Engineering Science at Iowa State University

The undergraduate program comprises part of an aerospace and engineering mechanics department that is one of the 10 largest in the country and is consistently ranked among the best. Iowa State is recognized as a leader in preparing engineers who go on to success in a wide variety of careers.

Major strengths of the department include

• acoustics, vibrations, and noise control
• biomedical engineering
• theoretical aerodynamics and computational
  fluid dynamics
• nondestructive evaluation
• computational mechanics, finite and boundary elements
• engineering design and design optimization
• mechanics of materials, wave mechanics, and
  ultrasonics
• flight mechanics, controls, and optimization

In engineering science you have the freedom to create a program designed for real-world preparation. This program includes

• a curriculum built on basic sciences, math, and
  engineering
• laboratories that emphasize practical skills
• equipment that matches industry and research standards
• the multidisciplinary resources of a major university
  

Top-Notch Faculty
The engineering faculty are a diverse group of educators. They include award-winning teachers, authors, researchers, inventors, leaders of professional societies, journal editors, and consultants. Their backgrounds include experience at corporations, government laboratories, and universities from around the world. You will have access to your instructors and to receive individual attention from them.

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World-Class Facilities
As a student of engineering science you will benefit from facilities and resources that let you concentrate on learning rather than having to search for materials and equipment. The department’s new home is Howe Hall, Phase I of the $63 million Engineering Teaching and Research Complex. Dedicated in 1999, Howe Hall features

• environmental and aerodynamic wind tunnels
• teaching and research labs for mechanical vibrations acoustics, stress analysis, composite materials aerospace structures, strength of materials, and fluid mechanics
• ultra-modern classrooms

A spacecraft systems and operations lab features a multidisciplinary team of volunteers who push the edge of technology as well as the edge of the atmosphere. Other engineering labs focus on robotics, bioengineering, materials science, high-speed electronics, and parallel computing.


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Endless Opportunities
To meet other engineering students and learn what is going on in the industry, be sure to check out our student societies. One example is the AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) student chapter, which holds regular meetings featuring outside speakers, and also organizes department-wide functions. Or maybe you’d be interested in one of the many organizations associated with other engineering disciplines on campus such as the Biomedical Engineering Club.

Students make themselves even more appealing to industry by participating in cooperative education programs and internships that involve practical work experience for pay.

The College of Engineering also offers

• foreign study programs in the United Kingdom, Germany, Argentina, Australia, and other countries, giving you an edge in today’s global markets
• internships and co-op programs that provide industry experience and give you a chance to earn money for college and living expenses; monthly salaries for engineering interns and co-op students can be $1,800*
  or more
• opportunities for hands-on, real-world experiences;
  engineering science students may even appoint an off-
  campus advisor involved in industry or research as a
  way to reinforce meaningful study
  

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Scholarships
The support of more than 200 individuals and corporations maintains an engineering scholarship endowment of nearly $9 million. From these and other funds the college awards more than 900 scholarships totaling more than $1.3 million each year. In addition, engineering students compete well for scholarships available to all Iowa State students.


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Employment Outlook
Engineering is a career path that works! More than 3 million engineers work in the U.S. today, making engineering the nation’s second-largest profession. The average starting salary for engineering graduates is more than $40,000.

Engineering graduates are in demand. Nearly all students with engineering-related work experience have jobs by graduation. For example:

• 95% of co-op students are placed by graduation
• 85% of interns are placed by graduation
• 79% of graduates with summer work experience are placed by graduation

Iowa State’s engineering graduates are nationally known. They serve in top corporate and technical leadership positions all around the U.S. They have built successful careers not only in engineering but also in law, medicine, business, and other fields.

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For more information on opportunities in engineering science at Iowa State, contact:

Department of Aerospace Engineering and
Engineering Mechanics
2271 Howe Hall, Room 1200
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2271
(515) 294-3776
www.aeem.iastate


* All statistics are based on surveys conducted in spring 1999.

Go to Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics web

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