Who Is It For?

The Bachelor of Arts in General Engineering is a true liberal arts degree, but with a focus on engineering, and is intended for students who:

  • Seek a background in engineering and technology, but are not planning a careers as a professional engineers;
  • Plan to pursue further studies in architecture, business, law (e.g. intellectual property, patent law), or medicine; or
  • Want to work in an area related to engineering and technology—such as public policy—and thrive in the global industrial economy.

This is not an engineering degree and is not suitable for employment as a professional engineer and the program is not accredited by ABET. Students interested in a career as a professional engineer should pursue a BS degree in any of our engineering majors.

Advising Manual BA General Engineering 2023-2024

Program Features

Breadth

Your course requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in General Engineering encourage breadth and diversity. Approximately 17 percent of required credits are in mathematics or statistics, 12 percent in the natural sciences, 20 percent in the humanities and/or social sciences, 8 percent in international studies (language or other area), and 30 percent in engineering. The remaining requirements are in free electives.

Flexibility

This major gives you the flexibility to define a program of study, in consultation with your advisor, in which you can deepen and pursue your interests. Your engineering concentration and your humanities and social science requirements may be departmentally-based, or they may be designed around a theme that is defined by you and your advisor. Students in this program may minor in any area of their choosing.

Interdisciplinary Study

The distribution requirements make the program ideal for students who seek to explore areas at the interface of a variety of technical fields (such as robotics, nanotechnology, and biomaterials) and/or the connections between a technical area and a discipline in the humanities or social sciences.

International Dimensions of Engineering

As a General Engineering major, you are required to develop a knowledge of the international dimensions of engineering. You can accomplish this by studying abroad or by taking a combination of language and other classes that help deepen your understanding of the culture and technologies of a foreign country.

Program Requirements

All undergraduate students majoring in the Bachelor of Arts in General Engineering must follow a program approved by their advisor. Candidates must fulfill the overall requirements for the bachelor's degree described in the academic catalogue.

Get More Information About General Engineering Program

All undergraduate students majoring in the Bachelor of Arts in General Engineering must follow a program approved by their advisor. Your advisor can be any member of the faculty committee overseeing the BA in General Engineering, or any faculty member approved by them. Please note: This document requires JHED to access.