Engineering

About Engineering at Wheaton

4-Year General Engineering Program

The 4-year General Engineering degree offers a comprehensive engineering education within a Christian liberal arts framework in 4 years as part of the incredible Wheaton College residential community. Students can stay connected with the Wheaton community, participating in athletics or other student organizations, for all four years without needing to transfer to or travel between other campuses.

Concentrations

This path currently includes a concentration in Mechanical Engineering, and other concentrations are currently in development.

Liberal Arts Advantage

This outstanding degree program combines a Christian Liberal Arts education, including our innovative Christ at the Core general education curriculum, with robust, hands-on engineering coursework for the 21st century. Your engineering education will feature small class sizes, integration of Christian faith with engineering practice, and project-based learning with an emphasis on teamwork across all four years. These projects teach collaborative skills; problem definition in addition to problem solving; communication through reports and presentations, design, prototyping, and fabrication; and provide real-world engineering experience that employers are seeking.

Preparing for the Future

With this degree, you will be prepared for a wide range of engineering work after graduation and/or more specialized engineering education at the graduate level as a next step.

3-2 Dual Degree Engineering Program

As a dual degree student, you’ll get three years of Wheaton’s faith-based residential college experience before completing your engineering degree at an ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)-accredited school. 

As you discover your engineering passion(s), you’ll be able to choose a transfer school based on your specific career interests. Maybe aerospace or architectural engineering? Or perhaps biomedical or computer engineering. Your dedicated program adviser can help you figure it out! 

Graduate with Two Degrees

You will graduate with two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts Engineering from Wheaton, and a Bachelor of Science degree in a specific engineering field from an ABET–accredited engineering program at another institution.

Take Advantage of Wheaton's Special Agreements with ABET-accredited Schools

Wheaton has special agreements with Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) that include easy-to-follow program guides. Wheaton also has an affiliation with Case Western Reserve University.

Students completing their engineering coursework at a school in the vicinity of Wheaton College (e.g. Illinois Tech, Northern Illinois University, or University of Illinois - Chicago) during the last two years of the five year program, by virtue of their continuing in the Wheaton College dual degree program, may remain in Wheaton College housing and may continue to participate fully in extracurricular activities at the College, including athletics. 

Side-by-Side Program Comparison

---

Hands-On Engineering Projects

All of our engineering courses include hands-on projects and elements of engineering design plus exclusive access to a dedicated design lab with state-of-the-art prototyping equipment.

Internships

Most engineering students complete at least one summer internship in their chosen field, often leading to permanent job offers after graduation. See internship opportunities >

Engineering Program Coordinator

Dedicated engineering program coordinator Jeff Yoder is here to guide you through the program.

State-of-the-Art Engineering Lab

The Wheaton College Engineering Lab, located in the Meyer Science Center, is a dedicated, flexible design lab with state-of-the-art prototyping equipment exclusively for engineering student use. The lab gives students the space and resources to design, prototype, and build a variety of projects. 

Learn More About the Engineering Lab

• Ingenium Engineering Club - Ingenium strengthens Wheaton's engineering community by providing a place for students to work together on interdisciplinary projects. Ingenium engages students in extracurricular engineering design projects for internal and external clients.
• Collaborative Research - Many Wheaton students get involved in research with Wheaton faculty or in partnership with scientists at nearby Fermilab or Argonne National Laboratory.
• Teaching Assistant Positions - A highlight for many of our majors is working as a paid teaching assistant in the department. Students may work alongside faculty in class, grade homework, run help sessions, or set up and manage lab equipment.
• Observatory Assistant Positions - Students staff our observatory and help other students and the general public view the night skies. Our observatory houses a 24" Planewave telescope with scientific-grade accessories and several smaller 8-16" telescopes.
• Global Programs and Studies (GPS): Semester study-abroad programs, summer study-abroad programs, spring break co-curricular trips, and international internships are always an option in Wheaton's program.

What Will I Learn?

Consult the course catalog for a full list of engineering courses.

Engineering News and Stories

Announcing a New Four-Year General Engineering Major

Sarah Hernandez ’24: Engineering Balance

A New Partnership with Northern Illinois University Offers Wheaton College Engineering Students “the Best of Both Worlds”