Accelerated Engineering Programs

The Combined Plan program at Columbia University offers students the chance to engage with two distinctive educational experiences, earning both a liberal arts and an engineering degree. 

Students should apply to Columbia’s Combined Plan program during their third year at Willamette. Because Willamette is an affiliated liberal arts school, applications from Willamette students will receive priority in admission review. 

Applicants should have a minimum overall college GPA of 3.30. Students must complete both the foundational and major-specific prerequisite coursework by the end of the spring semester of their third year. Dual degree applicants will need to include recommendation letters from the Combined Plan liaison at Willamette (Rick Watkins), a science instructor, and a math instructor. They must also demonstrate proficiency in English as directed by the Columbia website.

The program may also be completed as a 4+2 sequence: four years in a liberal arts curriculum and two years in Columbia (with students applying in the senior year).

The 4+2 Master of Science Program provides the opportunity for students holding a BA or BS from Willamette in math, physics, chemistry, or certain other physical sciences to receive an MS degree after two years of study at Columbia in the following fields of engineering and applied science: biomedical, chemical, civil, computer science, Earth and environmental, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering; applied physics; applied mathematics; engineering mechanics; operations research; and materials science.

Each applicant must present evidence of an outstanding undergraduate record, including exceptional performance in physics and mathematics through differential equations. The program of study, designed individually in consultation with your engineering advisor (Prof. Rick Watkins, rwatkins@willamette.edu), will integrate undergraduate work with the chosen field of engineering or applied science. In the first year at Columbia, the program will primarily include basic undergraduate courses, while the second year will focus on graduate courses in the selected field.

After three years at Willamette, students directly enter both an engineering master's program and an undergraduate engineering program at Washington University. Students obtain a BA or BS from Willamette and receive both BS and MS engineering degrees from Washington University. Washington University classifies these students as graduate students for all three years. While this renders students ineligible for Federal Financial Aid, all admitted students benefit from discounted tuition, with reductions of 50% in the first year, 55% in the second year, and 60% in the third year.

A 3+2 engineering program is an academic pathway that allows students to earn both a liberal arts and an engineering bachelor's degree in a total of five years. 

The program structure typically involves students spending the first three years completing a bachelor’s degree in a related field. This part of the program focuses on core subjects and building foundational knowledge. The next two years are spent on specific engineering disciplines at one of our partner schools.

Depending on your career goals, financial situation, and preferred educational structure, an accelerated engineering program can be worthwhile. Employers value the skills that come from a liberal arts institution. By combining those skills with an engineering focus, students are prepared to stand out in the job market.

Willamette's 3+2 Engineering program helps students embrace a variety of skills. Our liberal arts focus encourages students to develop soft skills and problem-solving skills that are essential to engineering. With our partnerships, students can then develop the technical skills that are necessary for graduate programs and a variety of careers in engineering.