Engineering

Malcolm McPherson, Interim Dean

Academic Affairs:
Bevlee A. Watford, Associate Dean
Pamela S. Kurstedt, Assistant Dean for Enrichment and International Programs
Glenda Scales, Assistant Dean for Distance Learning and Computing

Research and Graduate Studies:
Ed Henneke, Associate Dean

Administration:
Roderick Hall, Associate Dean

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.

Mission of the College

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 20^th among undergraduate engineering schools that offer Ph.D.s. The College of Engineering was named 25^th among the 219 graduate engineering schools surveyed by U.S. News & World Report for the magazine's "America's Best Graduate Schools" issue. According to the survey, the college was rated 15^th in the nation by corporate recruiters, and 19^th by engineering school deans. 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 ninth in number of bachelor's degrees awarded, 15^th in master's degrees, and 18^th in Ph.D.s. It is the 12^th 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, 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 industryfrom 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 2001, 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 graduates 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 graduates have:

(a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering;

(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data;

(d) an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;

(e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems;

(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility;

(g) an ability to communicate effectively;

(h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context;

(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning;

(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues; and

(k) 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 enoughengineers 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

Since 1984, the College of Engineering has required all entering freshmen to own a personal computer. Virginia Tech's College of Engineering was the first public institution of higher education to issue such a requirement. Consequently, the college remains in the forefront of the use of computers in engineering education. Students may purchase their computers through the university.
Tenured or tenuretrack faculty teach more than 90 percent of all engineering courses at Virginia Tech. Engineering faculty members focus on solving realworld problems, and share these experiences in the classroom. The work of the faculty with industry brings modern, uptodate knowledge back to the classroom quicker than any textbook. These experiences provide a handson dimension that results in the superlative quality of engineering teaching for which Virginia Tech is so well known.
One of the recent additions to the curriculum was the opening of the Joseph F. Ware, Jr. Advanced Engineering Laboratory, providing 10,000 square feet of space for undergraduate students to design and construct their own projects. Currently, the Ware Lab hosts the Car Factory, two airplane projects, the HumanPowered Submarine project, and the Personal Rapid Transit System Virtual Corporation. The lab was made possible by the generosity of Joseph F. Ware, Jr., a 1937 mechanical engineering graduate.
Another unique facility was established recently by Ray and Violet Frith of Bassett, Virginia. They funded the handson Frith Freshman Engineering Design Laboratory. In addition, the Frith Practical Learning Endowment Fund will support the lab with resources for curriculum design, instruction tools, and maintenance. The college plans for all of the approximately 1,300 freshmen that enroll each year to become involved in activities. Support for the lab also comes from Black & Decker, Briggs & Stratton, Eastman Kodak, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, and the Virginia Tech Student Engineers' Council.
Virginia Tech and Wake Forest University are establishing 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.
In partnership with two other schools, Virginia Tech has established the Center for High Performance Manufacturing. The major goal of the center is to enhance Virginia's research infrastructure for agile and lean manufacturing. Center objectives are to assist commonwealth manufacturing firms in becoming high-performance producers by providing a "one-stop source" of manufacturing research, and to enhance the manufacturing research competitiveness of Virginia universities in the national marketplace.
In conjunction with the Virginia Microelectronics Consortium and other colleges at Virginia Tech, the College of Engineering has established a microelectronics program comprised of new graduate and undergraduate curricula; new undergraduate teaching laboratories; and advanced teaching and research labs. The undergraduate labs include an introductory Semiconductor Fabrication Laboratory, in which entering students will learn the basics of semiconductor processing, and a Semiconductor Packaging Laboratory, in which they will learn the basics of semiconductor device packaging. The four advanced labs include a Materials Synthesis Laboratory, Materials Analysis Laboratory, Device Fabrication Laboratory, and Device Characterization Laboratory.

SUCCEED

The Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education is a coalition of eight major engineering colleges which, under National Science Foundation sponsorship, is developing a new vision for engineering education in the 21^st century. As part of its responsibilities under SUCCEED, Virginia Tech is leading coalition efforts to develop computer and communication technology and techniques, for use in the engineering learning environment. Virginia Tech is also leading the effort for interdisciplinary, vertically integrated design courses, and the development of faculty teaching skills.

