Engineering Science
From The Unofficial Guide to Engineering
| Table of contents |
What is Engineering Science?
The Engineering Science Program is multi-departmental and interdisciplinary, encompassing a variety of closely related areas of the physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering. It is intended to provide a means whereby students, while acquiring knowledge of engineering methods, can pursue their interests in areas of natural science. The options offered within the curriculum prepare students for advanced study in engineering, science, or medicine. For more information on Engineering Science, get a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Engineering Science, available from the Society of Engineering Sciences website listed below.
What careers are available in Engineering Science?
The majority of Engineering Science graduates continue their education, earning a baccalaureate degree in mechanical, electrical, civil, or some other engineering discipline. Students wishing to specialize in a pure science are also provided a strong background to enable them to continue in their chosen field. If a student does not wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in the field, he or she will find employment opportunities in the industry as engineering assistants or laboratory technicians.1
Engineering Science at Berkeley
The programs in Engineering Science are all interdisciplinary. Students are encouraged to plan their individual programs in consultation with their faculty advisers. Students will be advanced to the upper division in Engineering Science upon satisfactory completion of the lower division requirements.
The Program
The first two years are much like any Engineering major, providing a strong foundation in mathematics and the sciences. The Engineering Science major also adheres to the College of Engineering’s humanities requirement. There are four fully structured majors in the curriculum: Computational Engineering Science, Engineering Mathematics and Statistics, Environmental Engineering Science, and Engineering Physics. In addition, freshmen may apply to the Engineering–Undeclared option.
Computational Engineering Science
This new interdisciplinary program recognizes the growing importance of computation as a methodology for attacking complex scientific and engineering problems. Combined with mathematical modeling and experimental observations, scientific computation enables engineers and scientists to solve problems that are otherwise intractable. The Computational Engineering Science Program provides a solid foundation in mathematics, the sciences and engineering, and fosters skills required for modeling, simulating, and solving complex problems. The emphasis is on the computation of science rather than the science of computation (i.e., computer science). The program provides a sound basis for graduate studies in engineering and the applied sciences. Additionally, it nurtures skills that are needed in large-scale technological modeling and simulation which occur in industrial and national laboratories.
Engineering Mathematics and Statistics
This interdisciplinary program offers students an opportunity to study pure and applied mathematics as essential components of modern engineering. Choosing among pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, and engineering allows the student to individualize a program of study in theory, applications, or both. The program provides a broad foundation for graduate studies in theoretical branches of engineering, as well as in mathematics or statistics.
Engineering Physics
This flexible program interweaves the fundamentals of classical and modern physics, chemistry, and mathematics with engineering applications. The firm base in physics and mathematics is augmented with a selection of engineering course options that prepare the student to tackle the complex problems faced by society. Because the program emphasizes science and mathematics, students are well prepared to pursue graduate studies in physics or engineering. With the proper choice of electives, the program also enables a student to transfer to a more traditional field of engineering should such an interest develop.
Environmental Engineering Science
This is a multidisciplinary field requiring an integration of physical, chemical, and biological principles with engineering analysis for environmental protection and restoration. The program incorporates courses from many departments on campus to create a discipline that is rigorously based in science and engineering, while addressing a wide variety of environmental issues. Although environmental engineering options exist in the Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science and Mineral Engineering departments, the engineering science curriculum provides a more broadly based foundation in the sciences than is possible in these departments. The major prepares the student for a career or graduate study in many environmental areas.
Student Comment
"The Engineering Science program is an excellent program for those students who are interested in the sciences from a more practical standpoint - the Engineering Physics major could correspond to an Applied Physics major at another university, for example. Although the program is designed to prepare the student for graduate school and a research career, it is so flexible that many other options are possible. Both practical engineers and pure scientists can find success, gain a broader perspective, and see links between disciplines that they would not have otherwise seen. If you are interested in a research career or want to go to graduate school, take a closer look at Engineering Science.
A note of caution: the flexibility of the program can make choosing courses difficult. Take advantage of the small size of ES and get to know your faculty advisor. He/She might help you get research as well." - Austin Minnich, CES '06
Works Cited
1. “Engineering Science,” Morrisville State College, Nuclear Engineers http://www.morrisville.edu/academics/science/engineering_science/
Links
- College of Engineering, Engineering Science Official Page - http://coe.berkeley.edu/engsci
- Society of Engineering Sciences - http://coe.berkeley.edu/ses
