Mission and Learning Goals

The mission of the dual-degree engineering program at CSB/SJU is to provide solid preparation for engineering coupled with the many advantages of a liberal arts education.

Engineering, at first glance, might seem out of place among the other liberal arts degrees offered at CSB/SJU. Physics, chemistry and math seem very specific when compared to the “well-rounded” education usually associated with liberal arts schools.

The sciences at CSB/SJU offer the opportunity for both very specific scientific training and research as well as very diverse educational experience. Students at CSB/SJU are encouraged to ask questions, seek answers and delve into areas of interest. Questions could be about economic development or poetic interpretation, but they can also be about tensile strength and refraction of light.

Engineers from CSB/SJU have the technical training and the communication skills to be successful in all areas of engineering.

The Dual-degree Program

The dual-degree program in physics or chemistry and engineering allows students to take the first three years of the physics or chemistry curriculum at CSB/SJU and then transfer to an engineering school. After a total of roughly five years, the student receives a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics or chemistry from CSB/SJU and a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the engineering school.

The colleges have a formal dual-degree program with the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. Students who achieve the required GPA (this GPA varies among the specific areas of engineering) at CSB/SJU are automatically admitted to the engineering program at the U of M.

CSB/SJU also has a formal dual-degree program with Saint Cloud State University, in St. Cloud, Minn.. Students are guaranteed entrance into the College of Science and Engineering if the cumulative grade point average is 2.5 or better in science and mathematics courses.

Nearly 100 percent of CSB/SJU graduates are accepted into the engineering school of their choice. In addition to the University of Minnesota and SCSU, CSB/SJU students have arranged for individual dual-degree programs with engineering schools throughout the country.

Our graduates have found that a solid grounding in physics/chemistry and math from CSB/SJU provides excellent preparation for engineering school—paving the way for an easy transition to engineering.