Physics-Engineering Double Major

Goucher College has established a dual-degree program through which students earn both a bachelor of arts degree from Goucher and a bachelor of science degree from the Fu foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. The dual-degree program enables students to explore the liberal arts and sciences, while developing professional knowledge and experience in a specific field of engineering. Students in the program are admitted initially by Goucher College, where they will typically spend three years fulfilling general education requirements and completing major requirements for the B.A. degree in physics. Successful students then complete an additional two years at Columbia University, during which requirements are completed for the B.S. degree in one of the following disciplines:

Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management Systems, Industrial Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The B.A. degree in Physics from Goucher and the B.S. Degree in Engineering from the Columbia University are gained at the end of the completion of both programs.

Interested students should contact director of the program, Dr. A. Bakhshai, the Physics & Astronomy Department at Goucher College. ali.bakhshai@goucher.edu.

The requirements for Physics-Engineering double majors can only apply if a student intends to complete the double majors. These requirements alone cannot apply to any other Physics majors with different concentrations. In the event a student does not go through with the double majors in Physics-Engineering and chooses to have the Physics major only, then the student must satisfy the specific requirements for the elected concentration before graduation.

To guarantee admission, Goucher College students seeking admission into the Program at SEAS shall be required to have first satisfied the following requirements at Goucher College:

1. Applicant must be able to demonstrate that all pre-requisites and all course specific requirements have been met. To ensure successful completion of the pre-engineering and course specific requirements, refer to the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide at http://www.engineering.columbia.edu/admissions/cp.bachelors/, which explains in detail both the general requirements and those for specific majors. The incoming Program students should follow the Guide published at Columbia’s site in the first year at Goucher. However, the Guide is revised each year. Columbia University cannot guarantee that students will be admitted to their intended major and students may have to select an alternative field of study.
2. A minimum of 3.30 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), as calculated by SEAS, is required. In addition, the minimum grade of each pre-engineering science and mathematics prerequisites must be B the first time the course was taken.
3. Each pre-requisite course must be taken at Goucher College or SEAS reserves the right to determine whether or not pre-requisites and course-specific requirements have been met. Any pre-requisite courses waived by the member institution by advanced placement, equivalency, or individual testing must be clearly noted as such in the materials accompanying the application. Students using AP, IB or other like credits to fulfill pre-engineering prerequisites must submit those exam results. The test results will then be evaluated on the same basis as for Columbia students.
4. All applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency if the native language is something other than English. Please refer to the English proficiency policy on the website of the Columbia University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
5. Students must have three positive letters of recommendation from Goucher College: one from the Dual-Degree Engineering Director (liaison), one from a science professor, and one from a mathematics professor. Both professors need to have taught the student in his/her sophomore year or later.