The Swanson School of Engineering offers a variety of programs via its departments and associated organizations.
Programs
Beginning in 2020, qualified undergraduates in the Swanson School of Engineering can enroll in the new Engineering Accelerated Graduate (EAGr) Program. EAGr enables students to earn complementary bachelor’s and master’s degree in their discipline within five years. Successful students will save time and money and be more competitive in the job market upon graduation.1,2 The Swanson School is also working alongside select companies interested in offering employment opportunities and tuition reimbursement packages to EAGr students, via the EAGr+ program. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more information about this unique opportunity.
Note: *All EAGr applicants will be automatically considered for the Pitt2Pitt scholarship if applying for Spring 2021 through Spring 2022*
The Department of Bioengineering combines hands-on experience with the solid fundamentals that students need to advance themselves in research, medicine, and industry. The Department has a long-standing and unique relationship with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and other academic departments at the University of Pittsburgh as well as neighboring Carnegie Mellon University. Our faculty are shared with these organizations, offering our graduate and undergraduate students access to state-of-the-art facilities and a wide array of research opportunities. We currently have 187 graduate students who are advised by some 100 different faculty advisers, pursuing graduate research across 17 Departments and five Schools. Our undergraduate class-size of approximately 50 students per year ensures close student-faculty interactions in the classroom and the laboratory.
Chemical processes and gaining an in-depth understanding of how these processes improve lives are integral to the curriculum. Beginning courses include Organic Chemistry, Foundations of ChE (material and mass balances), ChE Thermodynamics, and Transport Phenomena (momentum, mass, and heat transport from micro- to macroscopic scale). Advanced courses include Physical and Analytical Chemistry, as well as System Engineering (Dynamics and Modeling, then Design), and lab sessions are part of every ChE course. Chemical engineers work in diverse sectors including petroleum, polymer, biochemistry, the environment, and food industries.
The Civil Engineering curriculum combines a broad-based education with focus on science (e.g. Math, Physics and Chemistry), engineering analysis (e.g. Environmental Engineering, Fluid and Soil Mechanics, Transportation,Structures, Sustainability, and Construction Management) and design (e.g. Concrete Structures, Steel Structures, Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Pavement, and Foundations). Specializations include structural engineering, geotechnical and pavement engineering, environmental Engineering, water resources, and construction management. Most Civil and environmental engineers are involved with essential facilities and structures such as buildings, bridges, dams, highways, airports, as well as water, wastewater, and solid/hazardous waste treatment facilities.
Electrical engineers learn to design devices and systems used in applications including communications, power generation and distribution, computers, sensing and measurement,and automatic control. EE courses cover Digital Logic, Linear Systems and Circuits, Electronic Circuits, Semiconductor Device Theory, Signals and Systems Analysis, and Electromagnetics. Several lab courses provide hands-on experience with the design, manufacture and operation of electronic and photonic devices and complex electrical systems. Employment opportunities include research and development, system design, testing, manufacturing, and sales, while others continue to graduate studies.
Engineering Science offers flexible curricula with concentrations in Engineering Physics, Nanotechnology, Engineering Mechanics and Nuclear Energy. This program develops the student's ability to think analytically across disciplines and tackle future technical challenges that require a thorough understanding of a discipline in the physical sciences and/or mathematics combined with engineering.
The Civil Engineering curriculum combines a broad-based education with focus on science (e.g. Math, Physics and Chemistry), engineering analysis (e.g. Environmental Engineering, Fluid and Soil Mechanics, Transportation, Structures, Sustainability, and Construction Management) and design (e.g. Concrete Structures, Steel Structures, Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Pavement, and Foundations). Specializations include structural engineering, geotechnical and pavement engineering, environmental Engineering, water resources, and construction management. Most Civil and environmental engineers are involved with essential facilities and structures such as buildings, bridges, dams, highways, airports, as well as water, wastewater, and solid/hazardous waste treatment facilities.
Industrial engineering (IE) is about choices - it is the engineering discipline that offers the most wide-ranging array of opportunities in terms of employment, and it is distinguished by its flexibility. While other engineering disciplines tend to apply skills to very specific areas, Industrial Engineers may be found working everywhere: from traditional manufacturing companies to airlines, from distribution companies to financial institutions, from major medical establishments to consulting companies, from high-tech corporations to companies in the food industry.
The Innovation, Product Design, and Entrepreneurship Program features an interdisciplinary certificate that is open to all Swanson School undergraduates. This flexible program provides students with an opportunity to learn academic principles of design, creativity and entrepreneurship through hands-on experiences.
MSE students integrate fundamental knowledge of materials processing and synthesis to improve the performance of engineered products and design materials for future applications. Courses include Statistics and Mechanics of Materials, Materials, Structures, & Properties, Materials Processing, Heat Mass Transport, Energetics, and Physical Metallurgy. Materials science engineers work in materials processing, automotive, telecommunications, aerospace, electronics, or biomedical industries.
Mechanical engineering students gain expert knowledge of the design and manufacture of mechanical systems and thermal devices/processes. Courses focus on the principles of motion, energy, and force. Some of the courses in the ME curriculum are Statics and Mechanics of Materials, Mechanical Design, Electrical Circuits, Material Structure and Properties, Kinematics of Machinery, Heat Transfer, Kinetics, Applied Thermodynamics, Applied Fluid Dynamics, and Thermal Systems Design. Mechanical Engineers work in fields including engines and control systems for automobiles and aircraft, medical devices, consumer products like computers and athletic equipment, and electrical power plants.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science offers nuclear engineering programs for both undergraduate and qualified graduate students. Students can earn a Professional or Research Masters of Science or Graduate Certificate through flexible on-campus and online options under the guidance of faculty experts that possess senior leadership from the nuclear power industry.
Chemical processes and gaining an in-depth understanding of how these processes improve lives are integral to the curriculum. Beginning courses include Organic Chemistry, Foundations of ChE (material and mass balances), ChE Thermodynamics, and Transport Phenomena (momentum, mass, and heat transport from micro- to macroscopic scale). Advanced courses include Physical and Analytical Chemistry, as well as System Engineering (Dynamics and Modeling, then Design), and lab sessions are part of every ChE course. Chemical engineers work in diverse sectors including petroleum, polymer, biochemistry,the environment, and food industries.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
- Create regional and nationally scalable sustainability solutions through service learning projects with a cohort of students.
- Provide students with experiences that enable them to communicate sustainability issues and solutions to multiple audiences.
DEPTH OF LEARNING
- Provide advanced education to graduate students to identify and solve sustainability issues using systems approaches in the context of the triple bottom line of environmental, societal, and economic problems.
- Create a rigorous program with breadth and depth to propel graduate students to foster sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad.