With the addition of an engineering major, students will be able to graduate from IC ready to join the workforce or to pursue an advanced degree. The creation of a dedicated engineering lab is an important component of the Crispin Hall renovation. This state- of-the-art learning environment will provide students with a space for hands-on learning, including expanded opportunities for student-faculty research.

Josiah Kunz ’12, assistant professor of physics, reports that more and more incoming students are interested in majoring in engineering and that the addition of the four-year engineering major will not only strengthen the College’s enrollment, it will also help meet the growing need for well-rounded and multifaceted engineers in the region and around the world. Until now, students interested in studying engineering at IC finished their degree at a second institution, he noted. The new engineering major makes it possible for them to start and finish their bachelor’s degree without having to transfer.

Illinois College has long educated students who pursue successful careers in engineering. Kunz works closely with students interested in engineering and in getting hands-on experience through student-faculty research. He emphasized that an engineering program within the context of IC’s well-rounded curriculum “allows students to experience a variety of coursework and internships that other programs do not.”

Coursework will cover foundational topics in engineering, in conjunction with interdisciplinary courses to help students build communication, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The breadth provided through IC’s curriculum will prepare students well to solve complex problems in a global workforce. Students choose courses in environmental or biomedical engineering.

Students with an engineering degree from Illinois College will be prepared to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to begin their state licensure. The College is seeking accreditation through the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The multi-step ABET application process is anticipated to be completed by 2026.

Learn more at ic.edu/engineering.

Josiah Kunz is the assistant professor of physics. He holds a doctorate in computational and particle accelerator physics from Illinois Institute of Technology. His research interests include radiation dosimetry and pedagogical simulations.