About the College of Engineering

History:

  • 1875: First Civil and Mechanical Engineering programs begun in the spring semester
  • 1888: Electrical Engineering established
  • 1911: Chemical Engineering established
  • 1925: Agricultural Engineering established
  • 1945: Aeronautical Engineering established
  • 1946: First woman receives PhD in Engineering from Purdue
  • 1953: Industrial Engineering established
  • 1959: Metallurgical Engineering established
  • 1960: Nuclear Engineering established
  • 1973: Aeronautics and Astronautic established
  • 1976: Construction Engineering and Management established
  • 1995: Agricultural and Biological Engineering established
  • 1998: Biomedical Engineering established
  • 2004: Engineering Education established; officially called College of Engineering
  • 2006: Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering established

Statistics:

  • Undergrad Stats:
    ○ Source: 2022 US News & World Report
    ○ 10th overall
    ○ 1st in Agricultural and Biological
    ○ 2nd in Industrial
    ○ 4th in Aeronautical and Astronautical
    ○ 6th in Civil
    ○ 8th in Mechanical
    ○ 11th in Computer, Electrical, and Environmental and Ecological
    ○ 12th in Material
    ○ 14th in Chemical
    ○ 23rd in Biomedical

Undergraduate Engineering Degrees:

  • First-Year Engineering
  • Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Agricultural and Biological
  • Biomedical
  • Chemical
  • Civil
  • Construction Engineering Management
  • Electrical and Computer
  • Environmental and Ecological
  • Industrial
  • Interdisciplinary
  • Materials
  • Mechanical
  • Multidisciplinary
  • Nuclear
  • Joint Undergraduate Degree-Integrated Business and Engineering

Graduate Engineering Degrees:

  • Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Agricultural and Biological
  • Biomedical
  • Chemical
  • Civil
  • Electrical and Computer
  • Engineering Education
  • Industrial
  • Materials
  • Mechanical
  • Nuclear

Facts and Figures:

