Engineering Dual-Degree Programs
Interested in engineering but want to attend a liberal arts college?
At Colby you can do both.
Contact
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Alejandra C. Ortiz
([email protected])
Associate Professor of Computer Science Stephanie Taylor
([email protected])
About
Our dual-degree programs allow you to graduate from Colby and obtain an engineering degree from either Dartmouth College or Columbia University.
Colby has an active dual-degree program, with typically 8-10 students being admitted to the programs each year. That means if you decide to pursue engineering at Colby, there will be a cohort of students undertaking the same preparation and attending the same program.
You get the best of both worlds—the opportunity to explore the liberal arts while pursuing a technical focus in the field of engineering. For both programs, students are required to take a set of foundational courses at Colby followed by engineering-focused courses at the partner institution. The ability to write, communicate, and think critically are essential skills for all career paths, including engineering, and students with dual degrees are positioned to assume leadership roles requiring skills beyond the technical realm.
If you’re interested in the Dartmouth program you would apply in January of your sophomore year. The Columbia program applications are due in January of your junior year for the 3/2 option, and in January of your senior year for the 4/2 option. For either Columbia option you have to complete your Colby major and all distribution requirements prior to starting at Columbia. If you choose the Dartmouth program, then it is possible to take 1-2 courses that count towards your Colby major or distribution requirements in your first year at Dartmouth.
Upon completion, you’ll earn two degrees—a B.A. from Colby and a B.E. or B.S. degree from the partner institution..
Dartmouth
- Five-year program in a 2/1/1/1 format
- Junior year is at Dartmouth
- Competitive admission
- Bachelor of engineering degree
- Specialization in the final year
- Choice of nine areas of focus
- Campus in Hanover, N.H.
Columbia
- Choice of a 3/2 or 4/2 program
- Competitive admission starting with the Class of 2023
- Apply to a specific engineering department
- Bachelor of science in an engineering discipline
- Choice of at least 12 engineering majors
- 4/2 program allows study abroad
- Campus in New York City
Dartmouth dual-degree program: Colby provides the same financial aid to students in their junior year at Dartmouth as they would receive in residence at Colby. For the fifth year Dartmouth guarantees full need for both domestic and international students.
Columbia dual-degree program: Financial aid for both years at Columbia is negotiated with and provided by Columbia University. Columbia guarantees full need for domestic students, but has a limited number of scholarships for international students.
The following courses are required for both the Dartmouth and Columbia dual-degree programs. Interested students should refer to partner websites and consult with the Colby engineering advisors, Assistant Professor Alejandra C. Ortiz [email protected] or Associate Professor Stephanie Taylor [email protected].
- Mathematics: Three courses, including MA 262 Vector Calculus; Students with AP Calculus generally start with MA 160, but we recommend consulting the Math Department regarding calculus placement. MA 253 Linear Algebra and MA 311 Ordinary Differential Equations are recommended but are not required before the first year at Dartmouth.
- Physics: Two courses, usually PH 141 (or 143 Honors) Foundations of Mechanics and PH 145 Foundations of Electromagnetism and Optics.
- Chemistry: CH 141, CH 145, or CH 147 General Chemistry. Only one semester of chemistry is required.
- Computer Science: CS 151 or CS 152 Computational Thinking. Students with prior programming experience may be able to take CS 231 Data Structures instead.
- Economics (Columbia only): EC 133 Microeconomics
Students applying for the Dartmouth program must complete all of these requirements within their first four semesters. Some Columbia engineering majors require additional coursework while at Colby, so students need to plan in advance which Columbia engineering major to pursue. AP and IB credits that appear on a student’s transcript can substitute for the equivalent preparatory courses.