The School of Engineering is home to nearly two-thirds of MIT's undergraduates, and with good reason-it was ranked as the top undergraduate school of engineering in a research university for 2010. With nineteen different undergraduate programs to choose from, students have plenty of options to explore. Electrical engineering and computer science are the most popular choices, although civil and environmental engineering are also popular because of their flexible curriculum that can accommodate study abroad or a minor outside of the School of Engineering. The newest major offering is Biological Engineering, a course of study which prepares students for medical school or careers in the biomedical field.
MIT School of Engineering
Room 1-206
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-3291
engineering.mit.edu/education/
The College of Engineering at the University of California-Berkeley was ranked as the top public university undergraduate engineering program for 2010, with the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering ranked number one of its kind nationwide. There are 13 different majors to choose from within the college, and sophomores with at least a 3.0 GPA may petition for a 'joint' or double major. Notable programs include the bioengineering major, where students can take part in a paid summer research program with Berkeley's most distinguished professors, and the electrical engineering and computer science majors, where outstanding students can earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in just five years.
College of Engineering, Dean's Office
320 McLaughlin Hall #1700
University of California Berkeley, CA 94720
510-642-5771
coe.berkeley.edu/
Harvey Mudd College, a Southern California liberal arts college focusing on the sciences, was ranked as the top engineering program of its kind for 2010. An HMC education starts with the unique Common Core-classes in math, humanities, and the sciences required of all students. Engineering coursework also begins in the freshman year, with students getting hands-on practical experience in their first semester as they assist with a project for a non-profit organization. The focus on experiential learning continues throughout a student's college career as upperclassmen spend three semesters working as a team to solve a real-world problem for a major corporation. While only the general engineering major is offered, students have ample opportunity to explore specialized fields through electives.
Harvey Mudd College
301 Platt Boulevard
Claremont, CA 91711
909-621-8000
hmc.edu/academicsclinicresearch/academicdepartments/engineering.html
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, located in Terre Haute, Indiana, tied with Harvey Mudd as 2010's top undergraduate engineering college. The Institute offers nine different engineering majors, including one of America's few undergraduate programs in optical engineering. The optical engineering major requires significant coursework in physics, and students are encouraged to double major in another field such as computer or mechanical engineering. Students in the popular chemical engineering major can choose to enroll in a five-year bachelor's program where they alternate between quarters spent taking classes and quarters spent on a full-time internship. In the software engineering program, students choose an area of specialization from choices as varied as game development, business law, and music.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
5500 Wabash Avenue
Terre Haute, IN 47803
812-877-1511
rose-hulman.edu/academics/index.htm