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

For the second year in a row, the Virginia Tech Human-Powered Submarine Team won first place in their international competition. In 2000, "Phantom III" finished first overall in a field of nine subs in the International Human-Powered Submarine Races in Escondido, California. A revamped Phantom III was judged best overall in the 2001 contest, held in June at the U.S. Navy's David Taylor Test Basin in Carderock, Maryland. The 2001 team was led by Justin Halvin, a senior in aerospace and ocean engineering (AOE), and faculty advisor Wayne Neu, an AOE professor. AOE student Dotty McDowell set a new women's human-powered submarine world speed record during the contest. The Virginia Tech team received a $1,000 prize for first place.
For the seventh time since 1990, a team of AOE students place first in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Undergraduate Student Design Competition. The Virginia Tech team's 2001 entry, "Chimers," a Naval common support aircraft, is designed to combine the capabilities of four separate carrier aircraft. Chimera is a high-wing, twin-engine plane that can perform surveillance, electronic eavesdropping, submarine detection, and cargo carrying. The students received a $2,500 cash award from AIAA. Virginia Tech teams have placed first, second, or third in each AIAA competition for the past 12 years.
Virginia Tech's Burkhart Mining Society was named the 2000 Outstanding Student Chapter by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc. (SME). This was the second year in a row, and the third time in the past four years, that the Virginia Tech chapter won this award. One activity that makes the Virginia Tech chapter stand out is their GEM (Government, Education and Mining) program. Since 1996, Burkhart members have visited public schools throughout southwest Virginia to teach about mining, minerals, geology, and related earth sciences. Burkhart, which includes the majority of undergraduates and many graduate students in mining and minerals engineering, is one of the largest SME student chapters in the world.
The Student Engineer's Council (SEC) at Virginia Tech has made some of the largest philanthropic gifts of any student organization in the nation. During the past five years, the SEC has donated more than $173,000 to the College in the form of special project grants. The students have generated this money by operating the Engineering Exposition, a job fair, on campus. The goal in making these gifts is to provide educational enhancements for engineering students. In 2001, the Virginia Tech SEC was selected the outstanding chapter in the United States.
A team of aerospace engineering students from Virginia Tech, working in collaboration with a team from Loughborough University in England, received an Honorable Mention Award during the 2001 NASA/FAA National General Aviation Design Competition. The Virginia Tech and Loughborough team designed "Tempus," an aircraft with a flight range of 3,600 nautical miles. In 2000, the Virginia Tech/Loughborough team won first place in the competition with their design of "Pegasus," a vehicle that could travel by road and/or air.
The Virginia Tech Autonomous Vehicle Team received high marks during the 2001 international Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. The three vehicles entered by the team that year placed second, third, and fourth in the navigation challenge; and second and third in the follow-the-leader challenge. The team from West Point, which placed first in the design challenge, cited the Virginia Tech team for helping develop West Point's program and providing technical assistance. In 2000, the Virginia Tech team swept the competition, placing first in all four challenges.

Major Undergraduate Scholarships

For the 2001-2002 academic year, more than $1.5 million was awarded to undergraduate students in the College of Engineering. With 141 acceptances that year, the Marshall Hahn Scholarships continue to be the foundation of our freshman scholarship program. Most of the Marshall Hahn scholars ranked in the top three percent of their high school class and had SAT scores above 1400. The largest dollar sponsor of upper-class scholarships continues to be the Gilbert and Lucille Seay Scholarship Fund, with 142 students funded this year. In addition to scholarships awarded by the dean's office, several departments administer scholarship programs.

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 6000 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate engineering departments at Virginia Tech. More than 30 percent of the undergraduate students are from out-of-state, primarily from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. In the entering 2000-2001 freshman class, the average SAT score for the general engineering student was 1256 and the average high school grade point average was 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. Approximately 19 percent of the entering class are female. About five percent are African-American.
Of the 1997-98 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 Engineering Fundamentals Division 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 twelve 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 quotas 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, 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 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: EF 1015 and 1016, 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: EF 1015 and 1016, MATH 1114, 1224, 1205 and 1206, and ECE 1574, 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.

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 128 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. 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 (literature based), 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. Most engineering departments allow at least 6 credits of free electives in their program of study. 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.