About the College of Engineering

URI Engineering’s Vision

A global leader in engineering education and research.

URI Engineering’s Mission

The College of Engineering is a diverse community of scholars, learners, and professional staff, working together and dedicated to the development and application of advanced technologies, for the betterment of the quality of life. We are creative problem-solvers, innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs, applying our skills for the advancement of knowledge, service to our community, and the economic development of the State of Rhode Island and beyond. We prepare our graduates to be global leaders in a wide-range of engineering disciplines and to create new knowledge, products, and services.

Expected Learning Outcomes

As required by ABET, Inc.’s engineering accreditation criteria, graduates receiving baccalaureate degrees in all engineering disciplines will demonstrate:
(a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
(c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
(d) an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
(e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
(g) an ability to communicate effectively
(h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues
(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Engineers from all fields are heavily involved in the solution of technological and socio-technological problems; industry’s needs are for balanced teams of both men and women from different engineering areas. Therefore, the college’s goal is to stimulate our students to become creative, responsible engineers, aware of the social implications of their work, and flexible enough to adjust to the rapid changes taking place in the world and, consequently, in all branches of engineering.

The College of Engineering (COE) offers a number of undergraduate majors through the departments of Chemical Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics; and Ocean Engineering. Because the same fundamental concepts underlie all branches of engineering, the freshman-year courses are quite similar for all curricula, and the choice of a specific branch of engineering may be delayed until the beginning of either the second term or the second year of study. Students electing one of the programs that include ocean options follow the curriculum for chemical or mechanical engineering for two or three years and enroll in several ocean engineering courses in the junior and senior years. All of the engineering curricula are based on an intense study of mathematics and the basic sciences supporting the fundamentals of each engineering discipline. These principles are applied to the understanding and solution of problems of current interest and importance in the field. Each curriculum is designed to provide the knowledge and ability necessary for practice as a professional engineer, or for successful graduate study, which may include law, business administration, or medicine, as well as engineering and science disciplines.

Student Advisement

Engineering students are advised by engineering faculty members. While the student is in UC, the advising takes place at UC; once the student transfers to COE, advising takes place at the departmental level. The office of the Associate Dean provides non-routine advising.

General Education Requirements

Engineering students must meet URI’s general education requirements, except that only three credits are required in the foreign language or culture component. In these courses, students are exposed to and challenged by concepts from the humanities and social sciences to ensure that the social relevance of their engineering activities will never be forgotten. In selecting courses to satisfy these requirements, students should consult with their advisors to be certain that they have met department-specific course requirements. The requirements in mathematics and natural sciences are satisfied by required courses in the engineering curricula.

Curriculum Requirements

Entering engineering students who have chosen a specific major should follow the particular program listed in this section. It is recommended that those students who have decided to major in engineering but have not selected a specific program take the following courses: CHM 101 and 102, EGR 105, MTH 141, PHY 203 and 273, and a general education requirement during their first semester. Students who are still undecided about their choice of major after completing the first semester should review their choice of courses for the second semester with their advisor to be certain that they meet the prerequisites for the sophomore year.

Students who are undecided about engineering but wish to keep it open as an option should note that MTH 141, 142; PHY 203, 204 and 273, 274; and a course in chemistry are required for graduation from the College of Engineering, and are prerequisites for many engineering courses. They must be taken before transferring from University College (UC) to the COE.

To transfer from UC to the COE, students must not only complete 24 credits with a grade point average of 2.00 or better, they must also complete all of the required mathematics, science, and engineering courses for the freshman year with a grade point average of 2.00 or better.

To meet graduation requirements, students enrolled in the COE must satisfactorily complete all courses of the curriculum in which they are registered and obtain a grade point average of 2.00 or better in all required science, mathematics, and engineering courses (including professional electives). Students are also required to complete an exit survey at least one semester prior to their anticipated graduation date. At the discretion of the dean, students who do not demonstrate satisfactory progress may be required to leave the COE.

International Engineering Program

The College of Engineering in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences also offers a five-year International Engineering Program (IEP) in which students earn two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in a foreign language. The foreign languages currently offered by the IEP are German, French, Spanish and Chinese. In addition to their engineering and language-related courses, students spend six months abroad in a professional internship in Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, or Asia. Upon graduation, students are well prepared to compete in the global marketplace.

To enroll, an engineering student simply registers and follows the recommended outline of courses for the specific language. In 1992, the IEP was selected as the recipient of the Award for Educational Innovation by ABET, the national Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (currently known as ABET, Inc.).

Cooperative Education Program

Optional for juniors and seniors (with a GPA of at least 2.50) in all engineering departments, the Cooperative Education Program assists students with placements for part-time or full-time work directly related to a student’s field of study. Enrollment information may be obtained from the Dean’s Office, 102 Bliss Hall.

Engineering and M.B.A. Program

This five-year program offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in engineering and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). Students with a GPA of 3.00 or better may enroll during their senior year with successful completion of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT).

Accreditation

A national accrediting organization, ABET, Inc. (formerly known as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or ABET) established in 1933 and composed of representatives from technical societies, assures professional standards through periodic evaluations of the programs of the college. ABET, Inc. may be contacted at: 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 or by phone at 410-347-7700.

Continuous accreditation of URI’s engineering programs by ABET, Inc. has been in place since 1936 for the curricula of civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, 1954 for chemical engineering, 1957 for industrial engineering, 1992 for computer engineering, 1995 for ocean engineering, and 1989 for the M.S. in manufacturing engineering.

URI’s College of Engineering is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education.
Graduate Degrees. Graduate study is available in the College of Engineering at the Master of Science and Doctorate (Ph.D.) level.