Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Engineering

Objectives: The JMU Engineering program provides an eight-semester project-driven platform for students to contribute engineering work for sustainable societies. We seek engineers who are eager to: understand the needs of people and communities, effectively communicate with project partners, and provide leadership for diverse teams, make beneficial solutions for society and the planet using innovation, design thinking, engineering analyses, and an understanding of complexities involved in real projects. function effectively in the work environment with integrity and professionalism, and demonstrate a commitment to professional development through self-motivated learning, career advancement, or advanced studies. The Bachelor of Science in Engineering is a single cross disciplinary engineering degree that integrates many traditional engineering disciplines with course work in business, project management, engineering, design and liberal arts. The foci of the program are sustainability, engineering design and project delivery. Engineering for a sustainable world is, in short, a body of knowledge and set of holistic analytical design skills that contribute to the development of products, processes, services and infrastructure that simultaneously protect the environment, conserve resources and meet human needs at an acceptable financial cost. By reframing traditional engineering practice, sustainability provides a way of moving toward the development of sustainable societies, where human quality of life is advanced with a minimum impact on finite resources and the environment. Traditional approaches to engineering, such as mechanical, electrical or chemical are not offered in this program. Rather, this modern, project-based, engineering curriculum spans many areas of engineering to create adaptable engineers with practical know-how. The curriculum is ABET accredited and prepares students for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) pre-licensure examination. Graduates will be prepared to succeed in the engineering workforce or in advanced engineering degree programs by accumulating a professional portfolio of engineering project experiences throughout the curriculum. Career Opportunities: Upon graduation, alumni will be prepared for a wide range of opportunities in the engineering workforce or in graduate school. Typical fields of engineering that students will be prepared to enter include sustainable design, process design, product design, process engineering, project management and systems engineering. Other industry options include product service system design, technical sales, management training and technical marketing. A wide range of graduate school options include master’s and doctoral programs in civil engineering, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering and systems engineering. Other post-graduation options include business school, law school, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, military service, entrepreneurship (starting a small business), applied science fields, international experiences, medical school and careers in politics/public policy. Some examples of the industries that hire engineers include, among others, design and build companies, aeronautic firms, automobile manufacturers, colleges and universities, computer service and software firms, consulting firms, energy systems firms, federal contractors, federal, state and local governments (e.g., NASA, EPA, NIST, DOD, DOE), non-profit agencies, manufacturing firms, inspection agencies, mining and petroleum firms, pharmaceutical and medical research companies, research and development laboratories, telecommunication companies, and waste management and recycling firms.