Ripon College is launching new engineering program
Ripon College is launching its first engineering program to coincide with the opening of the new Franzen Science Center in 2024. This curricular addition comes […]
“For me, being a Legacy student is something I’m proud of, although not the main reason I chose Ripon. I came to Ripon because I had the chance to meet some of the professors, and between the community and the professors’ willingness to challenge us as students, I was excited to come.” Julia is continuing her education with the goal to achieve a doctorate in materials science and engineering.
As the fourth generation of her family to attend Ripon College, Julia made the most of her time on campus, majoring in chemistry and physics with a minor in mathematics.
Julia Goeks '21, Graduate Student at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
3-2
DUAL-DEGREE PROGRAM WITH PARTNERING ENGINEERING SCHOOLS
14:1
AVG STUDENT:FACULTY RATIO
Department Mission Statement
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- Complete 3 years at Ripon College followed by 2 years at a partner school to receive a B.A. degree from Ripon (typically in physics) and a B.S. in your selected field in engineering. Partner schools include Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
- Complete 3 years at Ripon College followed by 3 years at a partner school to receive a bachelor's degree from Ripon and a master's degree from the technical school.
- Complete your bachelor's degree at Ripon College and do advanced work leading to a master of science in engineering from any technical school. Recent graduates have attended master's or Ph.D. programs at University of California-Berkeley, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Case Western Reserve University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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At a Glance
Ripon College’s pre-engineering program provides options for students to pursue degrees in various engineering fields through partnership with other universities. Students will spend 3 years at Ripon College before attending a 3-2 or dual-degree program at a partner university for an additional 2 years.
Expect to Experience
- An expedited education in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, data science, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, and systems and science engineering
- One-on-one research opportunities with Ripon physics faculty, often resulting in publication
Leave Empowered To
Students who complete the pre-engineering program graduate with the skills necessary to:
- Pursue technical jobs which require problem-solving and analytical skills
- Pursue continued education in elite graduate programs across the country
- Excel as a “liberally educated engineer” with strong communication and problem-solving skills, a broad background in the humanities and social sciences, and a high-quality technical education
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Faculty
Barwick, Brett
Associate Professor of Physics, Harrison E. Farnsworth 1918 Endowed Chair in Physics
Othon, Christina
Associate Professor of Physics
Advising
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers. Our collaboration with Student Support Services provides tutoring and additional academic and skill development, as well as tools to help with note-taking, exam preparation, goal-setting and time management. Likewise, Mentors in the Franzen Center provide in-depth, one-on-one or group mentoring for students about class projects and college-level writing, and can share problem-solving strategies to overcome academic obstacles.
Advising at RiponRequirements
Featured Course: PHY 172 General Physics II: Electricity, Magnetism and Waves
Calculus-based. Shared lectures and laboratories with PHY 152. Electrostatics and magnetostatics, electromagnetic induction, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, and the characterization of energy and momentum in the electromagnetic field. Also the basic properties of waves in general: wave kinematics, standing waves, resonance and the Doppler effect. Lecture, laboratory and problem-solving sessions.
| 3-2 Dual-Degree Program with Physics Major Requirements | |
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| Getting off to the Right Start | Students in these programs need strong aptitudes in mathematics and science, and they should enroll in the following courses during their first semester at Ripon:
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| Staying on Track | Students interested in pursuing the dual-degree option must fulfill all the requirements for the physics program and should contact the Physics Chair within their first year to ensure they remain on track to meet the expectations for acceptance into these programs.
Additional coursework to be completed:
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Career Tracks
Our graduates pursue everything from industrial research and teaching to technical writing and aeronautical engineering. Paths of graduates have included graduate school programs in math, engineering, physics and education at schools such as the University of Notre Dame, California University-Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Unique Opportunities
Ripon College is here to provide unique experiences that will enhance your studies.
Collaborative Research Opportunities
Research opportunities and internships, in collaboration with Ripon College professors, in areas such as soft condensed matter, biophysics, electron-photon interactions and much more. Paid summer internships are available through our Summer Opportunities for Advanced Research (SOAR) Program, and often this collaborative work is published.
Explore the Othon Lab and Barwick Lab for current research information.
Forge Your Own Path
Independent study in physics offers students the opportunity to receive college credit for work on individual projects. These projects may be research collaborations with faculty or problems of particular interest to the student. Outside support is available for some areas of study. For example, the NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Scholarship Program provides support for qualified students taking part in aerospace studies.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The Oak Ridge Science Semester enables students to join ongoing investigations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in research areas as diverse as astrophysics, cell biology, DNA sequencing, genetic mutagenesis, parallel computing, robotics, toxicology and more.
Partner Universities
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
The school of engineering & applied science at WashU is ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s top engineering schools and focuses intellectual efforts through a new convergence paradigm, particularly as applied to medicine and health, energy and environment, entrepreneurship and security.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York
Rensselaer is the nation’s oldest and one of the world’s most renowned technological research universities, where students, faculty and alumni have been defining the scientific and technological advances of our world for nearly 200 years. Their mission is to educate leaders of tomorrow for technology-based careers; to celebrate discovery and the responsible application of technology; and to create knowledge and global prosperity.
Featured Alumni
Akash is the first recipient of a dual-degree in this partnership, graduating in 2016 with a B.S. in biomedical engineering and a minor in electrical engineering from Washington University, along with his B.A. in physics with a minor in mathematics from Ripon College.
“The dual-degree program was a fantastic experience for me. I was able to apply many of the skills I gained from Ripon College to real-world problems. Being an engineer has always been a goal for me, as I have always been fond of building things/solving problems. Through this program, I have had a wide range of opportunities ranging from designing medical devices to helping combat laryngotracheal stenosis to building a formula race car from scratch to compete against other schools around the world.”
Akash Sen '16, System Engineer at Boeing
Facilities
Franzen Science Center Coming Fall 2024!
Breaking ground in spring of 2023, the Franzen Science Center is a complete renovation of Farr Hall including 19,000 square feet of new construction featuring new laboratory, classroom and collaboration spaces throughout. The space, originally built in 1961, is designed to meet the STEM learning needs of science students today and with the flexibility to adapt to needs in the future. Click here to learn more about Ripon's ongoing investment in our campus.
Farr Hall of Science
Home to the science department, Farr Hall contains classrooms, labs, faculty offices, Bear Auditorium and a greenhouse. Labs are dedicated to topics such as astronomy, biophysics, bio materials, electrostatics, laser optics, magnetostatics, quantum optics, thermodynamics and more.