2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Apr 19, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Engineering, B.S.


Program Coordinator: Eric Brisart

The Bachelor of Science in general engineering (G.E.) is a degree program designed for those interested in a career involving engineering knowledge but with more flexibility than is possible in a specific engineering discipline. The program provides an opportunity for a student to combine engineering with any other undergraduate discipline within the University, such as the following areas:

  • business
  • communication
  • legal studies
  • science or math
  • teaching and education

It also provides the opportunity for including elements of two different engineering disciplines in one degree program.

Career opportunities depend on the areas of study selected and might include

  • engineering and technical services
  • technical management and sales
  • engineering-related business activities
  • music
  • science-related activities
  • computer-related activities
  • technical writing
  • medical services
  • education

The Degree Program

The bachelor's degree program in general engineering requires completion of 121 credits.  The requirements include the 40-credit University Core Curriculum.  Most of the requirements for the University core are satisfied by specifically designated courses in order to best adapt the core to the objectives of the program.  The BS General Engineering program also includes a core of engineering courses (EASC prefix) which provide a broad engineering background that spans the major disciplines.  In addition, students develop engineering depth by taking additional engineering elective courses of their choice.

Students can use electives (including engineering electives) to focus on an area of interest within engineering or to combine engineering with other areas. As part of the program, students must select a minor from any recognized program at the university.

Required Courses


Junior Year


Senior Year


  • One Engineering course elective
  • Core Curriculum elective, competency 8.1 ,
  • Core Curriculum elective, competency 9.1 ,
  • three Electives for Minor and
  • two free electives

Notes on Requirements


Engineering course electives are included to assure that the student has some depth in engineering beyond the sophomore level.  These are chosen from an approved list that includes courses with the following prefixes: CHME, CIVL, CMPE, ELEC, INDE, MECH, and SYST.

TCoE electives include the engineering course electives plus other courses offered by the Tagliatela College of Engineering, including chemistry (CHEM), computer science (CSCI), or others that may become available.

Electives for Minor are elective slots that can be used as needed to complete the courses for a minor in any area offered by the University.  Satisfying a minor is a requirement for the BS General Engineering degree program.  The number of courses needed for a minor varies, so students may need to use free electives in some cases to fully satisfy the desired minor.  In other cases, courses taken as engineering course electives or TCoE electives may also be used for a minor.  Any remaining Electives for Minor may be used as free electives.

Note that remedial classes cannot be used to satisfy any of the elective requirements.  If such courses are needed, the total number of credits to complete the program is increased by these credits.  For this program, the following courses are considered remedial: Math courses below the level of Calculus I, English courses below the level of ENGL 1112, Chemistry courses below the level of CHEM 1115, CSCI 1107, and EASC 1103.

In order to assure depth of study, at least five of the elective courses in the program should be at or above the 3000 level and should have prerequisites.

Bioengineering and Pre-med Options


An interest in bioengineering can be readily accommodated by the general engineering degree in several ways. Students may combine the minor in biology with electives in other areas, or they can minor in one of the engineering disciplines and select several biology electives. For example, to prepare for a career in the biomedical field, a student can combine a minor in electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering with general and human biology, anatomy and physiology, and cell biology. Faculty in the Engineering and Biology departments would guide the student into specific courses based on career interests.

The rigor of an engineering program serves as an excellent preparation for medical school. Students choosing to pursue such a path should include courses in organic chemistry as well as biology. These can be fit into the structure of the General Engineering program using the minor, TCoE electives and free electives.

Business Management Option


The minor in management includes course work in accounting, leadership, economics, business law, management, and marketing. This broad background in business is an excellent choice for students who wish to pursue a career on the business side of a technical field.  See the College of Business section of the catalog for further information about this minor.