General Information

In the tradition of NC State University, the College of Engineering maintains as its mission providing an education of highest quality for students, conducting research relevant to the needs of society, and actively sharing knowledge with the people of North Carolina through outreach programs.   The College of Engineering at NC State comprises 12 departments offering 18 bachelor’s, 17 master’s (10 on-campus only; 1 distance ed only; 6 both on-campus and distance ed), and 13 doctoral degree programs.

In national comparisons among all engineering colleges, NC State’s College of Engineering ranks 8th in the number of BS degrees awarded, 9th in the total number of degrees (BS, MS, and PhD), 14th in BS degrees awarded to women, and 7th in BS degrees awarded to African Americans.

According to US News and World Report, 2007, the College of Engineering is ranked 17th "best undergraduate engineering degree program," among public colleges of engineering whose highest degree is a doctorate. In 2008, US News ranked the College 19th among public research colleges of engineering.

The College of Engineering ranks 17th in the nation in research expenditures and 14th in the nation in industry support, among all engineering colleges, according to the most recent data from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), 2006.

The fall 2007 undergraduate enrollment (including biological engineering and textile engineering) of 5,988 (1,723 freshmen, 1,312 sophomores, 1,262 juniors, 1,691seniors) represents an increase over the fall 2006 enrollment of 5,823.

Graduate student enrollment in the College of Engineering for fall 2007 was 2,125 (1,187 master's and 938 doctoral) compared to 1,903 in fall 2006 (951 master's and 952 doctoral). This includes students enrolled in Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) and Textile Engineering (TE). It also includes enrollment for the off-campus Master of Engineering degree, which totals 73. International students made up 52 percent (1,108 students) of the enrollment, and 20 percent (431) of the students were women. Minority enrollment was 10 percent (183 students: Asian American 89, African American 58, Native American 3, Hispanic 33).

For 2006-07, the College awarded 1,103 undergraduate degrees and 585 graduate degrees.

Degrees in Engineering
BS	MS	PhD	Degree Programs
			Aerospace Engineering * also distance education MSAE
			Biological Engineering
			Biomedical Engineering
			Chemical Engineering * also distance education MSCHE
			Civil Engineering * also distance Education MCE
			Computer Engineering * also distance Education MSCPE
			Computer Networking
			Computer Science * also distance education MCS
			Construction Engineering and Management (two BS concentrations: General Construction and Mechanical Construction) * within Civil Engineering ** also distance education MCE
			Electrical Engineering * also distance education MSEE
			Engineering * master's in distance only ** on-campus or distance
			Environmental Engineering * within Civil Engineering ** also distance education MCE
			Industrial Engineering
			Industrial Engineering - Furniture Manufacturing
			Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering
			Materials Science and Engineering
			Mechanical Engineering * also distance education MSME
			Nuclear Engineering
			Operations Research
			Paper Science and Engineering
			Textile Engineering

Admission to the College of Engineering is competitive, based upon evaluation of the high school record, grade point average, class rank, and standardized test scores (SAT or ACT). Most students entering the College of Engineering as freshmen have completed a rigorous college preparatory curriculum with advanced and honors courses and with an overall average of "A-" to "B+" during all four years of high school. Although participation in extracurricular activities is considered, the high school academic record is weighed most heavily.

During the 2006-07 academic year, the College awarded 631 scholarships for a total value of $1,250,851. In addition to those scholarships, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, the Park Scholarship Program, and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) makes awards, bringing the total number of scholarships awarded to engineering students for 2006-07 to 953 with a combined value of $3,048,265.

Minority Engineering Programs provides early intervention programs, tutorial programs, and counseling with the objective of increasing the number of minority students entering and successfully completing engineering and computer science degrees.

The College's 12 degree-granting departments are authorized to award the Master of Science, the Master of Engineering in a designated field, and the Doctor of Philosophy. Nonthesis master's degrees are also offered in most of the discipline areas and in the interdisciplinary program of integrated manufacturing systems engineering. Both MS and PhD degrees are offered in the interdisciplinary program of operations research. The College provides fellowship funds and half-time assistantships for outstanding graduate students.

Distance Education

The Engineering Online program at NC State University offers undergraduate and graduate credit courses in engineering and computer science that can be completed from home, work, or other institutions of higher learning through the Internet.

Engineering Online Undergraduate Programs

Site-Based 2+2 Program: Undergraduates physically attending a university or community college in North Carolina who are interested in receiving an engineering degree may participate in the site-based 2+2 degree program, designed for undergraduates to attend their first two years of study at another location and finish their studies at NC State University, NC A&T State University, or UNC Charlotte. Some of the coursework is presented online.

BSE Mechatronics: Students interested in receiving a BSE in Mechatronics may pursue the degree program at the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNC-A). This is a joint degree between NC State University and UNC-A and is available only to students on the UNC-A campus.

