Engineering major popular among women
The most asked question in college may be: What’s your major? The student who answers “engineering” is among a growing number of those enrolling in engineering programs.
Nationally, enrollment in engineering programs is said to be at a 30-year high[1]. One factor may be that students and their parents are in search of recession-proof careers. It doesn’t hurt that engineering jobs are among the highest paying ones out there[2]. If you’re a woman entering the field, your job prospects are even better. Sources say the engineering job market is “wide open, particularly to women.[3]”
At the all-women’s Saint Mary's College, students who successfully complete the Engineering Dual Degree Program have the added edge of holding two bachelor’s degrees, one from Saint Mary’s and one from the University of Notre Dame. In four years, students earn a Saint Mary’s degree in a related field (e.g. mathematics or chemistry). In the fifth year, they graduate with an engineering degree from Notre Dame.
There is a growing interest in the dual degree program. “We are increasing the number of female students in each graduating engineering class at Notre Dame by 10 percent,” says Toni Barstis, Saint Mary’s chemistry professor/engineering program director. Notre Dame’s overall engineering program has seen an enrollment boost of 15-20% in the past two years, a further reflection of an increased national interest in the major.
This fall, seven Saint Mary’s 2010 graduates will be at Notre Dame completing their fifth year with the program. Thirty sophomores, juniors and seniors are in the dual degree program, with an untold number of first year students interested in it.
To meet an Engineering Dual Degree Program student, go to: http://www3.saintmarys.edu/face-to-face-dual-dose-of-ambition
Interested in a possible news story? Please contact Gwen O'Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary's College at (574) 284-4579 or gobrien@saintmarys.edu.
For more information on Saint Mary's College, go to www.saintmarys.edu.
[1] http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2009/0424/p02s01-usgn.html
[2] http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp
[3] http://biotechsector.com/?p=2254
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