Drew University Bachelor’s/Washington University in St. Louis BS (3+2 OR 3+3)
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 Washington University in St. Louis in engineering. Students will spend three years at Drew and then enroll at Washington at the end of their junior year for two additional years of study. A minimum 3.25 GPA both overall and in math and science coursework is expected. Options exist for a 4+2 schedule that allows students to be considered for admission to Washington after their fourth year at Drew, which gives students greater flexibility in course planning. Students may also earn an engineering master’s degree in addition to the undergraduate engineering and liberal arts degrees by enrolling in a graduate 3-year option.
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 Washington University’s program, students choose one of the following engineering majors:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Systems Science and Engineering
Prerequisites for Entering the Dual Degree Engineering Program
To be eligible to enter Washington’s combined program in engineering after three years of undergraduate study at Drew, students must have taken:
- Mathematics: (4 semesters) Calculus I, II and III, and Differential Equations
MATH 150 , MATH 151 , MATH 250 , MATH 315
(Linear Algebra, MATH 303 , is strongly recommended)
- 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: (1 semester)
CSCI 149 or CSCI 150
- Humanities and Social Sciences: (4 courses, with at least 2 courses in Humanities and 1 course in Social Sciences) This requirement is satisfied by any Drew courses identified as Breadth-Humanities (BHUM) and Breadth-Social Sciences (BSS); ECON 101 recommended as BSS.
Note: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, and Computer Engineering majors have additional prerequisites. You are advised to read the combined plan curriculum guide and meet with the 3+2 Program Adviser for the most up-to-date information about the requirements for all programs.
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 Adviser ( engineering@drew.edu ) during their first semester at Drew for an advising appointment. Students need strong math skills to succeed in this program. 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 the best alignment with the Washington University 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 be accepted to this program
- Be enrolled full-time at Drew for at least three years
- Achieve an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher
- Achieve a GPA of 3.25 or higher in science and math coursework
- Provide a letter of institutional endorsement from the dual degree liaison officer.
- Complete (before entering Washington) 90 total credits, including all general education requirements, at Drew
- Complete most of the major requirements at Drew. Students may transfer up to 10 credits taken during their first year at Washington University as electives toward their Drew major. Students pursuing this option must:
a) Complete the Pre-Approval for Study Elsewhere form to have their Washington courses approved as electives for their major before beginning their final semester at Drew.
b) Talk to the program chair and their major adviser about how they will fulfill Drew’s major capstone requirement.
- Demonstrate English Language proficiency as decided by Washington University
- Be in good standing, including but not limited to confirmation that the student is free of any disciplinary/student conduct record with no unresolved or pending disciplinary/student conduct issues at Drew.
Upon successful completion of two years at Washington, students in the 3+2 program will be awarded a bachelor’s degree from Drew University and a B.S. from Washington. A student who, for any reason, does not complete their studies at Washington 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 Washington toward Drew’s degree requirements. Transfer credit will be given for courses satisfactorily completed at Washington with a grade of C- or higher.
For more information about the Drew-Washington 3+2 program, contact engineering@drew.edu .
