Undergraduate Programs | LSU College of Engineering

Undergraduate Programs

The college offers 11 fields of study from which to choose:

Biological Engineering

Apply engineering principles to living organisms and systems, whether those include plants, animals, humans, or the environment. Focus areas include biomedical, bioenvironmental, bioprocessing, or biomechanical. Many graduates go on to medical school or graduate school, but others will work in consulting, government agencies, biomedical firms, or even technical sales.

Learn more about Biological Engineering      Visit the Biological Engineering site     BE One Sheet

Students in a biological engineering lab.
 

Chemical Engineering

Combine several fields of science (chemistry, physics, and biology) with engineering design principles to create new chemical and biochemical processes–usually in the form of chemical reactions or separations. These techniques can be used to convert raw materials like sand, metal ore, crude oil, and natural gas into all of the products we use every day. Graduates may work in the petrochemical industry/plants, research and development, or go on to graduate school or medical school.

Learn more about Chemical Engineering      Visit the Chemical Engineering site     ChE One Sheet

Student works in chemical engineering lab.
 

Civil Engineering

Work on the design, installation, and maintenance of the infrastructure systems essential for development of modern societies and coastal subsidence projects crucial for the resilience of Louisiana and other coastal regions. Sub-disciplines include structures (bridges, buildings, industrial facilities, etc.), water resources (rivers, levees, canals, etc.), transportation (roadways, highways, traffic systems, etc.), geotechnical (soils, foundations, coastal subsidence, etc.), and geodesy (surveying). Graduates may work for structural design firms or the large-scale petrochemical facilities but often work for government agencies such as the Department of Transportation or U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Learn more about Civil Engineering      Visit the Civil Engineering site     CE One Sheet

Student works in civil engineering program
 

Computer Engineering

Create, design, or improve computer hardware and/or software by combining knowledge from the fields of electrical engineering and computer science. Computer engineers work in the fast-paced and dynamic field of computer technology and might be involved in any aspect of computer design, including circuit design, supercomputing, microprocessor design, personal computing, chip design, embedded systems, sensor design, robotics, and more.

Learn more about Computer Engineering     Visit the Computer Engineering site     CompE One Sheet

Computer engineering student creates program.
 

Computer Science

Learn the principles and algorithms behind modern-day computing, develop programming and software design skills, and then use computers to solve problems in almost any field. Concentrations include software engineering, cloud computing and networking, data science and analytics, and computer science and a second discipline. Many graduates go on to become software engineers/developers, but other job titles include cyber security specialist, system manager, data analyst, network designer, web developer, entrepreneur, and more.

Learn more about Computer Science     Visit the Computer Science site     CS One Sheet

Computer science students work on group project.
 

Construction Management

Use engineering and business principles to oversee the complexities of the construction process. This includes construction methods/materials, estimating, budgeting, contract law, planning, scheduling, safety, the use of the latest technologies, and effective communication. Industry emphasis areas include industrial, highway, commercial, residential, and general construction. Graduates are easily employed in this booming industry and have the skills to enter multiple industry-related career paths, or they can start their own construction business.

Learn more about Construction Management     Visit the Construction Management site     CM One Sheet

Students learn surveying
 
 

Electrical Engineering

Design products and systems that use electricity to run the modern world. Electrical engineers are primarily concerned with the generation, control, transmission, and distribution of electric energy, signals, and information. This may be on a large scale, such as designing a more reliable power grid, or a small scale, such as developing components for a new medical device or cell phone. Graduates could design power systems in Baton Rouge, work on flight control systems in San Diego, help maintain an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, or work at a software company in Silicon Valley.

Learn more about Electrical Engineering     Visit the Electrical Engineering site     EE One Sheet

Electrical engineering student works on project.
 

Environmental Engineering

Use the principles of engineering, biology, chemistry, and physics to address environmental challenges such as waste disposal, water treatment, recycling, pollution control, and public health. Specialization tracks include sustainability, coastal engineering, and a “flex” track, which allows students to tailor their focus to meet individual career goals. Graduates pursue careers in governmental organizations, nonprofits, and industry, or they may serve as external consultants for any of these entities.

