Ben G. Streetman
PhD, PE
Dean
Thomas F. Edgar
PhD, PE
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Dale E. Klein
PhD, PE
Associate Dean
Alvin H. Meyer
PhD, PE
Associate Dean
John C. Halton III
MA
Assistant Dean
Linda J. Hayes
PhD, PE
Assistant Dean
Glenn Y. Masada
ScD, PE
Assistant Dean
Degrees in architecture were conferred in the College of Engineering from 1909 through 1951, when the School of Architecture became an autonomous division of the University. Degrees in chemical engineering have been conferred since 1916; degrees in mechanical engineering since 1919; degrees in architectural engineering since 1928; degrees in petroleum engineering since 1931; degrees in aeronautical engineering from 1943 to 1959 and in aerospace engineering since 1960; degrees in ceramic engineering from 1948 to 1961; and degrees in meteorology from 1951 to 1963. A degree in engineering science was offered from 1960 until 1988. Degrees in geosystems engineering and hydrogeology, offered jointly with the College of Natural Sciences, are expected to be available beginning in the fall of 1996.
Engineers are involved with all the devices and systems made by and for people--buildings and factories, transportation and communication systems, equipment for generating and distributing electrical energy, computers and electronic devices; indeed, all of the manufactured products we see around us. Engineers of diverse backgrounds working together and with other professionals have produced heart pumps, surgical lasers, robotics for manufacturing and construction, polymers, safer and more efficient nuclear reactors, advances in space research and in environmental protection, safe and attractive bridges, satellites and telecommunication systems, and small but powerful computers. Just as much of the technology being applied today has been developed within the past ten years, the solution of tomorrow's problems will require the development of new technology through engineering research.
In addition to its traditional function of giving men and women the opportunity to prepare for careers as professional engineers, the College of Engineering also has a second function: providing the opportunity to acquire a technical background to students who plan to continue their education in areas such as business, public affairs, law, medicine, and scientific disciplines related to engineering. The engineering faculty willingly accepts its obligation to enhance cooperation between engineers and others working to improve the quality of life.
The College of Engineering is organized into academic departments that offer a variety of degrees. Although there are distinct differences among the degree programs, they have much in common; all are based on a foundation of mathematics, natural sciences, and basic engineering subjects. Following the development of an adequate foundation during the first two years, an engineering student begins concentrated study in a particular area. During the senior year the student delves into practical engineering problems, developing skills in defining a problem, translating available information into equations that can be analyzed logically, creating additional information when necessary, and choosing a course of action that has a reasonable chance of producing the desired results.
The college seeks to give students the knowledge necessary to take advantage of opportunities in a number of areas. The engineer who begins a professional career immediately following graduation usually will find opportunity for a variety of responsible positions in industry and government. The first assignments usually are of a technical nature. Later, one may choose to become a technical specialist or to move into positions involving administration and management. Either choice can lead to a rewarding professional career.
Many engineering graduates elect to continue their education. Studies by the American Society for Engineering Education indicate that nearly 50 percent of all engineering graduates eventually earn a master's degree. Most do their graduate work in engineering, either in a professional program where advanced design techniques are emphasized or in a graduate school where the emphasis is on research. Others elect to enroll in graduate programs in other disciplines. The flexibility to accommodate a broad spectrum of educational objectives has been incorporated into the degree structure of the College of Engineering through technical area options and electives that permit students to define programs of study that best suit their needs.
The Richard W. McKinney Engineering Library, a branch of the General Libraries located in Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall, contains more than 150,000 volumes and some 1,500 current serial subscriptions. It supports teaching and research in all fields offered by the college. Extensive facilities are available for computer retrieval of technical literature. Special files include manufacturing catalogs on microfilm, industry standards on microfiche, Federal Specifications (military standard), United States patents, and selected technical material issued by NASA and other government agencies.
Other branch libraries of special interest to engineers are the Architecture and Planning Library, the Mallet Chemistry Library (which includes chemical engineering), the Walter Geology Library, the Kuehne Physics-Mathematics-Astronomy Library, and the Life Science Library.
All units of the General Libraries offer reference services, circulation and reserve, access to computer-based information and electronic media, and interlibrary loan services.
EOE also promotes the career and professional development of minority students by providing contact with industry and federal agencies. The program helps students find summer, coop, and permanent employment by conducting an annual job fair.
In addition, EOE works to encourage precollege African American, Hispanic, and Native American students to pursue careers in engineering. EOE conducts outreach programs such as the World of Engineering campus visitation program and the Minority Introduction to Engineering summer residential program.
