3/2 Engineering Program

Undergraduate Program

The 3/2 engineering program at Clark University is a five-year program offered in conjunction with Columbia University. Students enrolled in this program complete three years in residence at Clark followed by two additional years at Columbia University. Students completing the program receive a B.A. degree from Clark University and a B.S. degree in engineering from Columbia University.

At Clark, students major in a field that strongly overlaps the entrance requirements for Columbia. Appropriate majors include chemistry, computer science, economics, environmental science and policy, mathematics, physics, and a self-designed liberal-arts/engineering major. At Columbia, students may major in any of the fields they offer. In addition to the traditional engineering fields taught at all schools, unique programs such as engineering and public policy, biomedical engineering, system science and engineering, and fire-protection engineering are also available. Please consult the program director for further information.

While the program is open to all Clark students, the required curriculum must be started during the first year of study to permit the timely completion of all requirements. Those students whose high-school background (as determined by placement examinations) has not prepared them to enter calculus (MATH 120 ) may not be able to participate in the 3/2 engineering program. All students intending to pursue the program are required to contact the program director Charles Agosta during the first week of classes, or before, to choose their courses and set up a tentative schedule for the next three years.

Students interested in 3/2 Engineering should contact the committee director, Charles Agosta (phone: 508-793-7736, e-mail: cagosta@clarku.edu) before they sign up for classes in their first year.

Enrollment at the Engineering School

Students submit a formal application for admission to Columbia University through the 3/2 Engineering Committee during their junior year.  Students who have satisfied all of the requirements with sufficient grades as determined by the Columbia admissions committee, and who receive a positive endorsement in their recommendations from Clark, normally can expect admission for enrollment as juniors at Columbia University in the following September. Application for financial aid is made at the same time, and those students receiving financial aid can expect to be supported at levels that are generally consistent with the level of Clark’s support during the first three years. However, Columbia does not give aid to foreign students, who must rely on other sources of funds.

Program Requirements

In addition to the requirements of the Program of Liberal Studies and their major at Clark (indicated elsewhere in this catalog), students must meet the entrance requirements of Columbia University. These requirements cover physics, math, chemistry, and computer science, plus one or two courses for specific engineering majors as specified in the Columbia Combined Program guide. Detailed questions concerning requirements of individual majors can be discussed with the 3/2 engineering director at Clark.

The additional Clark requirements for the liberal arts major and for the Program of Liberal Studies must be met concurrently with the above requirements. Several majors may require additional summer school work at Clark or advanced placement standing to complete all requirements within the three-year period in residence at Clark. Students who complete a full year of study at Columbia University and who have completed all of Clark’s requirements are invited to walk at Clark’s graduation with their peers, although the B.A. from Clark is given to them at the end of the fifth year of study along with a B.S. in engineering from Columbia.

For further infomation about the requirements and  sample programs of study can be found on the 3/2 Engineering webpage.

Program Faculty

Charles Agosta, Ph.D. - Director