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Student Guide - Baccalaureate Degrees

Degrees | Entrance Requirements | General Education

Engineering technology is a field that offers hands-on work in a variety of environments. Engineering technologists are often described as achievers and producers with practical skills. Penn State offers a variety of baccalaureate degrees in engineering technology. For program details, see listings on the left.

Most students holding baccalaureate degrees in engineering technology will be employable in hands-on positions in technical environments in four years. Please contact us for more information.

Degrees

View more information about each Baccalaureate Degree program:

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Entrance Requirements

Early in the spring semester of the second year of the associate degree, the process for students to enter baccalaureate majors will begin. To be considered for entrance to a baccalaureate major, a student must:

  1. Have completed, with a grade of C or better, all required courses designated by the college for the specific degree program in which they are enrolled. (Refer to program descriptions for lists of "C-required" courses for specific programs.)
  2. Have completed an associate degree in engineering technology from Penn State's College of Engineering, School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs, or an equivalent accredited program at another college or university
  3. Have filed, early in the Spring semester, a completed Re-enrollment Form with the Office of the Registrar at Penn State University Park or a campus location.

Only students who meet required criteria will be considered for acceptance to a baccalaureate major. All students who are not accepted to a major in this process should see an adviser regarding their future plans. Students not assigned to a major will not be allowed to register for classes as degree students, but may take course work as non-degree students.

In addition to the above actions, students heading toward the following majors in SEDTAPP must schedule the following courses in the second year of their associate degree program to ensure normal progress in the baccalaureate program.

  • Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology:
    • EET students should take IET 101, MchT 111, & Math 140.
    • MET students should take EET 114 & Math 140.
  • Penn State Erie - Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs (EET-BD &MET-BD):
  • Penn State Harrisburg:

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General Education

Philosophy of General Education Requirements

Jump to list of general education requirements

For those institutions preparing associate and baccalaureate graduates for entry into the engineering technology profession at the basic level, the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (TAC of ABET) requires the curricular content of an engineering technology program to include course work in mathematics, science, communication skills, arts, humanities, social sciences, analysis, and design.

TAC of ABET's criteria are intended to broaden the student's liberal education through the development of in-depth understanding. It cannot be overemphasized that an integral part of the engineering technology educational program is intended to make technicians and technologists fully aware of their social responsibilities and better able to consider related factors in the decision-making process. This philosophy also appears in Penn State's General Education requirements.

General Education requirements consist of certain courses, taught outside the College of Engineering, that are required for graduation. At Penn State, associate degree students must complete 21 credits of General Education, and baccalaureate degree students must complete 45 credits of General Education. Of these, 9 and 18 credits respectively, must be taken in the Arts, Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. To satisfy those requirements, students must select courses from the list of approved General Education courses in those disciplines.

Students may select from a wide range of courses to fulfill the General Education requirements. A student's own judgment, interest, and curiosity will determine the courses to select. THERE IS NO BEST COURSE FOR ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY! There is only a best course for a student, and the student is the only one who can determine that course. Descriptions of the goals of the various courses follow:

Studies in the Arts entail "the development of aesthetic understanding and appreciation." In order to achieve the broadest understanding and experience possible in this area, the student may select from courses that deal with art history, art appreciation, interrelationships of the arts and architecture, communications, and music.

Studies in the Humanities are characterized by their basis in the common experience of human beings. The studies of the humanities should, therefore, develop competency and skill in interpretive understanding of the human condition and of the values inherent in it. Humanistic studies today are divided into: (1) history, (2) language and literature, (3) philosophy, and (4) religion.

The aims of the Social and Behavioral Science requirements are (1) to help students understand the diverse personal, interpersonal, and societal forces that shape people's lives and (2) to approach these subjects through the concepts, principles, and methods of critical inquiry.

General Education Requirements - Baccalaureate Degree Programs

The University Faculty Senate has adopted a comprehensive definition of General Education. The most recent expression of this definition is as follows:

“General Education encompasses the breadth of knowledge involving the major intellectual and aesthetic skills and achievements of humanity. This must include understanding and appreciation of the pluralistic nature of knowledge epitomized by the natural sciences, quantitative skills, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and the arts. To achieve and share such an understanding and appreciation, skills in self-expression, quantitative analysis, information literacy, and collaborative interaction are necessary. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. General Education, in essence, aims to cultivate a knowledgeable, informed, literate human being.”

