Engineering
Engineering at RWU is unique in its structure: a broad, liberal arts-infused foundation of math, science and engineering layered with an in-depth specialization in civil, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering or a customized study. Our approach allows you to diversify your resume by studying a wide variety of engineering practices in addition to focusing on your area of interest.
Through this program, accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, you’ll develop the creativity and flexibility employers are looking for, to solve practical problems that benefit humanity in our complex and rapidly changing world.
This major is coordinated by the Engineering program.
Senior Design Project
The Senior Design Project is a fundamental element of senior year. Much like the cross-discipline work that will be in their future careers, the design of our students’ senior projects integrates math, science, computer science, and engineering principles into a comprehensive, client-based engineering design project. Student teams work with faculty advisors to design and fabricate solutions to open-ended problems and present their projects at professional conferences and competitions.
Past Senior Design Projects have included:
• Pizza delivery robot
• Arthroscopic surgery suturing device
• Bike path bridge and foundation design
• Human powered vehicle competition
• Wearable blood oxygen meter
• Stormwater modeling and retention design
Success By The Numbers
Placement of 2021 Grads
Even with the challenges of the pandemic, our 2021 SECCM graduates found success in employment or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation.
First Job, Dream Job
Percentage of 2021 SECCM graduates who landed their first job in a targeted industry, including: Engineering, defense, construction, manufacturing, technology or consulting.
Average Starting Salary
of 2021 SECCM graduates.
Degree Requirements
The Engineering program develops in students the necessary knowledge and analytical skills for professional engineering practice or for successful graduate studies.
The Engineering program consists of a course of study in mathematics, science, and engineering fundamentals during the first two years of study. Students then tailor their program to their own specific needs by selection, with the assistance of their advisor, of appropriate elective courses constituting a specialization.
B.S. Specializations
The Engineering program is characterized by breadth but permits study in depth, to include attaining a specialization in civil, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering.
Civil Engineering
Today’s civil engineers build skyscrapers, hang suspension bridges, create water systems and more. If you study civil engineering, you’ll learn what you need to know to work on the projects that make modern life possible.
Computer Engineering
Computer engineering majors learn to analyze, design, and develop computer hardware and software. As a computer engineer, you'll learn how computers work and what you can do to make them smarter, faster and more efficient for the future.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers design, develop, and test all kinds of equipment, from lights and wiring to radar and GPS technology. As an electrical engineer you can work with communications and broadcasting equipment, automobiles and airplanes, power generation, computers, and more.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers design and oversee the manufacture of many products ranging from medical devices to new batteries. Learn the science behind machines and the energy that makes them work and soon you'll be creating machines of your own.
Custom Specialization
In consultation with an academic advisor, students may design a Custom Specialization to prepare for emerging fields not immediately definable with traditional specializations.
When minoring in Engineering, our students have the ability to focus on a particular area of the engineering field. With a choice of biomechanics, environmental, robotics or structural, if you have an interest in engineering, you can find what aligns best with your major.
Minors are for non-engineering majors only.
Engineering Biomechanics Focus Minor
The Engineering Biomechanics Focus minor provides an introduction to solid and fluid mechanics, materials science, and data acquisition theory and practice. These skills are then applied to biomechanical problems such as human and animal movement, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and the design and analysis of prosthetics. The minor is well-suited for Biology and Marine Biology majors who wish to understand the physical origins of anatomy and physiology, for pre-med students interested in orthopedics, or for anyone seeking an engineering perspective on biology.
Engineering Environmental Focus Minor
The Engineering Environmental Focus minor exposes students to most areas of environmental engineering, including water and wastewater treatment, hydrology, and air pollution. This minor supplements the learning in other related majors, such as environmental science, biology, marine biology, and sustainability. It provides the student with an engineering background to enhance their career options.
Engineering Robotics Focus Minor
The Engineering Robotics Focus minor is intended for students desiring some technical experience in the area of robotics. The minor builds prerequisite skills in mechanical design, electronics and computer programming and culminates in a senior-level Mechatronics course where students design, build and program a robot to perform an assigned task autonomously.
Structural Engineering Minor
The structural engineering minor consists of five courses emphasizing engineering principles and their applications in buildings. This minor is especially well suited for students majoring in architecture who desire a stronger technical understanding of structural design.
