Engineering

B.A./B.S.: Senior Year in Absentia

Professor John Nichols, Chair, Division of Mathematics and Computer Science

Maryville College cooperates with several universities in a way that enables a student to combine extensive preparation in the liberal arts with professional training in engineering. This arrangement allows the student to earn two degrees, one from Maryville College and one from the engineering school. The first three years are spent at Maryville, completing Maryville College’s general education requirements and the courses necessary for further study in engineering or applied science; the remaining time, normally two years, is spent at an accredited school of engineering.

Maryville College has formal dual-degree arrangements with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Maryville College will honor the dual-degree arrangement with other major universities if the student is able to make transfer arrangements.

After approximately four years of study, which include 96 semester hours from Maryville College and 32 semester hours (with grades of “C” or better) from the engineering school, the student will receive the B.A. degree from the College. When all requirements for the engineering degree have been met, usually by the end of the fifth year of study, the engineering school will award the Bachelor of Science degree in the area of specialization.

The second degree may be earned in over a dozen engineering fields, as well as in the applied sciences, depending on the university that the student attends.

Maryville students go to the engineering school as transfer students. The College’s Dual-Degree program coordinator assists the students in both selecting an engineering school and in the transfer process. The decision to admit rests with the cooperating university, not with Maryville College. Admission to some engineering fields is very competitive, reflecting high demand for places in an entering class.

Any student interested in pursuing the dual-degree option is urged to consult the Dual-Degree Coordinator in the Division of Mathematics and Computer Science as early in the freshman year as possible. The program is highly structured, and most of the courses are part of a sequence. For that reason, one’s course of study must be carefully planned to ensure that all general education and major requirements are met during the three years spent at Maryville. Required courses are Mathematics 125, 225, 232, 235 and 236, Physics 201, 202, and 271 or 301, Chemistry 121 and 122, Computer Science 112, and Senior Study 351. Some engineering schools have additional course requirements for particular majors. Consult the Dual Degree Coordinator for details. See course listings under appropriate departments.

Course Descriptions

351. Senior Study
3 credit hours
Prerequisites: First Year Seminar 140, English Proficiency Exam, junior standing, Computer Science 111, at least 15 hours in mathematics courses that satisfy requirements for the Major in Mathematics, Physics 201, and Chemistry 121
The Senior Study requirement is fulfilled with this course. The study may take the form of a thesis or a significant engineering-related project. Both involve individual study and research under the guidance of a faculty supervisor and culminate in a formal paper that follows a division-specific format.