Lee University to introduce a four-year engineering program

Lee University will be introducing a four year engineering program in the fall semester of 2023, replacing the current program with an Engineering Sciences degree. 

Lee originally introduced a dual degree engineering program in the fall of 2016 in partnership with Tennessee Tech University. This allowed students to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree with a pre-engineering emphasis at Lee for three years and then transfer to Tennessee Tech University to finish their final two years of school. The education at Lee would mostly consist of general education courses and a few specialized math and science courses before students would transfer to get the engineering portion of their degree. This program will still continue as an option for those who would prefer it.

The program expanded when Professor Anthony Minutolo, assistant professor in engineering and physics, was hired to teach four introductory engineering classes. 

With the new program, students are able to pursue a fully accredited degree through the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology in engineering without the need to transfer schools. Students are required to specialize in chemical, civil, electrical or mechanical engineering. The program has 37 hours of engineering classes with a senior design project.

For students like Kat Sweeney, a transfer sophomore from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Florida, the change impacts more than just her degree.

“The change means that I can play the rest of my college career at one school so I don’t have to worry about transferring to a third school,” said Sweeney, a lacrosse player focusing on engineering.

Even without the four-year program, Lee has been able to make steps in the field of engineering by sending eight engineering students into fully funded PhD programs at various schools including University of Tennessee Knoxville, University of Rochester, University of Maryland. 

“Students email us back, telling us, ‘I find myself sitting at the top of my class,’ and ‘I find myself being asked to join fellow programs,’” said Minutolo. “Lee has prepared our students incredibly well.” 

Joining the engineering program can come from a simple fascination with building, like it did for sophomore Sam Maddox. 

“I decided on engineering because I used to be obsessed with Legos and thought that it was really cool,” says Maddox. “Engineering just felt like the right step.”

Minutolo’s advice for all students considering becoming engineering majors is to evaluate how much they like math. 

“We, as engineers, are applied mathematicians. We use math to solve problems. We use the laws of math and the laws of physics to design things that will help make a better place,” Minutolo said. 

You can find the degree audit on Lee’s website or contact Professor Minutolo at aminutolo@leeuniversity.edu.