"An R-MC liberal arts education prepares you to meet any challenge in your future"
Pre-engineering at R-MC
What are the advantages of choosing pre-engineering at R-MC? You'll find a strong, well-rounded, liberal arts academic curriculum that promotes critical thinking, innovative problem-solving and effective communication. You'll find a supportive, teaching-focused faculty and unique opportunities for research and independent study. And you'll find a friendly campus community where you can balance your academic pursuits with interests beyond the classroom.
Academic options
Individualized attention
Research opportunities
Cooperative agreements
Engineering careers
(Return to main pre-engineering page)
Academic options
: A
science or mathematics major (
physics for students interested in pursuing the
cooperative agreement with Columbia University) or a double-major of science and mathematics, is recommended for all pre-engineering students. However, at R-MC you’ll also enjoy the opportunity to explore your interests across the range of the liberal arts curriculum. Many students at R-MC choose to pursue a double-major or to add one or more minors to their studies; recent graduates of R-MC’s physics program have chosen majors or minors in fields including math, computer science and astrophysics, as well as French, economics/business and even philosophy.
Individualized attention:
At R-MC, you're never just another face in the crowd, and you'll never find yourself in large lecture courses taught by graduate students here. Instead, you'll find an all-teaching faculty, average class sizes of fewer than 25 students, and upper-level science and math courses with typically fewer than 10 students, where majors build strong, enduring bonds with their professors and fellow students. Faculty also provide advice and guidance to help students choose appropriate graduate programs or career paths.
Research opportunities
: Independent research is strongly encouraged at R-MC, and supported through programs such as the Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Students learn how to discuss and present their work through R-MC's annual Research Day as well as at regional and national professional conferences. Recent student research and independent study projects have focused on topics including solar energy, ballistics, photoelasticity, the physics of basketball, and shoreline modeling.
Cooperative agreements
: Qualified students who meet certain academic criteria can take advantage of R-MC's 3/2 cooperative pre-engineering agreements with Columbia University and the University of Virginia, completing the first three years at R-MC and the senior year at the cooperating university. With the Columbia agreement, students earn a bachelor's degree from R-MC and then either a second bachelor's degree or a master's from Columbia. The University of Virginia program leads to a bachelor’s degree from R-MC and preferential enrollment in UVA's graduate engineering program.
Engineering careers
: As the world relies ever more on complex technologies to meet complex challenges, engineering skills and expertise will continue to be in demand across a range of disciplines, from aerospace and alternative energy to biomedical, mechanical, environmental, structural and software engineering, among others.
(Return to main pre-engineering page)