Tulane to expand engineering offerings with new certificate program

The Tulane School of Science and Engineering is embarking on a new curriculum that will include certificate programs in electrical, mechanical, materials, and computational engineering.

Under the program, students majoring in engineering physics may choose one of the four concentrations, enabling them to graduate with both a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics and a certificate in their specialty area.

“We are very excited about the newly approved certificates, which will allow students to combine the broad foundation of the existing Engineering Physics major with a concentration in a more focused area of engineering,” said Lev Kaplan, chair of the physics and engineering physics department at Tulane.

"The new certificates will further help (students)...market their abilities for internships, jobs and graduate programs."

Professor Lev Kaplan

“Many of our graduates are already pursuing master’s or PhD degrees in these areas, or going into industry jobs in these areas, and the new certificates will further help them plan their elective coursework and market their abilities for internships, jobs and graduate programs,” Kaplan said.

Tulane began offering the concentrations at the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year, and each certificate has a pre-approved set of coursework that meets the requirements of that certificate.

Nick Altiero, dean of the School of Science and Engineering, emphasized that the new certificate program is an expansion of engineering that will give students an edge as they apply to graduate school or enter the job market.

“I firmly believe that our integrated School of Science and Engineering is something special,” he said, “and I want us to build engineering programs that take full advantage of our strengths in the sciences.”