Pacific University and Portland State University Partner for Dual Degree in Science and Engineering

Prospective college students desiring both a rich liberal arts education and an engineering degree can have both, thanks to a new partnership between Pacific University and Portland State University (PSU).

Administrators of both institutions have formally agreed to a “3/2" dual degree program, in which students earn two bachelor's degrees in five years - one in a natural sciences discipline from Pacific and one in civil or environmental engineering from PSU. Students spend three years at Pacific followed by two years at PSU, with credits transferred between both institutions to complete the two degrees.

“We are very excited to expand the connections between Pacific and PSU through this dual degree engineering program,” said James Butler, a physics professor at Pacific who helped broker the agreement. “One particularly intriguing feature of this program, compared to others around the country, is the proximity of our two institutions. This may open up all sorts of ways for Pacific students to be engaged at both institutions throughout their five years in the program.”

Pacific's School of Natural Sciences offers majors in engineering science and physics, as well as biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, exercise science and mathematics.

The school is part of Pacific's College of Arts & Sciences, in which undergraduate students are immersed in liberal arts curricula that emphasizes social responsibility, communication and problem-solving skills in a close-knit and supportive environment. 

PSU’s civil and environmental engineering curriculum is infused with the values of one of the nation’s most progressive and livable urban communities. With a rigorous curriculum taught by faculty who specialize in environmental and water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering, PSU shapes engineers who design future-forward solutions to local and global humanitarian challenges.

“PSU's civil and environmental engineering programs consistently produce well-rounded engineers eager to make a positive impact on society,” said Chris Monsere, Chair of PSU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering. “The students from Pacific University fit this mold and we look forward to welcoming them to campus.”

More information for the program is available at pacificu.edu/engineering.