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School of Engineering

About the School Quick Facts

The Swanson School of Engineering's 100 faculty members serve nearly 2,500 students in six departments.

75 percent undergraduate and 25 percent graduateThe school attracts some of the brightest students in the country.

  • Typical freshmen are in the top 10 percent of their high school senior class.
  • Nearly 5 percent of each class of freshman students at Pitt are in the top 1 percent of college-bound students.

The Swanson School of Engineering's strengths are found within six major departments:

  • Bioengineering (BS, MS, PhD)
  • Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (BS, MS, PhD)
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering (BS, MS, PhD)
  • Electrical Engineering (BS, MS, PhD)
  • Industrial Engineering (BS, MS, PhD)
  • Mechanical Engineering +
    Materials Science (BS, MS, PhD)

There are also six interdisciplinary areas:

  • Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering (BS)
  • Bioengineering (Joint MD and PhD)
  • Computer Engineering (BS)
  • Engineering Physics (BS)
  • Manufacturing Systems Engineering (MS)
  • Petroleum Engineering (MS)
Undergraduate Graduate Total
Department/
Program
FT  PT Total FT PT  Total FT PT  Total
Bioeng 132 2 134 121 19 140 253 21 274
ChE & PetE 129 1 130 46 6 52 175 7 182
CEE 258 5 263 41 30 71 299 35 334
COE 149 11 160 --- --- --- 149 11 160
EE 211 15 226 73 22 95 284 37 321
IE 153 4 157 44 30 74 197 34 231
ME 323 7 330 46 31 77 369 38 407
MSE 38 0 38 17 3 20 55 3 58
EnRes --- --- --- 0 0 0 0 0 0
MSEP --- --- --- 0 0 0 0 0 0
EngrPh 21 0 21 --- --- --- 21 0 21
Special 2 2 4 0 15 15 2 17 19
Fresh. 470 2 472 --- --- --- 470 2 472
TOTAL 1886 49 1935  388  156 544  2274  205  2479

FT = full time
PT = part time
(Fall 2005 data)

Cooperative Education Program

  • 200 participating companies
  • Over 60 percent student participation
  • Nearly 100 percent graduate job placement over the past three years.

Diversity

  • Engineering undergraduate women enrollment has increased over the last six years to 25 percent, exceeding the national average
  • In 2001, the Swanson School of Engineering ranked #1 in the state of Pennsylvania for the number of African American graduates, according to the Engineering Workforce Commission.

Research

  • Research funding has doubled in five years to $20 million annually within the school and $15 million interdisciplinary funding, for a total of $35 million.
  • Faculty members hold more than 200 research contracts.

External Support

With generous support from individuals, corporations, and foundations, the school realized $10,941,363 in total support for the 2006 fiscal year. This figure includes a cash total for the year of $10,134,045. This is the second consecutive year, and third out of the past four, in which donors have given more than $10 million in cash gifts to the Swanson School of Engineering.

The Swanson School of Engineering is in the midst of a fundraising campaign to raise $100 million for the school as part of the University of Pittsburgh “Discover a World of Possibilities” capital campaign aimed at raising $1 billion.

Alumni

Total Living Engineering Alumni (07/03/2006)
Bioengineering 315 Chemical and
Petroleum Engineering
3,732
Civil and
Environmental Engineering
4,059 Computer Engineering 407
Electrical Engineering 5,954 Industrial Engineering 2,900
Materials Science
and Engineering
1,486 Mechanical Engineering 5,497
Other
Majors/Specializations
1,197    
Total     25,547

Benedum Hall

Dedicated in 1971, Benedum Hall is home to exploration and discovery.

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