for admission. Students who successfully complete the
engineering science program graduate with honors in engineering science. In addition, qualified students
may participate in the University Scholars Program. Seniors write a thesis as part of the capstone design
project, and take a comprehensive examination based primarily on this project. Since enrollment is limited,
there is ample opportunity for close student-faculty interaction.
Go to the Engineering Science
& Mechanics Department website for more information.
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INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING*
Industrial engineers are involved in manufacturing systems, developing the best way to make
a particular product; management systems, developing quantitative techniques to enable managers to make more
effective decisions in areas like scheduling, inventory, or quality control; and human factors engineering,
considering the physical and mental capabilities of people in designing processes so that work can be
performed more safely, comfortably, and efficiently.
Industrial engineers apply basic science, engineering science, and engineering design and
systems techniques to problems in which one of the main considerations is the people involved. Accordingly,
students in this major should enjoy working with people and should be able to communicate effectively.
Students should also be interested in problem solving and should have a strong high school background in
math and science.
Go to the Industrial & Manufacturing
Engineering Department website for more information.
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING*
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest and oldest branches of engineering. It ranges
from the design and development of very small mechanical components to the design and fabrication of
mammoth power plants. It deals with all aspects of the conversion of thermal energy into useful work
and the machines that make this possible. Mechanical engineering involves the creation, testing,
evaluation, manufacture, and distribution of such devices as home appliances, spacecraft, rocket
engines, air-conditioning equipment, nuclear and steam power plants, and many types of instruments.
In addition, mechanical engineers design computer disk drives and other computer components, and
interface computers with machines. In the latter application, they design robots and other automated
equipment.
Mechanical engineers like ideas about how things work, acquire satisfaction using
these ideas to design devices and systems that satisfy performance specifications, and, furthermore,
do so within the constraints of time and budget. Students are mechanical engineers because they take
pleasure understanding how energy released in combustion is converted by mechanisms to perform work.
The work performed may be in the form of shafts that rotate, mechanisms that grasp and move things,
or fluids that flow through devices.
Go to the Mechanical & Nuclear
Engineering Department website for more information.
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NUCLEAR ENGINEERING*
Nuclear engineering is the practical application of the principles of nuclear science
for the benefit of humankind, and provides the engineer or scientist an opportunity to work on challenging
problems that are vitally important to the modern world. Nuclear engineers develop clean and safe energy
systems; design and build nuclear power plants and manufacture nuclear reactor systems; engineer medical
imaging devices and medical diagnostics techniques and equipment; set standards and develop radiation
detection and measurement methods; operate nuclear reactors; and design equipment and facilities to
store, monitor, and dispose of radioactive waste.
Go to the Mechanical & Nuclear
Engineering Department website for more information.
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SURVEYING ENGINEERING*
The surveying engineering major provides a basic introduction to the main subdivisions
in the field of surveying. Students receive experience ranging from various data collection techniques
(traditional surveying methods, photogrammetry, and satellite) to legal principles in land law. Students
will study the uses for Geographic Information Systems, their subsystems, and use computer analysis to
develop strategies for solving land-based issues and problems.
Go to the Surveying
Engineering website for more information.
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