College of Engineering

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Departments, Schools, and Curricula

All curricula meet the university general education requirements with explicit course requirements and approved electives.

All technical electives must have approval of the chair of the engineering department in which the student registers. Under no circumstances may electives be chosen from remedial courses or courses that are preliminary to the first courses in engineering. Examples of such courses are MATH 1021 , MATH 1022 , etc. Students are advised to check with their departments on the selection of these electives.

Engineering is defined by the American Society for Engineering Education as “…the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize the materials and forces of nature economically for the benefit of mankind.” Consistent with this definition, the College of Engineering prepares individuals for professional careers in engineering research, development, design, operation, or management industry, business, education, and government. This preparation is accomplished through education in a chosen engineering discipline consisting of general education fundamentals and design, mathematics, physical and life sciences, English composition, the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The college also offers degrees in computer science and in construction management. The computer science degree program is a rigorous plan of study that provides the strong theoretical and applied background necessary for solving diverse problems related to software development. The construction management program establishes a unique plan of study into the business side of construction by combining engineering, design, business, finance, law, and technical courses with emphasis in the different industry types – industrial, commercial, highway, and residential construction.

The College of Engineering includes seven degree granting departments, as well as the Advanced Computational Solid Mechanics Lab, Center for Geoinformatics, Center for Rotating Machinery, Hazardous Substance Research Center (South and Southwest), Louisiana Transportation Research Center, Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute, Energy Frontier Research Center, Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency, and National Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The faculty is actively engaged in design, research, and problem solving in well-equipped facilities for research and teaching.

Degree Programs

The following undergraduate programs are offered by the College of Engineering:

• Biological Engineering, BSBE
• Chemical Engineering, BSCHE
• Civil Engineering, BSCE
• Environmental Engineering, BSEVE
• Construction Management, BSCM
• Industrial Engineering, BSIE
• Electrical Engineering, BSEE
• Computer Engineering, BSCOMPE
• Computer Science, BS
• Mechanical Engineering, BSME
• Petroleum Engineering, BSPE

Proficiency Requirements

Mathematical proficiency is essential to engineers and to engineering education. Accordingly, students who plan to study engineering should schedule all appropriate mathematics courses available to them in high school. Placement tests are given to all incoming freshmen, and those who do not qualify to begin university mathematics at the level prescribed in the freshman engineering program cannot expect to complete requirements for a degree in the nominal length of time. Credit for mathematics courses preliminary to analytical geometry and calculus cannot be applied toward the engineering degrees in the College of Engineering.

Proficiency in college-level mathematics and physics is essential to successful completion of upper-division engineering courses. Engineering students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in MATH 1550 , MATH 1552 , and PHYS 2110  before they enroll in any engineering course numbered above 2999. However, CE 3700 , IE 3201 , and IE 4462  may be taken prior to the aforementioned mathematics and physics courses. 

English proficiency is defined as a grade of “C” or better in all required English courses in the student’s curriculum (ENGL 1001  and ENGL 2000 ).

More stringent requirements may be imposed by individual departments. Refer to the curricular requirements of each department.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the university does not constitute acceptance into the College of Engineering or into a particular curriculum within this college. Where enrollment may exceed the facilities of a department, it may be necessary to limit the size of the classes in that curriculum. In such cases, the department establishes criteria for admission with approval of the university administration.

Students may enter the college from University College or by transfer from another division of LSU or another approved college or university.

Students in the LSU Center for Freshman Year who meet the following criteria will be admitted to the college:

• 24 or more semester hours of earned credit in courses numbered 1000 or above;
• LSU and cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better;
• Credit in MATH 1550  with a grade of “C” or better.

Petroleum engineering majors must meet all College of Engineering admissions requirements and have a minimum 2.8 GPA in all courses that apply to the petroleum engineering degree.

Other students seeking admission from another division of LSU or by transfer from another college or university must also meet the above requirements. Students with more than 60 hours attempted will be considered for admission on the basis of the dean’s evaluation of the entire academic record. Students transferring from another institution must also meet university transfer admission requirements as detailed in this catalog in the “Undergraduate Admissions ” chapter.

Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions

In this college, transfer credits accepted by the Office of Enrollment Management shall be valid for degree credit only to the extent to which they satisfy courses in the curricula of the college. Transfer credits in junior and senior engineering courses will be accepted only if taken in programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Credit in courses in which grades of “D” have been earned is not accepted for transfer toward the degree requirements, if the course is taken outside the university (all LSU campuses). Students enrolled in this college who wish to obtain credits from other colleges or universities (including other campuses of LSU) and who plan to use such credits toward degree requirements should obtain prior approval in writing on a specific-course basis from the Office of Engineering Student Services.

Readmission

A student seeking readmission to this college must submit an application for admission. The dean, with recommendation of the department in which the student seeks admission, will determine whether readmission is granted and may prescribe the conditions for reinstatement.

Degree Requirements

It is the student’s responsibility to qualify for the bachelor’s degree by meeting these requirements:

• Completing one of the established curricula–any substitutions from the curricula as published must have written approval of the department chair and the Office of Engineering Student Services.
• Achieving a 2.00 average, as required by the university, for all work taken at LSU and on all work attempted at U.S. institutions.
• Achieving a 2.00 average on all courses attempted in the major department at LSU and on all work attempted in the major field at U.S. institutions (with the exception of certain courses offered by the major departments for non-majors only). Civil engineering students must achieve a 2.00 average in all civil engineering (CE) and environmental engineering (EVEG) courses and on all work completed in the major field at U. S. institutions. Environmental engineering students must achieve a 2.00 average in all chemical engineering (CHE), civil engineering (CE), and environmental engineering (EVEG) courses and on all work completed in the major field at U.S. institutions.
• Successfully completing a minimum of 30 hours of residence in the College of Engineering. These 30 hours are included in the university requirement that a minimum of 25 percent of the hours applied toward a degree be earned while in residence at the university. (These residence hours must include 15 hours of required major department courses or approved technical electives at the 3000- or 4000-level. Students must complete nine hours of these courses at the 4000-level in the major. The individual courses used to satisfy the residency requirement must be approved by the department chair.)
• Initiating the checkout procedure with the departmental advisor in the semester prior to the one in which the degree is to be awarded. The checkout is completed only when approved by the Office of Engineering Student Services and the Office of the University Registrar.

General Education Requirements

All engineering, computer science, and construction management majors must complete one arts course, three humanities courses, two social sciences courses, and one life science course from the approved general education list from their catalog of record and according to the major curriculum requirements. Specific major requirements are noted in the “Guide to Success” available in the Student Services Office or online (www.eng.lsu.edu, see “Current Student Resources”).

Requirements for Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students who hold one baccalaureate degree may wish to obtain a baccalaureate degree in engineering as a second degree. To do so, they must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours while enrolled in the department granting the second degree. In addition to the requirements of the first discipline, the student must satisfy all requirements for the second discipline, as shown in the curriculum.

They must attain a minimum 2.00 GPA average on all work scheduled while enrolled in the College of Engineering and on all work subsequent to receipt of the first degree. A student whose first degree was obtained elsewhere must also satisfy all the admission requirements of the college, as previously listed.

College Policy for “D” Grades and Repetition of Courses

Only those courses in which grades of “D” or “F” were earned may be repeated. Courses in which a grade of “F” were earned may be repeated only as allowed by the university as detailed in the “Regulations ” chapter of this catalog. A student who earns a “D” or “F” in a course in which a minimum grade of “C” is required must register for the course again in the next regular semester in which the student is enrolled and the course is offered.

Graduate Programs

The college offers the Master of Science, the Master of Digital Media Arts and Engineering, and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees through the Graduate School. The Master of Science program is mostly research oriented and emphasizes fundamental theory. It is offered in engineering science, coastal and ecological engineering, construction management, computer science, and biological and agricultural, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, and petroleum engineering. The Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded in the fields of chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering, and engineering science. For additional information, consult “The Graduate School ” section.