  • Aeronautics and Astronautics
    • School was formally founded in 1945 and has granted more than 7,700 degrees
      • Has graduated the most aerospace engineering degrees in the U.S. over the past ten years
      • Alumni play leadership roles in many aerospace engineering organizations
      • Approximately $10 million external research expenditures annually by faculty acknowledged as experts in Aerodynamics, Aerospace Systems, Astrodynamics and Space Applications, Dynamics and Control, Propulsion, and Structures and Materials
  • Agricultural & Biological Engineering
    • Program is known for:
      • Small class size—students know how to interact with others
      • Individualized advising and attention by faculty
      • Practical curriculum for industrial careers
      • Undergraduate research opportunities
    • Areas of Study include:
      • Machine Systems Engineering
      • Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering
      • Biological Engineering
      • Food Process Engineering
      • Agricultural Systems Management
  • Chemical Engineering
    • First privately funded engineering building in Purdue history
    • 20 corporations are members of industrial advisory council
  • Civil Engineering
    • Among the largest undergraduate civil engineering programs in the U.S.- confirmed
    • Over 1,400 Civil alumni currently serving in C-suite positions
    • First female engineering graduate from Purdue—Martha Stevens 1897
    • First black engineering graduate from Purdue—David Robert Lewis, 1894
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
    • Highest annual research expenditures (over $33M from external sources) among all schools and departments at Purdue
    • Two undergraduate degree programs (BSEE and BSCmpE)
    • Faculty include 35 IEEE Fellows, five members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one NAE Gordon Prize winner, and the former President of the IEEE
    • Birthplace of the EPICS program, the Birck Nanotechnology Center, and ECN
    • The first electronic television was made in ECE
    • Former Head of ECE, Reginald Fessenden, invented radio telephony
  • Engineering Education
    • Transforming Engineering Education based on Educational Scholarship and Research
    • Home of the First-Year Engineering Program (since 1953)
    • Ideas to Innovation Learning Laboratory (2008), team-based, experiential learning and first IMPACT style classroom at Purdue
    • World's first School of Engineering Education (2004)
    • Graduate and Undergraduate programs are ranked 9th in the U.S. News & World Report
    • B.S.in Multidisciplinary Engineering and in Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies; an incubator for new engineering programs and customized plans for study for individual students (since 1969)
    • World's first graduate degree program in Engineering Education (2005); 59 PhDs plus 5 Master graduates in first decade
    • INSPIRE: a research-based Institute for Pre-College Engineering (2006)
    • Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education (2015)
  • Environmental and Ecological Engineering
    • Small academic unit results in a close relationship between faculty and students with advantages of being in a top-tier engineering college.
    • Environmental and Ecological Engineering major and minor offered to all qualified students.
    • Offers MS (thesis, non-thesis, and professional masters) and PhD degrees.
    • Combined degree program allows students to receive a BS degree, and with one additional year of study, a non-thesis Master of Science in Environmental and Ecological Engineering (MSEEE) degree
  • Industrial Engineering
    • Pioneered the Industrial Engineering discipline with Dr. Lillian Gilbreth on the faculty in the 1930's
    • Ranked among the top three IE programs in the United States
    • Outstanding graduates who hold top executive positions in many Fortune 500 companies
    • Flexible program with an opportunity to pursue a minor in electrical and mechanical engineering, economics, management, liberal arts, and various branches of science including: mathematics, statistics, and computer science
    • Diverse mix of US and international students
  • Mechanical Engineering
    • First School of Engineering at Purdue, founded 1882
    • Alumni include engineering leaders, corporate leaders, astronauts, inventors, and innovators Materials Engineering
    • One of the smallest student to faculty ratios in Engineering
    • High student involvement in study abroad
    • Industry–based and supported senior project capstone course
    • Students placed in every industry sector
    • Strong communication skills, according to feedback from employers
  • Nuclear Engineering
    • Leader in reactor thermal hydraulics, plasma/materials interactions/nuclear fusion engineering
    • Recognized as a key participant in Nuclear Engineering University Programs, plasma/material interaction focal point for U.S. and world fusion reaction design (ITER)
    • Significant contributor to National Nuclear and Homeland Security
    • Important partner to key high-end industrial companies, and many others.
    • Among highest per faculty external research funding in CoE
    • Vibrant international collaborations (Japan, Germany, Ireland, Russia, France, S. Korea, Argentina, China)
    • Strong undergraduate research program
    • New programs in nuclear medicine, imaging, plasmas, instrumentation, homeland security, Biomedical applications of pulsed power and plasmas
    • Leader in global nuclear renaissance
  • Engineering Professional Education
    • Masters Degrees in Aerospace, Electrical & Computer, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering
    • Flexible Interdisciplinary Masters Degrees Customizable for Industry
    • Dual MSE+MBA in partnership with Indiana University
    • Professional Development Short Courses Online (LSS and Project Management Courses)
  • Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering
    • $10M endowment from Weldon family created first-named engineering school at Purdue
    • 100+ U.S. patents, over half licensed to company partners
    • 25 companies started; $30M+ venture capital raised
    • NIH MSTP and diabetes technologies training grant with Indiana University School of Medicine
    • Extensive industrial and global partnerships for experiential learning and employment
    • Novel distance-learning and professional master's programs
Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives:
  • What we do
    • A diverse, inclusive community is an integral part of the Purdue Experience
    • It is vital that we:
      • Create and sustain a welcoming campus where all students can excel
      • Increase and retain the number of historically underrepresented and diverse students, faculty, and staff at Purdue
      • Prepare all students to thrive in our diverse global environment
  • BoilerMENTOR
    • A peer-to-peer mentoring program for first-year students who are recipients of the Emerging Leader scholarship as well as other exceptional students who wish to be a part of this opportunity.
  • Indiana Black Expo
    • The largest ethnic and cultural event of its kind in the nation and attracts more than 350,000 attendees annually. It provides networking, educational, career and cultural opportunities for participants.

Contacts:

  • Office of Future Engineers Welcome Center
    • Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering Room 1085
    • (765) 494-3975
    • future-engineers@purdue.edu
  • Office of Graduate Programs
    • Seng-Liang Wang Hall, Suite 4000
    • (765) 494-4873
    • EngrGrad@purdue.edu
  • Advising
    • Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering Room 1300
    • (765) 494-9713