Bluffton University does not offer engineering degrees. However, students have become engineers after attending Bluffton. There are several ways to accomplish this. An option we think is good is to complete a BA degree at Bluffton then pursue a masters or Ph.D. at an engineering school.
We endorse this because we believe a liberal-arts degree is a good foundation for all fields, including engineering. Additionally, this allows students to experience the small-college atmosphere for their BA degree, then a larger university for their engineering degree. This is a good combination.
Although the total program is typically six years (four years at Bluffton for the BA followed by two years at the engineering school for the MS) it is common to obtain an assistantship at the graduate school. This means tuition and room and board during graduate school is covered by the assistantship. In other words, students "pay" for the MS degree by working for the engineering school as a grader, tutor, lab assistant, etc.
Several universities have graduate programs that welcome Bluffton University graduates as long as the students maintained a 3.0 GPA and took the appropriate math, physics, chemistry courses.
At Bluffton University students would major in chemistry if they plan to become chemical engineers. They can major in physics or math (or both) if they plan to become mechanical or electrical engineers. Computer science majors can plan for computer engineering or electrical engineering. Bioengineers might combine physics and biology at Bluffton.
In all cases it is necessary to take at least two years of mathematics, some computer programing, a year of chemistry, and a year of physics. Beyond that depends on the area of engineering the student intends to pursue.
In addition to obtaining a BA from Bluffton University and pursuing graduate engineering work, some students have attended Bluffton for two years then have transferred to engineering schools. These students do not receive a degree from Bluffton College, but they do experience a small-college atmosphere for the first two years of their college experience. Because they might miss some engineering coursework in these first two years, it might require an extra semester or two to complete the engineering degree after they transfer.
We have also had students pursue a 3-2 program in which they spend three years at Bluffton followed by two years at an engineering school. They complete two degrees: a BA from Bluffton University and a BS in engineering from the other school. This is not an automatic program. Any student interested in this format has to work out the details with both schools.
