Engineering

The engineering program at Hope College offers a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria only.

Our engineering program at Hope College provides an intimate learning environment with small class sizes and hands-on laboratories. Our faculty is dedicated to the success of our undergraduate students, ensuring each student reaches their full potential. Many of our engineering students are involved in athletics or pursue double majors to expand their horizons. In addition, our program offers various international experiences, such as study abroad programs and international internships, providing valuable opportunities for students to gain global perspectives. We pride ourselves on fostering a supportive and inclusive community that prepares our students for a diverse and globalized world.

About The Program

At Hope College, our engineering curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education that prepares them for a successful career in engineering or further graduate studies. Our approach to engineering education includes challenging coursework in engineering fundamentals, as well as rigorous study of science, mathematics, and a broad range of humanities and social sciences.

Our program boasts an outstanding record of placing students in industry and graduate schools, with recent graduates securing positions at industry leaders like Intel, Ford, Honda, Pfizer, Lockheed-Martin, and Hewlett-Packard. Many of our students go on to pursue advanced degrees at top-ranked schools such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Princeton University.

The Hope College Engineering Program aims to provide students with a solid foundation in engineering and the underlying mathematics and sciences within the framework of a liberal arts education. We believe that 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. As such, our curriculum offers a broad yet individualized technical and liberal education, including 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, while our strong liberal arts core curriculum provides critical thinking skills, proficiency in a foreign language, and exposure to a diversity of views and cultures. Our graduates are well-prepared to begin their professional careers or continue their studies 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.
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.
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.
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

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria only. 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