Engineering Dual-Degree Program

PLU Requirements

Students in the Dual Degree Program may earn a Bachelor of Arts in Physics or Chemistry from PLU, as specified below:

Bachelor of Arts Degree

Major in Physics
48 semester hours

• PHYS 153, 154, 163, 164, 223, 499A*, 499B*
• Plus: three courses in physics or engineering from:
  • PHYS 310, 331, 336, 401
  • ENGR 240, 333, 334, 355
  • PHYS 354 or MATH 351
  • CHEM 341 or CHEM 342 or MATH 331 or 356 may be counted as a substitution for one course
  • The particular courses chosen will depend on the intended subdiscipline and the engineering school’s entrance requirements. Students should consult with the Dual Degree program director before choosing their electives.
• Required supporting courses: MATH 151, 152, 253; CSCI 144 or DATA 133; ENGR 131

*Senior project courses from the dual degree engineering school will substitute for the courses PHYS 499A and 499B.

Major in Chemistry
51 semester hours

• Chemistry Courses
  33 semester hours
  • CHEM 115, 116, 320, 331, 332, 333, 334 (or 336), 341, 342, 343, 499A*, 499B*
• Supporting Courses
  18 semester hours
  • MATH 151, 152
  • PHYS 153, 154, 163, 164

*Senior project courses from the dual degree engineering school will substitute for the courses CHEM 499A and 499B.

Additional pre-engineering courses beyond those listed above for the Bachelor of Arts in Physics or Chemistry are required for admission into affiliate Dual Degree program and vary depending on the affiliate.

Students must consult with the Dual Degree program director for a complete list of current pre-engineering requirements. Please see https://www.plu.edu/physics/dual-degree/ for additional information about program requirements.

The Engineering School Program

Students are also required to enroll in an ABET-accredited engineering program and complete upper-level project-based coursework in that program before the Bachelor of Arts degree can be awarded by PLU. The specific course of study in the final phase of the program at the engineering school depends on both the school and the subdiscipline. PLU maintains formal arrangements with Columbia University in New York City, Washington University in St. Louis, and Washington State University in Pullman, WA to facilitate the transfer process into the institution. Between these universities, approximately 20 different engineering subdisciplines are available to Dual-degree students. These include the more common subdisciplines (civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical) and others such as biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, and environmental engineering. Details about the additional requirements for transfer to Columbia University, Washington University, and Washington State University can be found at those institutions’ websites: undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/combined-plan, engineering.wustl.edu/prospective-students/dual-degree/Pages/default.aspx, and https://vcea.wsu.edu/dual-degree.

Academic Expectations

Columbia University strongly recommends a cumulative PLU grade point average of 3.30 or higher, and a grade point average of 3.30 or higher in pertinent mathematics and science courses. In addition, Columbia also strongly recommends that each grade earned in a mathematics or science course at PLU must be at the B level or higher the first time the course is taken. Columbia University requires that students attend at least three full-time years at PLU before transferring. All applicants who began college in Fall 2019 or later will be considered under a competitive review process.

For Washington University in St. Louis, the required grade point average is 3.25, both overall and in science and mathematics courses. Washington University also considers applicants under a competitive review process.

For Washington State University (WSU) – Pullman campus, students who earn a 2.6 grade point average in transferred major courses and a grade of at least a “C” in each of these courses, will be guaranteed admission into the Mechanical Engineering major. Students area expected to have completed at least 60 semester credits of coursework before transferring to WSU. They also must submit a University Writing Portfolio (USP) in fulfillment of the WSU university writing proficiency graduation requirement. To this end, students interested in transferring to WSU should save samples of writing from coursework completed at PLU.

Although students who choose to transfer to another engineering school may be able to gain admission with slightly lower grades than those required by Columbia University and Washington University, all prospective engineering students are well advised to use the higher standard as a more realistic indication of what will be expected of them in the engineering school. Engineering schools often do not allow pass-fail courses; thus, PLU students are advised not to enroll in mathematics, science or engineering courses for pass-fail grading.

For more information, contact the dual-degree program director in the Department of Physics or visit the program website at www.plu.edu/physics/dual-degree/ .