Physics and Engineering Collaborative Program, B.S., B.S.

The Department of Physics at Radford University and the College of Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) offer a joint program in physics and engineering. This is a dual degree programs in which the student will receive a B.S. in physics from Radford University and a B.S. in engineering from Virginia Tech. The approximate time required for a student to complete these programs is five years. During the first two years at Radford University, the student completes most or all of the major requirements in physics, and Radford’s REAL Curriculum requirements. Some introductory engineering courses should also be completed while the student is at Radford; some of these may be taken during the summer. The student then transfers to Virginia Tech and completes the requirements for a degree in engineering. It is recommended that participants in this program have a grade point average of 3.0 or above to be admitted to the College of Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All degree requirements for both Radford University and Virginia Tech can be fulfilled by courses taken at either institution and by credits transferred between institutions, and should be completed by the end of the fifth year. The student must spend at least three years at Virginia Tech to obtain the engineering degree. The student then receives a degree from each institution.

The student should choose, early in the program, the intended engineering major at Virginia Tech. This choice will affect the physics curriculum that the student undertakes at Radford. All students in this program must be prepared to take PHYS 221  :PHYS 222  and MATH 171 :MATH 172  during the first year. MATH 271  will be taken during the second year. CHEM 111  :CHEM 112 , upper-level physics courses, and additional mathematics courses will be completed during the second and third years of the program. The upper-level physics courses will be chosen, with the assistance of a faculty advisor, to fulfill the requirements of the major in physics, as well as to complement the student’s intended engineering curriculum. Appropriate courses in the REAL Curriculum will also be selected with the aid of an advisor. The student will be encouraged to take an introduction to engineering course at a community college that is equivalent to those at Virginia Tech as early as the summer between the first and second years of the program. The remaining requirements of the chosen engineering major will then be completed after the student has transferred to Virginia Tech. Further details about this program can be obtained by contacting the Chair of the Department of Physics.