How is this relevant to you as a student in the College of Engineering?

Your technical course work will impact what you know, who you are, and how you think about the world. It will provide a knowledge base in the physical sciences and foster a tendency to think of things using an analytical and problem-solution approach. This is a very positive and powerful paradigm, and it will most likely bring you great success and respect. Yet, what you learn in your courses is not the only knowledge or the only way of thinking. People you encounter in your professional and personal life will challenge you in other ways, in terms of politics, aesthetics, emotions, and morals, to name a few. You may already be comfortable and familiar with these other areas.

General Education is designed to support and further develop your ability to work effectively within a wide range of work environments. It is impossible to predict whether or not taking General Education courses will help you get a job, boost your GPA, open your mind, or make you a better professional. The point is rather that Penn State feels that, as an essential part of your education, you have the opportunity to become a well-rounded human being who can think and see things in many different ways. The bottom line, then, is that while you will have to take the General Education courses, it is up to you to take advantage of the opportunity the courses provide.

What kinds of General Education courses and Additional Degree Requirements will you need to take, and how many credits of each?

Course types beginning with First-Year Seminar through Social and Behavioral Sciences are chosen by students from the General Education course list at http://bulletins.psu.edu/bulletins/bluebook/general_education.cfm.

In the College of Engineering the general education requirements for baccalaureate degree are met as follows:

A. Skills (15 credits required)

  • Writing/Speaking (9 credits)
    • English 15 or 30 (GWS)
    • English 202C (GWS)
    • CAS 100A/B (GWS)
  • Quantification (6 credits)
    • Math 140 and Math 141

B. Health and Physical Activity (3 credits required)
Applicable courses dealing with health issues and physical activity are designated as GHA.

All Penn State baccalaureate students must complete a total of three credits in health issues and/or physical activities.
These courses include such diverse topics as diet, exercise, stress management, use of leisure time, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual health, and safety education. Courses may be either knowledge-focused or practice-focused. Courses from both areas can be combined in any fashion to meet the three credit requirement. Courses designated as GHA in the Schedule of Classes can be used to satisfy the requirement.

C. Distribution Component (27 credits required)

  • Natural Sciences (9 credits in courses designated GN)
    • Phys 150 or 211, Phys 151 or 212, Chem 12
  • Arts (6 credits in courses designated GA)
  • Humanities (6 credits in courses designated GH)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits in courses designated GS)

D. Writing Across the Curriculum Requirement (3 credits required)
All students must take at least 3 credits in their discipline of study in courses designated with a "W" suffix.

The curricula of all baccalaureate degree engineering technology programs include a required technical course with a "W" designation that satisfies this requirement.

E. US and International Cultures (3 credits required)
All students must take at least 3 credits in US/International Cultures. US-designated courses are those that strive to increase students’ understanding of contemporary US society. IL-designated courses strive to increase students’ knowledge of international societies. US;IL-designated courses meet both US & IL criteria and may be used to fulfill either the US or the IL requirement. The US & IL requirements may be fulfilled by double-counting with other General Education or courses in a major.

 

Engineering technology students are encouraged to use one of the "Distribution Component" course requirements listed above to fulfill this requirement. Courses that fulfill the (US or IL) requirement are indicated in the listed Schedule of Classes each semester.

The most important aspect of General Education in the Engineering Technology programs is that the "spirit" of the requirements be met. This means that, when possible, the College of Engineering allows flexibility in how the requirements are met. For example, it is possible that a student may want to pursue a course of study in which 9 rather than 6 credits are taken in either the Arts, Humanities, or Social and Behavioral Sciences. This can be done by substituting 3 credits from one of the other two areas not in the student's major area of interest, resulting in a 9/6/3 distribution of credits in the three disciplines. It may also be possible to substitute certain language courses for General Education courses, or it may be possible to satisfy GI requirements based on life experiences, or it may be possible to satisfy General Education requirements with Advanced Placement credits from high school. A student wishing to pursue any of these options should consult with an adviser.

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