For more information about these programs, contact the EOE office at (512) 471-5953, Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall 2.102.
At the time this catalog was printed, the engineering faculty was developing an International Engineering Studies Certificate Program. If the program is approved, students will be able to earn a certificate in international engineering studies by completing requirements that include a study abroad experience and associated cultural enrichment studies. For more information, contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Located in Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall 2.400, the center provides services and programs to both students and alumni of the College of Engineering. Although there is no registration deadline, students should register with the center the first week in September before they plan to graduate to receive full benefit of the services.
As a complement to the assistance available from the college, the University Career Center provides assistance to students in choosing or changing their majors or careers, seeking an internship, and planning for the job search or for graduate study.
The college tries to maximize employment opportunities for its students, but cannot secure employment for each graduate.
A student who has completed at least three work periods and has submitted suitable written reports may request that three semester hours of credit for cooperative education be counted toward his or her degree requirements, usually as an elective or a technical area option course.
To qualify for the Cooperative Engineering Education Program, a student must have completed at least twenty-eight semester hours in a basic sequence with a grade point average of at least 2.50 and must have credit for eight semester hours of college-level physics and eight semester hours of college-level calculus.
Additional information is available from the Director, Cooperative Engineering Education Program, Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall 2.502, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1080.
Research units currently operating within the Bureau of Engineering Research include the Center for Aeromechanics Research, Texas Institute for Computational and Applied Mechanics, Computer Engineering Research Center, Computer and Vision Research Center, Construction Industry Institute, Center for Control and Systems Research, Electrical Engineering Research Laboratory, Center for Electromechanics, Electronics Research Center, Center for Energy Studies, Center for Fusion Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering Center, Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Microelectronics Research Center, Offshore Technology Research Center, Center for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, Center for Polymer Research, Center for Space Research, Phil M. Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory, Center for Transportation Research, and Center for Research in Water Resources.
The Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory is an academic unit of the College of Engineering. Other research units include the Center for Biotechnology, Manufacturing Systems Center, the Center for Synthesis, Growth, and Analysis of Electronic Materials, and the Center for Technology Development and Transfer. These research organizations are located both on the central campus and at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus.
The Engineering Foundation office supports the work of the Engineering Foundation Advisory Council, a body of corporate leaders who volunteer to advise and assist the college. Through the Engineering Foundation, the college conducts fund-raising efforts in five areas of emphasis: the Industrial Program, which seeks corporate support; Friends of Alec (alumni support); Student Engineering Gift Campaign (student-led fund-raising); endowments; and bequests. The staff of the Engineering Foundation coordinates these efforts, and the Engineering Foundation Advisory Council provides strategic leadership.
Aerospace engineering majors with a good knowledge of computer programming, however obtained, are encouraged to take the University of Texas at Austin Test for Credit in Aerospace Engineering 201.
The University of Texas at Austin Test for Credit in Chemistry 301 is given in Austin during most of the orientation sessions that precede each semester. Students who feel that their high school studies provide good background in chemistry are strongly encouraged to take the test; it is required for chemical engineering majors who have studied chemistry in high school and do not have credit for Chemistry 301 or the equivalent.
Optional placement tests are available in a number of other fields. These tests include the University of Texas at Austin Test for Credit in Physics: Mechanics (for credit for Physics 303K and 103M) and the University of Texas at Austin Test for Credit in Physics: Electricity and Magnetism (for Physics 303L and 103N). More information about these and other placement examinations is available in General Information and from the Measurement and Evaluation Center.
Course prerequisites are given in chapters 2 through 12 (see the table of contents) under the heading "Courses." Many are also given in the Course Schedule, which is available before registration. Since prerequisites are subject to change, the student should consult the Course Schedule for current information.
Students planning to enter the University in the fall who are not qualified to enroll in Mathematics 408C should make every effort to fulfill the prerequisite for that course by taking Mathematics 304E or 305G or an equivalent course during the summer.
Students who have questions about the requirements of a specific degree plan should contact the appropriate transfer student adviser at the following address: aerospace engineering: W. R. Woolrich Laboratories 211; architectural engineering: Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall 5.200; chemical engineering: Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Building 2.706; civil engineering: Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall 4.200; electrical engineering: Engineering-Science Building 143; geosystems engineering and hydrogeology: Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Building 3.104 or Geology Building 118; mechanical engineering: Engineering Teaching Center 5.202; petroleum engineering: Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Building 3.104.
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28 August 1996. Registrar's Web Team
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