Cooperative Engineering Program
Cooperative Engineering Program
Cooperative Engineering allows you to combine studies in liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation in engineering. Candidates enrolled in the cooperative engineering program must major in either physics or chemistry. Upon completion of three full years of study in one of these disciplines, you complete two additional years of study in a selected field of engineering at one of the cooperating engineering schools. Upon completion of studies at one of the schools of engineering, you receive a liberal arts and sciences degree from Geneseo and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from the cooperating institution.
Why the Cooperative Approach
The cooperative approach provides several distinct advantages over direct entry to a school of engineering:
- If you are not totally committed to engineering, you will have the opportunity to explore a number of liberal arts and science programs while maintaining the option to continue your studies in the engineering field. You may delay the decision to pursue engineering for a period of three full years. The decision to complete a four-year degree in liberal arts and sciences or to continue with engineering is made during the junior year
- The cooperative engineering program emphasizes a broader range of courses and ideas than traditional engineering and combines a strong liberal education with specialized training
- Since engineering technology is essentially the application of concepts and principles derived from the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and mathematics cooperative engineering students are very well prepared for professional studies
- Graduates with both a liberal arts and sciences degree and an engineering degree may have a decisive advantage as candidates for employment in engineering as well as in other fields
Cooperative Institutions
Geneseo has formal cooperative arrangements with Case Western Reserve University and Columbia University. These institutions provide a range of options for continuing your studies in the engineering field. Additionally, there are many colleges with which our students may still do an informal 3-2 program. Popular colleges include Alfred University, Clarkson University, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY at Buffalo, Syracuse and University of Rochester.
Program Options
The following are examples of the fields of engineering from which you may choose at cooperating institutions:
- Aerospace
- Applied Chemistry
- Applied Geophysics
- Applied Physics
- Biomedical
- Ceramic Engineering
- Chemical
- Chemical Metallurgy
- Civil & Environmental
- Computer
- Electrical
- Electrical & Computer
- Energy
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Engineering Mechanics
- Engineering Science
- Environmental
- Industrial
- Mathematics
- Methods
- Materials
- Mechanical
- Mechanical & Industrial
- Metallurgical
- Mineral
- Mining
- Nuclear
- Operations Research
You should consult the catalogs of the cooperating institutions for specific details of the engineering phase of the program.
Science at Geneseo
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of science at Geneseo is the quality of our faculty; each of the 47 members of our science faculty holds the Ph.D. degree. Instruction is provided exclusively by the full-time faculty. Excellent facilities, a very favorable student/faculty ratio, and close working relationships between students and faculty are added advantages. Undergraduates often work with professors on specialized research projects; this is an opportunity which you might not ordinarily have at larger colleges or universities.
Employment Opportunities
Employment opportunities for graduates with engineering degrees vary depending upon field and geographic area, but are generally excellent. Nationally, more than half of all job offers to college graduates are in engineering. Although opportunities in some fields vary considerably from year to year, the long range projection for most fields is very encouraging. Again, it is important to remember that candidates who have two degrees often have a decisive advantage in the employment market.
Each of the affiliated institutions provides counseling and placement services for engineering graduates.
Financial Aid
Cooperative engineering students are eligible for a number of financial aid programs, including grants, loans and work-study opportunities. Many aid programs which normally run for four years are extended to cover five years for cooperative engineering students. In addition, many engineering colleges offer scholarship aid for talented candidates.
For more information, go.geneseo.edu/engineering