UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

 pre engineering

Majors & Minors

Pre-Engineering

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The UWRF Physics department provides engineering students with a rigorous curriculum and a welcoming, supportive environment. Students can choose from three paths to their engineering degree. These options allow us to customize an academic plan for each student based on their needs and interests.

Dual Degree Program

Students complete three years of physics, math, engineering, and general education coursework at UWRF and then two years of upper-level engineering courses at one of our highly-regarded partner institutions: the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities or the University of Wisconsin – Madison.At the end of approximately five years, students are awarded two degrees: a Bachelors degree in Applied Physics from UWRF and a Bachelors degree in engineering from the partner school. Graduates with both engineering and physics degrees have found that they stand out when they apply for jobs, graduate school, and promotions.

Pre-Engineering

Pre-engineering students typically complete two years of physics, math, engineering, and chemistry courses at UWRF. Pre-engineering students then apply and transfer to an engineering university of their choice. Students can usually complete their engineering degree in a total of four years.

Applied Physics

Many students choose to complete a four-year Bachelors degree in Applied Physics at UWRF and then a Masters or Ph.D. degree in engineering. A Masters degree in engineering is usually completed in two years or less. Most students who pursue graduate work (either a Masters or Ph.D.) in engineering or physics receive funding to do so.

For more information on Pre-Engineering, please contact:

Dr. Rellen Hardtke
125 Centennial Science Hall
715-425-3235
www.uwrf.edu/PHYS/WhyStudy.cfm

 

Paid, professional internships are an important and common component of undergraduate engineering studies at UWRF. Besides building resumes and giving our students a leg up after graduation, internships and undergraduate research experiences provide our students with valuable work experience and hands-on training.As undergraduates, our students have interned in areas like mechanical engineering, fuel cell technology, corporate research, civil engineering, computer-aided design, microelectronics, and environmental engineering.

Engineers apply math and physics principles to practical technical problems, locally, regionally, or globally. They may be involved in the research and development of products and process, or in the testing and quality control of industrial or high-tech production. Engineers design buildings, airplanes and computers. They determine why objects fail and how to prevent it in the future. They can study the earth, its resources, and its environment.

We offer three options for students wishing to become engineers. The first two years of any engineering curriculum are mainly math and physics. In addition, UW-River Falls offers several special courses for engineering. Thus a student will have no problem transferring to an engineering school as a junior after taking the first two years at River Falls. It should be emphasized, however, that there are slightly different requirements for different engineering specialties and schools so a student should contact the pre-engineering advisor in the Physics department as soon as possible.