About Engineering Science
Mission Statement
The undergraduate program in Engineering Science at UC Berkeley seeks to provide students with a broad education emphasizing an excellent foundation in scientific and engineering fundamentals. The program prepares undergraduate students for employment or advanced studies with four primary constituencies: industry, the national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academia (graduate research programs).
The Engineering Science Program is multidepartmental and interdisciplinary. This undergraduate program encompasses a variety of closely related areas of the physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering. It is intended to provide a means whereby students, while acquiring knowledge of engineering methods, can pursue their interests in areas of natural science.
The options offered within the curriculum prepare students for advanced study in engineering, science, bioengineering, or medicine. There are four fully structured majors in the curriculum and one minor:
- Engineering Mathematics and Statistics
- Engineering Physics
- Environmental Engineering Science
- Energy Engineering
- Energy Engineering Minor
Learning goals
Broadly, the outcome of these majors is:
- an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
- an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
- an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
- the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
- an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Goals for ES students after graduation
The Engineering Science B.S. degree program at UC Berkeley is designed to:
- Vigorously engage in post-baccalaureate endeavors, whether in engineering, applied math or applied physics graduate study, in engineering practice, or in the pursuit of other fields, such as science, law, medicine, business or public policy.
- Apply their engineering education to address the full range of technical and societal problems with creativity, imagination, confidence, and responsibility.
- Actively seek out positions of leadership within their profession and within their community.
Specifically, Engineering Mathematics and Statistics is concerned with the interplay between mathematics and engineering. Students are guided to build a coherent curriculum comprising courses in pure and applied mathematics, statistics, the sciences, engineering, and the humanities. The program seeks to provide a solid foundation for graduate studies in engineering and in mathematics. Alternatively, an appropriate selection of courses can prepare students for a career in business, industry, or government. Students are encouraged to work closely with their academic advisers in selecting areas of emphasis.
Specifically, Engineering Physics interweaves the fundamentals of classical and modern physics, chemistry, and mathematics with engineering applications. A great strength of the program is its flexibility. The firm base in physics and mathematics is augmented with a selection of engineering course options that prepare the student to tackle the complex problems faced by society. Because the program emphasizes science and mathematics, students are well-prepared to pursue graduate studies in physics or engineering. With the proper choice of electives, the program also enables a student to transfer to a more traditional field of engineering should such an interest develop.
Specifically, Environmental Engineering Science is a multidisciplinary field requiring an integration of physical, chemical, and biological principles with engineering analysis for environmental protection and restoration. The program incorporates courses from many departments on campus to create a discipline that is rigorously based in science and engineering, while addressing a wide variety of environmental issues. Although environmental engineering options exist in the Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science and Mineral Engineering departments, the engineering science curriculum provides a more broadly based foundation in the sciences than is possible in these departments. The major prepares the student for a career or graduate study in many environmental areas.
Specifically, Energy Engineering interweaves the fundamentals of classical and modern physics, chemistry, and mathematics with energy engineering applications. A great strength of the major is its flexibility. The firm base in physics and mathematics is augmented with a selection of engineering course options that prepare the student to tackle the complex energy‐related problems faced by society. Because the program emphasizes science and mathematics, students are well‐prepared to pursue graduate studies in physics or engineering. Energy Engineering is a multidisciplinary field requiring an integration of physical principles with engineering analysis, augmented with the realities of policy and engineering economics. The program incorporates courses from many departments on campus to create a discipline that is rigorously based in science and engineering, while addressing a wide variety of environmental issues.