State-of-the-Art Facilities
The newest building on the Bristol campus, the Richard L. Bready Applied Learning Laboratories is designed to foster collaboration and innovation while offering high-tech resources for experiential learning. The three-floor, 27,325-square-foot building features seven cutting-edge laboratories, senior design project rooms and open spaces dedicated to hands-on education.
Tailor Your Expertise with a Specialization
Beginning in your third year, you will have the flexibility to tailor your education to your own Engineering interests by selecting a specialization. Students may choose from Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, or Mechanical, or can consult with their faculty advisor to create a custom specialization.
Civil Specialization
From the roads, highways and bridges we drive on to the clean water we drink and the buildings we see in the skyline, Civil Engineering makes modern life possible.
Computer Specialization
The rapid advances in today’s computer technology are largely the result of the research, development, and design efforts of computer engineers. 
Electrical Specialization
In a world where technology is constantly growing and evolving, Electrical Engineering is becoming more essential, from lighting and wiring in buildings to electric motors for automobiles.
Environmental Specialization
Environmental engine
ers work on solutions to water and air pollution, design water supply and wastewater treatment systems, and study the effects that acid rain, global warming, and automobile emission have on our everyday lives.
Mechanical Specialization
From power-producing machines like wind turbines, hydroelectric generators, and internal combustion engines to power-using machines like cars, 
planes, robots, and medical devices, mechanical engineers are constantly designing and developing life-changing mechanisms.
Custom Specialization
Students interested in more than one type of Engineering, or those who want to prepare for an emerging field not defined by a traditional specialization, can work with their faculty advisor to design a custom specialization perfectly tailored to their interests.
Receive Professional Recognition
Our students are encouraged and supported to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and become an Engineer In Training (EIT), a professional designation from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and a key step toward licensure as a Professional Engineer.
Learn from Faculty Experts
Robert Griffin, Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Engineering, Computing, and Construction Management
Robert Griffin has more than 20 years of experience as an educator, an academic leader and an award-winning researcher in engineering. He has authored and co-authored more than 100 research articles in air pollution and atmospheric chemistry.
“At RWU we are a tight-knit community where the focus is on delivery of cutting-edge education to highly intelligent and motivated students. My favorite part of the semester is when students come to ask questions. We get past the homework and I hear about where they grew up and what their goals are. That is my absolute favorite part of my job."
Alumni Share Their Experiences
“By the time I was in advanced classes there were only 10-12 students in each class. We were all really close with our professors. I remember one professor who would stay late after class helping students with projects, working on robotics, having fun and always being there for support. You could tell he really cared."
Jared Ramos '18
Major: Civil Engineering
Project Engineer at Gilbane Building Company in Providence, R.I.
“My direct advisor and a panel helped me decide on my courses. My relationships with my professors ultimately led to my Industrial Engineering Specialization. With all the support I received I knew I was going to make it work.”
Madison Guitard '20
Major: Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineer at lululemon in Columbus, Ohio
“The Engineering program at Roger gives you the vast opportunity to explore different engineering fields and platforms. You can apply [this knowledge] and be more valuable to so many more jobs."
Raquel Santos '21
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Systems Engineer at General Dynamics in Taunton, Mass.
Beyond Theory
Alexia Byusa, RWU Class of 2017Choosing a college major couldn’t have been simpler for Alexia Byusa. Now she's an RWU alumna with the knowledge and experience to design the cities of tomorrow as a civil engineer.
Read full storyWomen in Engineering
RWU's chapter of the Society of Women Engineers provides opportunities for women students to build community and connect with faculty mentors and industry professionals to advance women in engineering. Students travel to the Society of Women Engineers Conference, making industry connections that lead to success after graduation.
Each year, SWE brings scores of fourth-grade girls to campus for a hands-on engineering lesson that helps them earn a Girl Scouts badge.
- In Fall 2020, women students accounted for 49% of all students in STEM majors, which includes the sciences, math, engineering, and computer science
- 41% of tenured and tenure-track Natural Science, Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics professors are women, ahead of the national average of 36%
Praise from Employers
“We couldn’t have a better partner in developing the most talented professionals for our industry than Roger Williams University, with its outstanding and nationally-ranked programs in construction management and engineering.”
Les Hiscoe
CEO of Shawmut Design and Construction