Drew University Bachelor’s/Columbia University BS (3+2)
This program is for students who want a liberal arts education and an engineering degree. Students in this program will earn, in five years, a B.A. or B.S. degree from Drew, and a B.S. degree from Columbia University in engineering. Students will spend three years at Drew and then transfer to Columbia at the end of their junior year for two additional years of study. Students are required to complete their degree requirements, their major requirements, and their pre-engineering requirements while at Drew. A minimum 3.30 (B+) GPA both overall and in the pre-engineering course work is expected. Applicants must obtain a minimum grade of B on their first attempt at each pre-engineering prerequisite courses. For students matriculating to Drew on or after fall 2019, admission to Columbia is based on a competitive application process and is not guaranteed. Options exist for a 4+2 schedule that allows students to be considered for admission to Columbia after their fourth year at Drew, which gives the student greater flexibility in their course planning.
The dual degree program is an attractive alternative to traditional engineering curricula, which are highly structured. Program graduates are “liberally educated engineers” possessing strong communications and problem-solving skills, and a broad background in the humanities and social sciences, as well as a high-quality technical education. They are well-prepared to advance in technical management and to play major roles in solving increasingly complex societal problems.
In Columbia University’s Combined Engineering Program, students choose one of several engineering majors.
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Earth and Environmental Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Engineering Mechanics
- Industrial Engineering, Engineering and Management Systems, or Operations Research
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Prerequisites for Entering the Dual Degree Engineering Program
To be eligible to enter Columbia’s combined program in engineering after three years of undergraduate study at Drew, students must have taken:
- Mathematics: (3 semesters) Calculus I, II and III
MATH 150 , MATH 151 , MATH 250
- Physics: (2 semesters with lab) Calculus-based physics
PHYS 150 and PHYS 160
- Chemistry: (1 semester with lab)
CHEM 150 or CHEM 151
- Computer Science (C++, JAVA, Python or MATLAB): (1 semester)
CSCI 149 or CSCI 150
ECON 101 or ECON 102
Note: specific engineering majors listed above may have additional prerequisites. You are advised to read the combined plan curriculum guide for the most up-to-date information about the requirements for all programs. Choose the guide appropriate to the year that you began at Drew. The guide is available here, under “Important Documents.”
Successfully completing all engineering prerequisites in addition to Drew’s General Education and major requirements takes careful planning. All students intending to participate in this program should contact the 3+2 program advisor (engineering@drew.edu) during their first semester at Drew for an advising appointment. Students need strong math skills to succeed in this program. To finish the Drew portion of this program in three years, students may have to take 20 credits (5 courses) in some semesters or take classes in the summer. First-year student registration: students should take MATH 150 (or a higher level math if placed at that level), PHYS 150 and PHYS 113 in the fall semester. While students can pursue any major at Drew, the Physics major provides good alignment with the Columbia combined plan. Chemistry, Computer Science and Mathematics majors can also provide foundational knowledge aligned with the engineering coursework.
Eligibility and Application Criteria
Students who meet the following criteria will have a competitive application for this program:
- Be enrolled full-time at Drew for at least three years
- Achieve an overall and pre-engineering GPAs of 3.30 or higher
- Achieve a minimum letter grade of ‘B’ in all pre-engineering science and math prerequisite courses on the first attempt
- Provide three letters of recommendation: one from a math professor, one from a science professor, and one from the Combined Plan Liaison.
- Successful completion, by the end of the spring semester in which you are applying, of the specific prerequisite courses for your intended major at Columbia
- Completion (before entering Columbia) of the major and general education requirements for Drew
- Demonstrate English Language proficiency as decided by Columbia.
Upon successful completion of two years at Columbia, students in the 3+2 program will be awarded a bachelor’s degree from Drew University and a B.S. from Columbia. A student who, for any reason, does not complete their studies at Columbia may return to Drew to complete the bachelor’s degree requirements. In such a case, Drew will allow the transfer up to 24 credits from Columbia toward Drew’s degree requirements. Transfer credit will be given for courses satisfactorily completed at Columbia with a grade of C- or higher.
Student Actions
- Before attending Columbia students should complete the Dual Degree Program Declaration form located on the Office of the Registrar’s Student Information & Forms web page under the College of Liberal Arts section.
- When students are ready to graduate they will need to send an official transcript from Columbia with the final grades of all coursework. Credits will be applied to complete their Drew degree. Additionally, students will need to apply to graduate via TreeHouse, instructions available on the Apply to Graduate website.
For more information about the Drew-Columbia 3+2 program, contact engineering@drew.edu.
