Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

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The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is a school of Columbia University which awards degrees in mathematics, engineering, physics and applied science. Formerly known as the School of Mines and then the School of Mines, Engineering and Chemistry, it was the United States's first mining school. When Chinese businessman Z. Y. Fu gave $26 million to the Columbia Engineering School, it was renamed in his honor on October 1, 1997. On campus the school is known by many names, including "SEAS" and "the engineering school."

Today the school is known for its ongoing research and numerous patents. It is the only academic institution to hold a share of the patents for MPEG-2.

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History

Initial home of the Manhattan Project and home of Columbia's new High-Beta Tokamak (HBT), the school of engineering has a reputation for innovation in nuclear engineering.

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Academics

The selectivity of the SEAS application process is on par with other top-tier schools. Students' average standardized test scores are in a similar range as those of MIT or other top engineering schools, with SAT math scores usually 740-800[1]. Also, 90% of SEAS students ranked in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class. Similar to the Columbia College requirements, there is a rigorous set of required "core classes". The first-year core classes typically consist of a semester or more of classes in each of these disciplines:

  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Computer Science and Programming in Java
  • University Writing
  • Design Fundamentals Using Advanced Computer Technologies (Gateway Lab)
  • Chemistry or Physics Lab
  • Physical Education

In addition to having technical required classes, engineers are required to take 29 credits of "non-technical" classes. This is often much more than other comparable engineering schools require.

Inside the engineering school, all classes (including introductory first-year classes) are taught by professors. While graduate students may teach recitation sections, all credited classes are taught by faculty. On average, the student to professor ratio in SEAS is 10:1.

Many students participate in collegiate design competitions. For example, 30% of the mechanical engineering students are in either Solar Splash (Solar Boating) or the Formula-One SAE competition.

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Facilities

Columbia's Plasma Physics Laboratory is part of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), in which the HBT and Columbia Non-Neutral Torus are housed.

The school also has two wind tunnels, a machine shop, a nanotechnology laboratory, a General Electric nuclear fission reactor, and an axial tester commonly used for testing New York City bridge cables. Each department has numerous laboratories on the Morningside Heights campus; however, other departments have holdings throughout the world. For example, the Applied Physics department has reactors at Nevis Labs in Irvington, NY and conducts work with CERN in Geneva.

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New objectives

  • In recent years, the engineering school has reworked its curriculum scheme, with the novel Gateway Lab course. It is also becoming more and more selective and is projected to move up in the engineering rankings, surpassing many engineering powerhouses such as Cornell and UCLA.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
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Alumni

Famous alumni

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Programs

  • Computer Engineering
    • Administered by both the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Departments through a joint Computer Engineering Committee.
    • Webpage
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Departments

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Specialized centers

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External links

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