3+2 Dual-Degree Engineering Program

Mills students can take advantage of a special 3+2 dual-degree engineering agreement with the School of Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). A student in this program spends three years at Mills fulfilling the requirements for a liberal arts degree while simultaneously pursuing the prerequisite science and mathematics courses needed for engineering. The requirements for a Mills major must be met during this time; typically, the selected Mills major will be one that includes a number of engineering prerequisite courses. The student then transfers to USC Viterbi School of Engineering to complete the requirements for the engineering major. The available engineering majors include: biomedical, chemical, computer, electrical, environmental, and industrial systems engineering. Upon completion of the five-year program, the student will receive a BA from Mills and a BS from USC.

The advantages of the 3+2 program include the breadth and perspective gained from a liberal arts education, an education that emphasizes critical thinking and creativity in a supportive environment with small classes. The program thus combines the benefits of a small liberal arts college with the specialization available at a large university. Another advantage is that Mills students who complete the prerequisites for a particular major with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and who are recommended by the Mills 3+2 engineering advisors have priority admission into the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. This very challenging program requires you to complete a Mills major, all pre-engineering course work, and all Mills general education requirements in three years. In order to do this successfully, students should complete a year of calculus and either a year of general chemistry (for biomedical, chemical, or environmental engineering) or computer programming (for computer, electrical, or industrial systems engineering) in their first year.

In order to complete all general education requirements, a Mills major, and the engineering prerequisites in three years, each course must be chosen carefully. In the first semester, students interested in this program should take Calculus I (MATH 047) and either CHEM 017 (for biomedical, chemical, or environmental engineering) or CS 063 (for computer, electrical, or industrial systems engineering). They should also contact the engineering advisor by the end of their first semester. Students who do not start the program immediately upon entering Mills may not be able to complete the program in five years. This program is not appropriate for transfer students.

For more information about specific engineering major requirements and suggested Mills majors, contact the faculty advisors for the program.