Learn more about Environmental Engineering     Visit the Environmental Engineering site    EVEG One Sheet

Environmental engineering students test ph levels.
 

Industrial Engineering

Apply engineering design principles to create or improve any type of system. Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes and devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service. They help businesses and organizations reach their full potential by improving process flows, supply chain management, quality assurance, and safety. Industrial engineers might work on a broad range of areas, from redesigning factories to make better use of resources to creating quicker and safer processes for emergency rooms and healthcare systems. With skills that can be applied to almost any industry, industrial engineers can work in almost any field and at any type of organization/company.

Learn more about Industrial Engineering     Visit the Industrial Engineering site     IE One Sheet

Student makes process more efficient.
 

Mechanical Engineering

Research, design, develop, build, integrate, and test mechanical and thermal/flow devices and systems, including sensors, tools, engines, and machines of all kinds. Mechanical engineers design and oversee the manufacture of many products, ranging from medical devices to new batteries. They also design and engineer the maintenance of both power-producing and power-consuming machines. They typically design/redesign devices or systems with the aid of engineering analysis and design tools to solve particular problems; investigate, diagnose, and fix equipment failures/problems; develop and test prototypes; analyze test results; change designs and/or systems as needed to fulfill their purpose; and oversee manufacturing processes. Modern mechanical engineers are expected to take a leading role in the digital transformation, which is already underway in many industrial sectors. Mechanical engineers can often cover what other engineers do because of the breadth of this engineering field.

Learn more about Mechanical Engineering     Visit the Mechanical Engineering site     ME One Sheet

Mechanical engineering students build car from scratch.
 

Petroleum Engineering

Design systems for safe and efficient access to the earth’s subsurface. Traditional careers include oil and natural gas production, which makes our everyday lives possible. Emerging fields include carbon sequestration and geothermal energy. Petroleum engineers work in a high-tech, lucrative industry and can pursue technical or managerial roles in companies of all sizes. They often serve as consultants or start their own business.

Learn more about Petroleum Engineering     Visit the Petroleum Engineering site     PETE One Sheet

Student conduct research on oil rig.
 

 

Learn more about our interdisciplinary minors.

The goal of the undergraduate minor, “German for Engineers,” is to translate LSU’s mission of educating global leaders for tomorrow into a concrete program whose graduates excel in technical knowledge and engineering expertise and combine this with international experience, communicative competence, cultural literacy, and foreign language skills in German.

German flag
 

Robotics Undergraduate Minor

The Robotics Engineering minor aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the field of robotics to undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers or graduate degrees in this field, or in acquiring a multidisciplinary education.

Student working with drone
 

eCommerce Undergraduate Minor

This minor, created in collaboration with IBM, is intended for students interested in careers in eCommerce-related applications development and information technologies, including enterprise development, systems analysis & architecture, data warehousing, and data analytics.

Student giving presentation
 

 

Licensure and Certification

Licensure in engineering falls under the jurisdiction of state licensing boards. All of our engineering programs result in a student earning “an ABET accredited degree,” which is one of the requirements for the Professional Engineers license for all states. Other requirements include passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, passing the Principles & Practices of Engineering (PE) examination, and engineering work experience.

Contractor licensure for construction managers falls under the jurisdiction of state licensing boards; however, our construction management program does result in a student earning “an ACCE accredited degree,” which is one of the requirements for Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) through the American Institute of Constructors (AIC). Other requirements to qualify to sit for the CPC Level II exam include passing the Certified Associate Constructor Level I Exam and construction management work experience. For licensure, contact the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.

If you intend to pursue professional licensing, which we recommend, we advise you contact the state licensing board (e.g., in Louisiana that is the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying (LAPELS) Board) in the state(s) you want to become licensed to familiarize yourself with their specific requirements (e.g., application process, fees). Further, you may contact the associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering ([email protected]) with questions related to licensure.