The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) offers its undergraduate class of almost 3,000 a choice of majors in the following eight fields: aerospace, bioengineering, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, fire protection, materials science and mechanical. Clark School undergraduates can also major in biological resources engineering, which is a joint program with the School of Agriculture. As of 2009, minorities make up 40.9 percent of Clark School's undergraduate enrollment.
Because UMCP is the state's flagship campus, Clark School has attracted nationally renowned faculty members who do industry-oriented research and partnerships with major corporate partners. Clark School faculty and undergraduates do research funded by the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTech). Undergraduates can work on a project approved by a mentor with a scholarship provided by MTech's ASPIRE program.
All undergraduates must apply through UMCP's general admission and can choose whichever major they want once admitted. Or, as up to 35 percent of undergraduates in Clark School do at first, students can declare themselves an "undecided engineering" major. UMCP employs a holistic review process for admissions, considering an array of factors in applicants' educational performance in college preparatory high school classes and on the SAT or ACT, as well as their potential for college success.
A. James Clark School of Engineering
2154 Glenn L. Martin Hall
University of Maryland, College Park
301-405-0287
eng.umd.edu
The Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) offers its undergraduates the choice of degrees in the following nine fields: biomedical, chemical and biomolecular, civil, electrical, environmental, general, materials science and mechanical engineering as well as engineering mechanics.
WSE also offers master's and doctoral degrees in the same nine fields, with the exception of Engineering Management, in which the terminal degree is a master's. Additionally, there is a master's degree in Bioengineering Innovation and Design. WSE also offers 15 part-time master's degrees and certificates for professionals.
First semester grades for undergraduates are not published and do not count toward a student's grade point average, but the grades you earn still matter. You must pass prerequisite courses to move on to subsequent classes.
WSE hosts 15 research centers in which students can participate. For instance, WSE's Center for Bioengineering Innovation & Design hosts an annual student Design Day that features student awards and a distinguished lecturer.
All WSE students must be admitted to JHU. Standardized tests, high school GPA and four years of college preparatory classes in English, mathematics, foreign language, laboratory science and social science factor in to the highly competitive selection process. No individual test score or GPA secures admission, however. JHU looks for independent thinkers and looks carefully at letters of recommendation.
Whiting School of Engineering
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-516-4050
engineering.jhu.edu
Loyola University boasts a rigorous engineering curriculum paired with a liberal arts education that trains students in interdisciplinary thinking. Emphasized throughout is the development of written and oral communication skills so that engineering undergraduates are prepared for the capstone senior-year design course sequence. The capstone requires not just technical know-how but also summary reports and presentations. Nearly 100 percent of Loyola's graduates find placement either in the work force or at an engineering graduate school.
Undergraduates concentrate their study on one of the four following degree programs: computer, electrical, materials and mechanical. Each concentration requires three nondepartmental electives that enable students to minor in another department like mathematics or a natural science.
As of the fall 2010 semester, undergraduate applicants no longer have to submit SAT or ACT test scores. Those who do not are required to submit an additional teacher recommendation and/or personal essay. Loyola judges applicants on their potential for collegiate success and de-emphasizes standardized tests because the university wants to broaden the geographic, ethnic and socio-economic diversity of its student body, which has always been a key priority in its Jesuit heritage. Students not submitting standardized test scores can still be considered for the Honors Program.
Department of Engineering
Loyola University
4501 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21210
410-617-2223
loyola.edu