The Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering is a

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

-based engineering education institution that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in

biomedical engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...

, chemical and

life science Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy t ...

engineering,

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, electrical and

computer engineering Computer engineering (CoE or CpE) is a branch of electrical engineering and computer science that integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineers ...

, and

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

and

nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...

. Established as the "School of Engineering" in 1996, its name and status was officially changed to the College of Engineering in April 2018. The college's dean, Barbara D. Boyan, cited doubled faculty numbers and an increase in funding as reasoning for the switch from school to

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

. Upon its founding, initial courses at the VCU school were offered in mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering. The school added a new undergraduate major in biomedical engineering in the fall of 1998. The undergraduate biomedical engineering program is unique in the Commonwealth, established as a response to the growing presence of biomedical companies in Virginia. VCU's long-standing degree programs in computer science joined the school in fall 2001. In May 2000, a graduate degree program in engineering was created and added to the historic graduate programs of biomedical engineering.History - VCU Engineering

Facilities

The first two of the School of Engineering's planned facilities opened in the fall of 1998—the main classroom building and the Virginia Microelectronics Research Center. Together, they total at a cost of $42 million. To foster growth in enrollment and faculty number, the school embarked on an ambitious campaign to expand facilities, fund endowed scholarships, chairs, and academic programs. The campaign raised more than $67 million to meet these needs.

Current facilities

West Hall
East Hall
Microelectronics Lab
Health & Life Science Engineering Lab Institute for Engineering and Medicine Engineering Research Building In January 2008, the school opened East Hall, a facility housing 48 research labs, 50 faculty offices, six classrooms, and other student spaces allowing for future growth of the college. Vcuerb

Departments

*Biomedical Engineering *Chemical and Life Science Engineering *Electrical and Computer Engineering *Computer Science *Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering

Statistics

Alumni: 2,936
2010 Freshman Class: 291
2011 Freshman Class: 286
2011 Freshman Admit SAT Mid 50%: 1190 - 1350
2011 Freshman Admit SAT Average: 1280
Fall 2009 Freshmen returning as Sophomores: 80% Placement after Graduation: 64% full-time employment, 36% Graduate School Top Employers of Alumni: Mitsubishi nuclear energy, Thomas & Betts Power,

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, MWV, TRANE, and Infilco Degremont.

Student diversity

Undergraduate Fall 2015 Diversity Statistics White - 944 students (47.2%)
Asian - 377 students (18.8%)
International - 288 students (14.4%)
Black/African American - 188 students (9.4%)
Hispanic/Latino - 113 students (5.6%)
Two or More Races - 59 students (2.9%)
Unknown - 23 students (1.1%)
Native American/Alaskan - 4 students (0.2%)
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - 2 students (0.1%)

References

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