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The technical achievements of 20th-century engineering have been breathtaking.
But women have not been well represented in the profession,
nor have engineers generally received as broad an education as desirable.
Smith's Picker Engineering Program addresses both problems.
Rather
than offering an array of specialized engineering degree
programs, Smith offers a single accredited degree, a B.S. in engineering
science, which focuses on the fundamentals of all the engineering
disciplines. With rigorous study in the three basis areas -- mechanics, electrical
systems and thermochemical processes -- students learn to structure engineering solutions
to a variety of problems using first principles.
Smith’s
engineering program is different from other engineering
programs: it is
embedded in a liberal arts curriculum, and it builds on
the nationally recognized strengths of the college’s well-established
science program. The curriculum contextualizes engineering
vis-à-vis
social relevance and social responsibility. Innovative
outcomes-oriented engineering pedagogy makes the learner -- not the professor --
the center of classroom activities.
Engineering students have numerous opportunities to work with faculty on research projects that range from developing hydrogen fuel cells for engergy storage and measuring pollution transport in the atmosphere to developing non-invasive acoustic measurements for improving newborn hearing screening and studying sex-based differences in tendon mechanics.
Some students begin working with faculty as early as their first year. At Smith, roughly 8.5 percent of graduating seniors complete senior honors thesis projects. In engineering, 20 percent of the seniors do. Of those, over 90 percent have gone on to graduate school in engineering or a related field.
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Engineering & the
Liberal Arts
Women Taking
the Lead
Hands-on, Project-
based Learning
Undergrad Research
with Faculty
Studying Abroad
Commitment to a
Sustainable Future
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