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Students interested in Engineering

Adviser: Nelson Christensen- Olin 331, Telephone: x5932

A number of our students go on from Carleton into programs in engineering. There are two direct routes into engineering from Carleton. One is a 3-2 program in which a student spends three years at Carleton, and two years at an engineering school receiving dual degrees, a B.A. from Carleton and a B.S. in engineering from an engineering institution. We have formal connections with Columbia University (New York) and Washington University (St. Louis), and have arranged programs with other schools in response to individual student interest. The second route is admission directly into an undergraduate or, more commonly, into a graduate engineering program after four years at Carleton.

While your advisees may express an interest in either or both of the above routes, first-year students particularly should be made aware of the need to plan their Carleton programs from the time of their arrival at Carleton in the case of a 3-2 (combined plan) in engineering. Since a Carleton BA is awarded upon the completion of this five year program, the student is expected to complete a modified major including the integrative exercise in one of four fields: chemistry, mathematics, computer science, or physics. While Carleton's total credit requirement and senior residency requirement are waived, the student is expected to meet all of the other graduation requirements. Normally students interested in chemical engineering would elect a chemistry major, and students interested in other fields of engineering would pick physics, mathematics, or computer science.

Below are sample course schedules. Students wishing to pursue the Combined Plan are strongly advised to meet with the program coordinator, Nelson Christensen, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Olin 331, phone x5932 , as well as with a faculty member from the department in which the student intends to major, as early as possible in their college careers to make certain that their programs of study are suitable.

Physics - Year 1

Fall

Winter

Spring

DISTRO/WRITING PHYS 141/151 CHEM 123
MATH 111 MATH 121 MATH 211
LANGUAGE 101 LANGUAGE 102 LANGUAGE 103
PHY ED PHY ED

Physics - Year 2

Fall

Winter

Spring

PHYS 228* PHYS 229/230* PHYS 235*
MATH 232 MATH 241* CHEM 230
LANGUAGE 204 DISTRO/RAD ECON 110
PHY ED PHY ED

Physics - Year 3

Fall

Winter

Spring

PHYS 341# PHYS 336/338 PHYS 342*
COMP SCI 117 Comps - PHYS 400 DISTRO
DISTRO DISTRO DISTRO

* offered only in one term
# take any of several applied physics courses


Chemistry - Year 1

Fall

Winter

Spring

DISTRO/WRITING COMP SCI 117

CHEM 230

MATH 111 MATH 121 MATH 211
CHEM 123 PHYS 141/151 DISTRO/RAD
PHY ED PHY ED

Chemistry - Year 2

Fall

Winter

Spring

CHEM 233 MATH 241* DISTRO
MATH 232 CHEM 234 ECON 110
LANGUAGE 101 LANGUAGE 102 LANGUAGE 103
PHY ED PHY ED

Chemistry - Year 3

Fall

Winter

Spring

CHEM 304*
(2 credits)
CHEM 305*
(2 credits)
CHEM 306*
(2 credits)
CHEM 344 CHEM 343 Comps - CHEM 400
PHYS 228* Distro CHEM 353*#
LANGUAGE 204 Distro Distro

* offered only in one term
# take any of several applied chemistry courses



A sample math schedule is presented below. There are a number of possible math and computer science courses that can be taken to satisfy the department's requirement of six advanced courses (note the # symbol below); please talk to a math department representative.

Math - Year 1

Fall

Winter

Spring

MATH 111 MATH 121 MATH 211
Distro/Writing PHYS 141/151* CHEM 123 or CHEM 128
LANGUAGE 101# LANGUAGE 102 LANGUAGE 103
PHY ED ECON 110 PHY ED


Math - Year 2

Fall

Spring

Winter

MATH 232 MATH 236 MATH 341*
LANGUAGE 204 MATH 241* CHEM 230
PHYS 228* COMP SCI 117* Distro/RAD
PHY ED PHY ED


Math - Year 3

Fall

Winter

Spring

MATH 332** MATH 400 lecture
(3 credits)
MATH 400 exam
(3 credits)
COMP SCI 237 COMP SCI 227* MATH 352
Distro MATH 342** Distro
Distro Distro


*offered only in one term.
**take any of several upper level math or computer science courses.
#French, German or Russian are recommended. See Catalog for details.

A sample computer science schedule is presented below. There are a number of possible math and computer science courses that can be taken to satisfy the department's requirement of six advanced courses (note the # symbol below); please talk to a computer science department representative.

Computer Science - Year 1

Fall

Winter

Spring

MATH 111 MATH 121 MATH 211
COMP SCI 117 COMP SCI 127 Distro/Writing
LANGUAGE 101# LANGUAGE 102 LANGUAGE 103
PHY ED PHY ED PHY ED


Computer Science - Year 2

Fall

Winter

Spring

COMP SCI 207 Distro/RAD COMP SCI 217
LANGUAGE 204 MATH 241* CHEM 230
MATH 232 PHYS 141/151 COMP SCI 223 or
MATH 236
CHEM 123 PHY ED


Computer Science - Year 3

Fall

Winter

Spring

Distro COMP SCI 400
(3 credits)
COMP SCI 400 exam*
(3 credits)
Distro COMP SCI 227* COMP SCI 307**
COMP SCI 237** COMP SCI 337** Distro
PHYS 228* Distro ECON 110


*=offered only in one term.
**=Take any of several upper level math or computer science courses.
#=French, German or Russian are recommended. See Catalog for details.

N.B. According to the above schedule, students will need to take two-four 6-credit classes in a term in order to complete the distribution requirements. This overload is a serious impediment, but can be alleviated if students place out of calculus or language classes.

While this program is compatible with majors in chemistry, physics, and mathematics as well as majors in other disciplines, it would be hard to complete a 3-2 program if any of the specified courses are not completed in the first year. A student may decide at any point that he/she is not interested in going on a 3-2 program; the final commitment is made during the junior year.