The Bachelor of Science Degree

Students who complete a four-year sequence of prescribed study are awarded the Bachelor of Science degree. The general requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree is the completion of a minimum of 128 academic credits with a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) at the time of graduation. The program requirements, specified elsewhere in this bulletin, include the first-year/sophomore course requirements, the junior–senior major departmental requirements, and technical and nontechnical elective requirements. Students who wish to transfer points of credit may count no more than 68 transfer points toward the degree, and must satisfy the University’s residence requirements by taking at least 60 points of credit at Columbia. Courses may not be repeated for credit unless it is stated otherwise in the course description.

The bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science earned at Columbia University prepares students to enter a wide range of professions. Students are, however, encouraged to consider graduate work, at least to the master’s degree level, which is increasingly considered necessary for many professional careers.

The Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, https://www.abet.org, an organization formed by the major engineering professional societies, accredits university engineering programs on a nationwide basis. Completion of an accredited program of study is usually the first step toward a professional engineering license. Advanced study in engineering at a graduate school sometimes presupposes the completion of an accredited program of undergraduate study.

The following undergraduate programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, https://www.abet.org: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, earth and environmental engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.