Independent and Distance Learning Program Credits

Independent and Distance Learning Program (IDL) courses to be used for degree credit must be approved by the Office of Engineering Student Services. Students must see a counselor in Student Services to enroll and establish a Dean’s deadline for completion of the course. Consistent with university regulations, students may earn no more than one-fourth of the number of hours required for the bachelor’s degree through IDL courses. In addition, no more than six hours of credit earned through IDL study may be applied to a student’s general education requirement.

Students not registered in campus courses may enroll in IDL courses for degree credit; however, students who have been dropped from the university may not enroll in IDL courses for degree credit.

Students registered in the university may enroll in a maximum of 19 semester hours (21 would have to be approved by the Office of Engineering Student Services) of combined IDL and campus coursework during a regular semester and a maximum of 12 hours during the summer. Only in exceptional cases will students be allowed to enroll in IDL coursework during the semester in which they intend to graduate.

Minor Field Requirements (Optional)

A student may earn a minor in a second field. The specific requirements are determined by the department offering the minor. Students who plan to minor in a second field must see a counselor in the Office of Engineering Student Services to initiate the proper procedures. A student must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in the minor field. The College of Engineering also offers minors in Digital Media AVATAR Technology Robotics Engineering, and Technical Sales.

Minor in Digital Media Arts and Engineering - Technology

To earn a Digital Media Arts and Engineering -Technology minor a student must complete 21 credit hours of course work. These must include: CSC 1253 , CSC 1350  or IE 2060 ; one course from ART 1001 , ART 1011 , ARTH 2470 , MUS 1751 , MUS 1799 , ENGL 2009 ; nine credit hours of approved engineering and/or science electives; three credit hours of approved arts electives; and the three credit hour Tech DMAET capstone course, EE 4859 .

Minor in Robotics Engineering

To earn a Robotics Engineering minor, a student must complete 21 credit hours of coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the minor field and a grade of “C” or better in each of the minor courses. These must include: MATH 2070  or MATH 2085  or MATH 2090 ; ME 2543  or IE 2060  or CSC 1253  or CSC 1350 ; ENGR 3100 ; three courses from the approved list of CORE courses of which at least one must be outside of the student’s major academic unit; and one course from the approved list of CAPSTONE courses. Of the 21 credit hours of coursework, 15 hours at most may overlap with the student’s major academic degree.

Minor in Technical Sales

Students in the College of Engineering wishing to earn a minor in technical sales must complete ACCT 2000 , BLAW 3201  or CM 4211 , ECON 2030 , IE 3201  or FIN 3715  or PETE 3025 , MGT 3200 , MKT 3401 , PHYS 1202 , PHYS 2112  or PHYS 2113  or PHYS 2002 , and CMST 1061 , CMST 2010 , CMST 2060  or CMST 2061 .

Students in other colleges must have approval from the Office of Engineering Student Services to declare this minor.

For a list of all other minors within the College of Engineering, please see the individual departmental links above.

The Engineering Council

The Engineering Council is a college-wide student organization whose members are the elected representatives of the various professional and honorary student organizations. In addition to the general goal of bridging organizational gaps between the different departments, the Engineering Council sponsors several student activities including an engineering newsletter.

Special Programs

The LSU Olinde Career Center offers a cooperative education program in all curricula offered by the college. In some cases, course scheduling should be carefully coordinated with the department to ensure course availability. Students alternate periods of classroom attendance and employment, resulting in one year of work experience upon graduation. The Co-op Office will assist the student in obtaining employment in the student’s area of interest. Although it may delay graduation, the program is an excellent opportunity to explore career choices and integrate classroom theory with industry practices. While employed, the student must also register, for a nominal fee, to be considered formally affiliated with the university. For additional information concerning this cooperative program, please see “Support Programs” in the section “Life at LSU.”

Undergraduate Career Plan

Students are encouraged to enrich their studies and prepare for their careers by using the Four Year Career Plan in addition to their academic course of study.

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