Engineering

The engineering program at Hope College offers a B.S. degree with a major in engineering that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Our program emphasizes small class sizes, the opportunity to carry out research with faculty and state-of-the-art laboratories. Hope engineering students are often double majors or participants in athletics. At Hope, we offer the kind of one-on-one attention that insures that each student reaches their potential. Faculty are focused on the success of undergraduate students as our most important goal.

About The Program

Our engineering curriculum is designed to help students identify and define their interests and provide the technical background needed to begin work as an engineer or continue onto advanced graduate study. Our approach to engineering education includes challenging coursework in engineering fundamentals in the classroom and laboratory. Other aspects include rigorous study of science and mathematics and a broad education in the humanities and social sciences.

The Hope College engineering program has an excellent record of placing students after graduation, either in graduate schools or industry. Our recent graduates have taken jobs with such industry leaders as: Intel, Ford, Honda, Pfizer, Lockheed-Martin and Hewlett-Packard. About one-third of our students directly enter graduate school, many at top ranked schools, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, Stanford University and Princeton University.

The mission of the Hope College Engineering Program is to provide engineering students with a solid foundation in engineering and the underlying mathematics and sciences within the framework of a liberal arts education, and to contribute to the education of other Hope College students.

The professional practice of engineering requires an understanding of analytical methods, design techniques, social and economic influences, and an appreciation for cultural and human traditions. Our program supports these needs by offering each engineering student the opportunity to acquire a broad yet individualized technical and liberal education. At the core of the curriculum is a sequence of mathematics, physics and engineering courses that foster analytical and design skills applicable to a range of engineering disciplines. Elective courses, design projects and undergraduate research opportunities allow students to pursue specific areas of interest. Hope’s strong liberal arts core curriculum provides engineering students with critical thinking skills, proficiency in a foreign language, and exposure to a diversity of views and cultures. Graduates of the program are prepared to begin a professional career or continue study in graduate school.

Hope College Engineering Educational Objectives

The goal of the Hope College Engineering Program is to prepare our graduates for professional practice or advanced studies by providing a broad education in engineering fundamentals in a liberal arts environment. Hope College Engineering graduates will:

Be active in engineering practice or find that their engineering background and problem-solving skills were helpful in non-engineering fields such as law, medicine, and business.
Continue their career development by engaging in life-long learning that builds upon foundational knowledge acquired as part of their undergraduate education.
Find that their undergraduate liberal arts education helped prepare them to contribute to the greater benefit of society.

Prerequisite Policy

Many courses in the department have prerequisites listed. A grade of C- or better is required in these prerequisite courses. If this is not the case, then it is the view of the department that the prerequisite has not been fulfilled and the course may not be taken without written permission of the instructor and the department chairperson.

Engineering Honors Designation

The honors designation in engineering provides an opportunity for students to be challenged beyond the minimum requirements for the major and to pursue opportunities to enhance their career preparation.

Graduates with honors in engineering will:

Fulfill the requirements for a BS in engineering and will complete one of the following options:

2 minors and participation in research or internship for at least one semester.
1 minor and participation in research for at least 3 semesters or the equivalent.
1 minor and completion of an honors project under the guidance of an engineering faculty member approved by the department. The honors project should have a topic and format that complements the student’s career interests developed in collaboration with an engineering faculty mentor. The honors project is intended to be separate from work used to fulfill course assignments.

And

Demonstrate communication skills as evidenced by creation of publications, presentations, published abstracts, or other public communications describing the results of research, internship, or honors project work to a broad audience. These publications and presentations should be separate from work done to fulfill course assignments.

And

Display a commitment to community service or leadership through activities such as serving as an officer in a student organization, serving as a teaching assistant, significant outreach activities, or other service to the community as approved by the engineering honors advisor.

And

Maintain a high GPA of at least 3.0 in engineering courses.

Additional activities may be considered upon approval of the department.

Students interested in engineering honors should coordinate their plan with the engineering honors advisor.

Dual Majors

In case of a dual major, the engineering courses required are those described here. The additional mathematics and science requirements shall be established by agreement between the student and the department. Recent dual majors have included engineering/dance, engineering/chemistry, engineering/computer science, engineering/English and engineering/economics.

Majors

Bachelor Of Science In Engineering

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The major provides preparation for engineering employment in industry or for graduate study in engineering.

The department offers several different concentrations designed to meet a variety of students’ needs. Students with a possible interest in physics should also see that section.

Programs

Majors

Minors

Engineering Minor

Courses

Engineering