2020-2021 SEAS Student Handbook

Undergraduate Programs
The undergraduate programs at Columbia Engineering not only are academically
exciting and technically innovative, but also lead into a wide range of career paths for
the educated citizen of the twenty-first century. Whether you want to become a
professional engineer, work in industry or government, or plan to pursue a career in the
physical and social sciences, medicine, law, business, or education, Columbia
Engineering will provide you with an unparalleled education.
The School firmly believes that students gain the most when engineering is brought up
front, early in the four-year curriculum. Therefore, each first-year student takes the Art of
Engineering, which addresses the fundamental concepts of math and science in an
engineering context, as well as nontechnical issues in professional engineering practice
such as ethics and project management.
Undergraduate Degrees
Columbia Engineering's undergraduate degrees are offered by the following
departments: Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Biomedical Engineering,
Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Computer
Engineering, Computer Science, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Electrical
Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Materials Science and
Engineering Program, and Mechanical Engineering.
The Bachelor of Science Degree
Students who complete a four-year sequence of prescribed study are awarded the
Bachelor of Science degree. The general requirement for the Bachelor of Science
degree is the completion of a minimum of 128 academic credits with a minimum
cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 (grade letter ‘C’) at the time of
graduation. The program requirements, specified elsewhere in the Academic Bulletin,
include the first-year–sophomore course requirements, the major departmental
requirements, and technical and nontechnical elective requirements.
Students who wish to transfer points of credit may count no more than 68 transfer points
toward the degree and must satisfy the University’s residence requirements by taking at
least 60 points of credit while enrolled in The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and
Applied Science. Courses may not be repeated for credit unless it is stated otherwise in
the course description.
The bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science earned at Columbia
University prepares students to enter a wide range of professions. Students are,
however, encouraged to consider graduate work, at least to the master’s degree level,
which is increasingly considered necessary for many professional careers.
The Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, an organization formed by
the major engineering professional societies, accredits university engineering programs
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