Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 22:42     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:I was going to say Rose-Hulman too. OP— DH and I are both SLAC grads. He’s a software engineer, who believes he benefitted greatly from the reading, writing, small class heavy curriculum and has a huge advantage in his career because he can communicate and problem solve well. We felt very strongly about our kids attending SLACs. One did. The other is at W&M (which is close to being a SLAC) and all the other options were SLACs. We are all in on small liberal arts schools. Except for engineering. I would not send a kid to an actual SLAC for engineering.

I think you can be Rose-Hulman, Cooper Union, Olin, etc and do engineering at a small school or undergrad focused engineering. But I don’t think you can get a good engineering education at a true liberal arts school. And SLACs recognize this and offer the 3+2 and 2+2 programs— which really are the worst of both worlds.

Actual liberal arts is a rigorous program of study. Engineering is a rigorous program of study. You can’t really do both well— especially on a small campus.

Harvey Mudd is an excellent education. And may call itself a LAC. But you can’t get a decent humanities major there. It’s isn’t truly a liberal arts college, because good liberal arts colleges benefits from having majors across the humanities-STEM spectrum.


Can Harvey Mudd student double major in humanities with classes from other Claremont colleges?
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 22:37     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
I was going to say Rose-Hulman too. OP— DH and I are both SLAC grads. He’s a software engineer, who believes he benefitted greatly from the reading, writing, small class heavy curriculum and has a huge advantage in his career because he can communicate and problem solve well. We felt very strongly about our kids attending SLACs. One did. The other is at W&M (which is close to being a SLAC) and all the other options were SLACs. We are all in on small liberal arts schools. Except for engineering. I would not send a kid to an actual SLAC for engineering.

I think you can be Rose-Hulman, Cooper Union, Olin, etc and do engineering at a small school or undergrad focused engineering. But I don’t think you can get a good engineering education at a true liberal arts school. And SLACs recognize this and offer the 3+2 and 2+2 programs— which really are the worst of both worlds.

Actual liberal arts is a rigorous program of study. Engineering is a rigorous program of study. You can’t really do both well— especially on a small campus.

Harvey Mudd is an excellent education. And may call itself a LAC. But you can’t get a decent humanities major there. It’s isn’t truly a liberal arts college, because good liberal arts colleges benefits from having majors across the humanities-STEM spectrum.
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 20:06     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When do you think this makes sense? I have a highschooler who seems to be drawn to both, but they don't seem to overlap, except maybe at a couple schools, and then maybe not so well.

Somebody here must have had their child do engineering at a LAC, right?

Have a child doing Engineering at Swarthmore. Is very happy there. Other than Eng, Math and CS has also taken English, Philosophy, Music. Small classes, first name basis with Professors, easy access to clubs, research opportunities. Feels if they were at a larger school might be partying more due to the environment, happy with the balance at Swat (tilted more towards academics/activities) and less towards partying.


But I thought Swathmore just has general engineering, no mechanical, electrical, etc. This seems like you wouldn’t be very employable unless you immediately go on to grad school and specialize.

That's not how engineering works.
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 16:36     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Kids I know are happy at Tufts’ engineering program. The college itself has the feel of other nescac liberal arts college to me, just bigger.
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 16:33     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, etc are good choices.

Don't go to any of the ones that require the 3+2 programs with Dartmouth or Columbia.


What is 3+ 2?


Dual degree BA + BS in engineering, 3 years at LAC and 2 years at partner university.
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 16:31     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, etc are good choices.

Don't go to any of the ones that require the 3+2 programs with Dartmouth or Columbia.


What is 3+ 2?
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 16:25     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Haverford and Bryn mawr have a 5.5 yr BS/MEng program with Penn. you take 3 classes at Penn over jr/sr year then a full year at Penn. DD is interested in this bc it allows much more flexibility to try explore in undergrad but still come out with MEng from Penn. And, better than 3-2 programs, you graduate with your class. Traveling from H’ford to Penn is inconvenient but not end of the world and very possibly a worthwhile trade off.
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 14:26     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:

But I thought Swathmore just has general engineering, no mechanical, electrical, etc. This seems like you wouldn’t be very employable unless you immediately go on to grad school and specialize.

You can specialize in civil, electrical, computer or mech. It is ABET accredited, 4-year program. No one is complaining about employability.

https://www.swarthmore.edu/engineering/academic-program
Anonymous
Post 04/26/2025 13:14     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:William and Mary has a good cs department


Zero engineering at W&M.


This. CS is part of STEM. Engineering is the E in STEM. but CS is not engineering.


A number of schools put CS in engineering, but it largely originated out of mathematics.
Anonymous
Post 04/23/2025 09:30     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Hey this is OP and this is a great ratio of helpful to DCUM-chum.
Anonymous
Post 04/23/2025 08:24     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Bucknell, Union and Lafayette are the ones that stood out to us.

Villanova and Fairfield would also fit the LAC model with core humanity courses.

I went to a LAC and it has helped me tremendously since I was “forced” to take courses I otherwise would not have taken and found side passions I would not have explored otherwise. They make you leave your comfort zone a bit and make you more well rounded and critical thinkers.

Can you get the same experience at a large state school? - maybe. But you have to seek it out/force yourself to take classes you otherwise would not take - which most engineers with their schedules would not do.
Anonymous
Post 04/23/2025 08:20     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When do you think this makes sense? I have a highschooler who seems to be drawn to both, but they don't seem to overlap, except maybe at a couple schools, and then maybe not so well.

Somebody here must have had their child do engineering at a LAC, right?

Have a child doing Engineering at Swarthmore. Is very happy there. Other than Eng, Math and CS has also taken English, Philosophy, Music. Small classes, first name basis with Professors, easy access to clubs, research opportunities. Feels if they were at a larger school might be partying more due to the environment, happy with the balance at Swat (tilted more towards academics/activities) and less towards partying.


But I thought Swathmore just has general engineering, no mechanical, electrical, etc. This seems like you wouldn’t be very employable unless you immediately go on to grad school and specialize.
Anonymous
Post 04/23/2025 08:18     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Harvey Mudd and the other 5Cs are the best of all worlds.


What are the 5Cs?


DP. Claremont Colleges: Pomona, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Scripps
Anonymous
Post 04/23/2025 08:14     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:Harvey Mudd and the other 5Cs are the best of all worlds.


What are the 5Cs?
Anonymous
Post 04/23/2025 08:02     Subject: Engineering at a Liberal Arts College?
Anonymous wrote:There aren't many small schools that offer engineering. The ones that really focus on it would be Harvey Mudd, Olin, and Cooper Union, which is an interesting school. Among the more typical SLACs, Swarthmore, Union, Lafayette. I think that's about it.


Trinity (CT) also has engineering.