Frequently Asked Questions
We absolutely intend to be. New engineering programs can apply for ABET accreditation only after the the program has completed one cycle - four years- and graduated students. We graduated our first cohort in Spring 2024. In academic year 2024-2025 (the fifth year of the program), the USF engineering program will undergo a complete initial accreditation review, including a site visit by ABET Program Evaluators in October 2024. After the program achieves accreditation, engineering alumni will receive the accreditation of their degrees retroactively so we expect everyone to have accredited degrees.
The San Francisco Bay Area is full of opportunities in engineering firms, design companies, governmental and non-governmental institutes, and environmental sustainability organizations. Students will receive support finding local internships and jobs through weekly emails from the department, in-class assignments related to career planning and networking, workshops offered each semester to help students develop skills (for example, cover letter writing and interviewing) and USF career services.
Read about what La Precious Shannon '25 is up to this Summer 2024!
Yes! The fall semester of your junior year is designed flexibly, allowing you to pursue a semester abroad. Check out our "EngineersAbroad" highlight on our department Instagram to hear about our students' experiences, and check out USF's Center for Global Education!
Maybe. The Engineering major has a lot of requirements in order to meet the ABET accreditation standards, but if you plan early and carefully with your advisor, you should have enough space in your semesters to pursue a minor.
If you have a passion, you will find a stage for it. USF has excellent performing arts, sports, and special interest clubs that you can take part in, including a campus-wide Sustainability Design Challenge that happens every fall. You can always start more! Engineering students have started the following clubs: Organization for Engineering Students (OES), Environmental Engineering and Science Club (EESC), National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE), Bay' s Own Boba Association (BOBA), Society for Women Engineers (SWE).
The Professional Engineer (PE) license requires some years of work experience and exams, which start with the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. Industry professionals have looked over our curriculum and believe a student will be sufficiently prepared to take the FE at the end of our program.
Yes! The two concentration areas grew out of strengths in existing departments, and you will be sharing many upper division courses with those other students. Plus, you will take core courses and electives open to students across the whole campus.
We believe that truly ethical engineering design comes from an empathetic understanding of the contexts in which engineering problems arise. We will help you gain these skills by providing opportunities to work with community partners from the very first year – people and communities who will present real issues that they will partner with us in order to solve. A solution must truly work for the intended recipient, and social justice will be a measure of whether you have a successful solution or not.