Engineering

For students seeking a traditional engineering background leading to certification, Lewis & Clark has joined with two nationally recognized engineering schools to offer a cooperative program that provides students with the advantages of a liberal arts education as a complement to rigorous studies in engineering.

The engineering program at Columbia University, commonly referred to as a “3-2 program,” enables a student to complete three years of study at Lewis & Clark, followed by two years at Columbia. The student earns a degree from each school: a BA from Lewis & Clark and a BS at Columbia University. Starting in the fall of 2026, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, will instead offer only a 3-3 program (until then, it had offered both 3-2 and 3-3 options). In the 3-3 program, the student spends three years at Lewis & Clark and three years at Washington University, earning a BA from Lewis & Clark and both a BS and an MS in engineering from Washington University.

For Washington University, the existence of a formal 3-3 agreement between Lewis & Clark and this institution typically ensures students gain admission to the engineering school upon completing a required set of courses with a satisfactory GPA, typically around 3.300, and the recommendation of the Lewis & Clark faculty. Columbia University is no longer guaranteeing admissions, but partner-school students, including Lewis & Clark students, will be granted preferred admission over normal transfer students. In addition, Lewis & Clark students sometimes enroll in engineering schools at other institutions upon graduation or by transfer. The pre-engineering advisor (the coordinator of the engineering program) works with students individually, helping them evaluate the relative merits of various options. Students are kept informed about the program through regular mailings and annual visits from representatives of the engineering schools.

Students interested in these programs should meet with the pre-engineering advisor as soon as they enroll at Lewis & Clark. Pre-engineering students generally take mathematics (through differential equations), chemistry, physics, and computer science. Students are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of Lewis & Clark’s diverse course offerings in the arts, humanities, and social sciences during their studies.

Note: Because Lewis & Clark does not offer a "pre-engineering" major, students must choose a standard Lewis & Clark major such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, or computer science. They must plan a course of study that will enable them to meet the requirements of the engineering school and complete all but two or three of the courses required for the Lewis & Clark major. Pre-engineering students must also complete all of Lewis & Clark’s General Education requirements.

Students in either the 3-2 or 3-3 program must spend a minimum of four full-time semesters at Lewis & Clark (excluding summer session) and complete 93 semester credits, 60 of which must be taken in residence at Lewis & Clark, before proceeding to the engineering school. For these students, Lewis & Clark waives its senior-year academic residency requirement. The chair of the student’s major department evaluates courses at the engineering school as substitutes for completing the student’s Lewis & Clark major requirements.

Contact the Engineering Pathway
See also Mathematics and Statistics, Chemistry, and Physics.

Program Requirements

Although students may graduate with any Lewis & Clark major, they should plan their schedules so as to complete the following courses by the end of the junior year. Since each school has different requirements, students should consult with the preengineering advisor as early as possible to plan the most effective and profitable course of study at Lewis & Clark.

Chemistry
Computer Science
Mathematics
Physics
  • One of the following sequences:
    PHYS 141Introductory General Physics I
    PHYS 142Introductory General Physics II
    or
    PHYS 151Physics I: Motion
    PHYS 152Physics II: Waves and Matter
    PHYS 251Physics III: Electromagnetism
    PHYS 252Physics IV: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
  • Also recommended:
    PHYS 201Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences
Other
  • Both programs require four or five courses in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Washington University requires at least two courses in the humanities and two in the social sciences.
  • Columbia University requires one course in economics.

Students planning a career in chemical engineering or computer science will need additional prerequisites. All students planning for a 3-2 or 3-3 program should consult with the engineering coordinator for detailed information about major requirements at specific schools.