Engineers work for the benefit of humankind and our world by applying knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences in ways that responsibly utilize the materials and forces of nature in service to God.
At Seattle Pacific University, our Engineering programs provide a supportive environment for integrating the Christian calls for service and stewardship together with engineering problem-solving skills with a focus on critical thinking and communication.
As an SPU engineering student, you will develop these skills through an academically challenging curriculum with hands-on, design-oriented applications in a Christ-centered community supported by a dedicated and easily accessible faculty. With these foundations, you will be well prepared to engage our culture’s technical challenges to change the world for the benefit of humankind and God’s creation.
Find out more about this department’s mission, vision, and learning outcomes.
Incoming freshmen
If you are a recent high school graduate and intend to enter the Engineering Program, in addition to meeting all the general SPU admission requirements, you should present a high school record showing four years of mathematics, one year each of physics and chemistry, and three years of a foreign language.
Those students entering with deficiencies should consult an engineering adviser for a program of preparation for the Engineering curriculum.
Engineering Colloquium and writing
Engineering freshmen should enroll in an Engineering section of Colloquium during Autumn Quarter. Engineering students should enroll in an Engineering section of WRI 1100.
Transfer students
If you are a transfer student, you should have at least a 2.75 transfer GPA; a 3.0 GPA is preferred.
More information on preparing to transfer to SPU to study engineering is available in the Engineering Department’s transfer student web page.
The BS in Electrical Engineering program provides students with a strong foundation to design and analyze electrical and electronics systems.
The BS in EE degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET .
- A minimum of 130 credits are required for this major, including 64 upper-division credits.
- Chemistry: You must score 75 percent or higher on SPU’s Chemistry Placement Test or complete CHM 1100 “Introduction to Chemistry” or CHM 1211 “General Chemistry.”
- A minimum of 58 credits are required for this minor, including 24 upper-division credits.
The BS in General Engineering program provides you with a strong foundation to design and analyze a large range of engineering systems. Concentrations are available in Mechanical Engineering and Appropriate and Sustainable Engineering, or you may complete the major without a concentration.
The BS in General Engineering degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
- The Mechanical Engineering concentration provides you with a foundation to design and analyze mechanical and thermal systems.
- The Appropriate and Sustainable concentration is a direct response to our Christian calls for stewardship of our planet and service to the poor. Here, we seek to address our environmental footprint in the developed world through sustainable engineering solutions while addressing the needs of the world’s poor through development of appropriate technology.
The BS in General Engineering degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
- A minimum of 131 credits are required in this major, including 59–64 upper-division credits.
- Chemistry: If you intend to major in General Engineering, you must complete CHM 1211 "General Chemistry I."
- A minimum of 63 credits are required for this minor, including 33 upper-division credits.
The BS in Computer Engineering program provides you with a strong foundation to design and analyze computer hardware and low-level software. The BS in Computer Engineering degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
- A minimum of 131 credits are required for this major, including 59 upper-division credits.
- A minimum of 40 credits are required for this minor, including 15 upper-division credits.
To offer the advantages of combining Christian liberal arts with Engineering majors not offered at SPU, SPU has dual-degree agreements with Washington State University and the University of Washington.
These agreements allow you to complete three years of study at SPU and two years at the partnering school, resulting in a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Sciences from SPU and a Bachelor of Science from the participating engineering school.
During the three years spent in residence at SPU, you complete the 51-credit Physical Sciences major and satisfy both the requirements for the SPU Bachelor of Arts degree and many fundamental requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree by taking the core Christian foundations, liberal arts, and prescribed courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering.
If you fulfill the entrance requirements of the partner university, you may then transfer to the participating university. At that university, you will spend two years taking upper-division engineering courses to complete the second degree.
The Physical Sciences (3:2 Engineering) major Capstone requirement can be met by completing one of the following:
- At the University of Washington: ME 495, CEE 441, CEE 442, CEE 444, CEE 445.
- At Washington State University: CE 465, ME 416,CHE 451, B E 411
- By meeting an approved course that includes a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework and incorporating appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints.
Apply to the major or minor
Students who have demonstrated their ability to succeed in engineering classes are welcome to apply to an engineering major. This ability is demonstrated by the following.
In order to be accepted into an engineering major, students must have completed the following courses at SPU and have a minimum 2.5 GPA, both in coursework required for the engineering major and as the SPU cumulative GPA:
- GEgr Major: EE 2726 Electric Circuits I, or EGR 2891 Statics, or a course taken at SPU requiring “Circuits I” or “Statics” as a prerequisite, prior to applying to this major.
- EE Major: EE 2726 Electric Circuits I, or a course taken at SPU
requiring “Circuits I” as a prerequisite, prior to applying to this major.
- CPE Major: EE 2726 Electric Circuits I, or a course taken at SPU
requiring “Circuits I” as a prerequisite, prior to applying to this major.
Once you have completed those courses:
- Apply online for admission to an Engineering major in the Winter Quarter of your sophomore year.
- Transfer students will be evaluated for major admission on a case-by-case basis.
- You must complete the major requirements in effect in the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for the year of your admittance to the major.
- Minor online applications are accepted at any time.
Internship program
All Engineering majors are required to participate in an engineering-related internship with industry or another career entity.
- Your internship must include a minimum of 200 hours of work. In most cases, you will be paid by the employer.
- Normally, students complete internships during the summer between their junior and senior years.
- The Engineering and Computer Science Department will provide information to help you find internships, but you are individually responsible for locating and completing an appropriate internship.