NWC and University of Minnesota offer engineering program

Administrators at Northwestern College and the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering have initiated a dual-degree program that enables students to earn two bachelor’s degrees in five years: a B.A. in math or another field from Northwestern and a B.S. in engineering from Minnesota.

The program enables students to benefit from three years of a high-quality, relational liberal arts education from NWC and two years of specialized training in one of 10 engineering disciplines: aerospace, biomedical, biosystems, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, geological, materials science and mechanical.

“Students interested in engineering are already transferring to other institutions and succeeding because of their strong liberal arts preparation from Northwestern,” says Dr. Frank Bentrem, Northwestern physics professor and adviser for the dual-degree program.

“This partnership with the University of Minnesota enables students to graduate with two valuable degrees, which gives them an advantage in the job search and can lead to management opportunities.”

The specialized engineering courses are also better preparation than a more general engineering degree for the professional certification required for some engineering careers, Bentrem explained.