Computer Programming Certificate: The Department of Computer Science in conjunction with Distance Education offers a Computer Programming Certificate. A certificate will be awarded to PBS students (students having completed a bachelor's degree in any field) who have met the course requirements listed at Engineering Online. The certificate is not part of graduation but is awarded as recognition of a student's completion of this series of courses.

Engineering Online Graduate Programs

The College offers the following eight distance education graduate degrees through its Engineering Online program for engineers, computer scientists, and technical professionals.

• Master of Civil Engineering
• Master of Computer Science
• Master of Engineering
• Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering
• Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
• Master of Science in Computer Engineering
• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
• Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Engineering Online will soon offer a Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering.

Individuals can pursue a degree or simply enroll in online engineering or computer science courses for professional development. The online courses are exactly the same as the on-campus courses in terms of content, requirements, and academic rigor.

Faculty and Research

Of 930 faculty and research staff members, 247 are tenured/tenure-track faculty members (rank of assistant professor or above).

The College is proud of the reputation of its faculty researchers, whose research interests span a wide range of topics including advanced computing, multimedia systems, microelectronics, surface effects in materials, characteristics of semiconductor materials, high temperature superconductors, biotechnology processing, robotics, communications and signal processing, wireless/networking systems, manufacturing technology, environmental engineering, structural and construction systems, ergonomics, and precision engineering.

The engineering faculty in 2006-2007 were very successful in receiving awards for research. During the period July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, the college received 483 awards totaling $43,268,747. Another important productivity factor for research is the total research expenditures, which for 2006-2007 was approximately, $44,637,140.

These figures include only federal, state, and industry from outside contract and grant accounts; they also exclude the Textile Engineering and Biological and Agricultural Engineering portions of engineering expenditures. The figure for total research expenditures from all sources for 2006-07 is approximately $104,433,753, an increase of approximately 10 percent over the previous year.

In 2006-07 the College filed 15 patent applications, was granted 2 foreign and 13 U.S. patents, and had 66 invention disclosures and 2 software disclosures.

A Center, Institute, or Laboratory (CIL) is an organizational unit established by the College to handle major projects or thrust areas, especially those requiring the expertise of several faculty from different disciplines. The principal mission of a CIL focuses on research, education, or public service or some combination of these. An integral part of every CIL is the provision for graduate and/or undergraduate students to gain experience with real-world challenges by working and collaborating with CIL faculty and staff.

For a list of approved CILs, visit http://www.ncsu.edu/sparcs/centers/listofcis.html.

Extension

The Industrial Extension Service (IES) provides continuing education, training, and technical assistance to businesses, industries, and government agencies across the state. As part of the NC State University College of Engineering, with its long-standing tradition of engineering research, knowledge and experience, IES is the oldest service of its kind in the nation.

IES reaches into the offices and factory floors of North Carolina's small- to medium-sized companies to help them stay competitive through a variety of programs in such areas as lean manufacturing; environmental, health and safety; quality and performance excellence; energy and facilities management; and renewable energy.

In 2006-07, IES assisted 786 individual manufacturing companies, who reported $232,736,727 in direct economic impact from IES' services. IES helped them retain or create 756 jobs across the state.

The Move to Centennial Campus

Engineering Building I (Photo: Perkins & Will)

Engineering Building II (Photo: Ken Tate)

Engineering Building III (Rendering: Perkins & Will)

The College of Engineering continues its plans to relocate most of the College to the Centennial Campus. Engineering Building I (EBI) is now home to the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The building dedication was held April 22, 2005. The dedication ceremony for Engineering Building II, which houses the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, took place April 28, 2006. The buildings, which together cost $90 million, were funded by the bond referendum passed by the citizens of North Carolina.

Engineering Building III, the future home to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the joint (with UNC-Chapel Hill) Department of Biomedical Engineering, received a total of $103.7 million from the Legislature for planning and construction. The 248,291 square-foot building, scheduled to open in August 2010, will include approximately 80 laboratories, a wind tunnel facility, eight classrooms, and offices for faculty and graduate students.

Engineering Buildings IV and V have not yet received funding and are in the conceptual stages. Engineering Building IV will house the Edward p. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Dean's Office administrative staff; Engineering Building V will house the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Nuclear Engineering.

For more information

• Dean of Engineering
• Box 7901 North Carolina State University
• Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
• (919) 515-2311

North Carolina State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. NC State University commits itself to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of those characteristics. North Carolina State University further regards discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation to be inconsistent with its goals of providing a welcoming environment in which all its students, faculty, and staff may learn and work up to their full potential. The University values the benefits of cultural diversity and pluralism in the academic community and welcomes all men and women of good will without regard to sexual orientation.