Pathway to engineering
New agreement will enable Bismarck State College students to earn a UND engineering degree
Bismarck State College and the University of North Dakota have created a collaborative engineering program that will result in a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from UND, earned on the BSC campus.
On Tuesday, Jan. 26, leaders from the two institutions signed an agreement that will create a pathway for students to complete their engineering bachelor’s degree in Bismarck.
“I am thrilled to sign this program agreement that will connect academic programs offered by BSC and UND,” said UND President Andy Armacost. “Both institutions are focused on academic excellence, and this new agreement will enable BSC students to readily earn both their associate degree and ultimately their bachelor’s degree in engineering. This is an amazing program that will allow both institutions to contribute to developing well-educated graduates and technical leaders for the State of North Dakota.”
“As a polytechnic institution, our mission is to create career pathways for students and create economic opportunity for business,” said Bismarck State College President Doug Jensen. “This partnership exemplifies both of those goals. It provides a high-quality collaborative program to students in a convenient, timely, flexible and cost-effective manner right here in Bismarck. It makes an engineering degree more feasible for those aspiring to be an engineer and builds the talent needed in the business community.”
Students in the new four-year engineering program option will benefit from BSC’s strong pre-engineering program as well as UND’s 31-year history of distance education in engineering. After completing their associate degree from BSC, students will transition into the UND distance program to complete their ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree with local support from both BSC and UND.
The BSC/UND collaborative engineering program includes Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
“We are very excited to partner with BSC to offer a pathway for students in Bismarck to earn an engineering degree,” said Brian Tande, dean of the UND College of Engineering & Mines. “By working together, our two institutions have developed a cost-effective way for students to become engineers and take advantage of opportunities at both schools. As a native of Western North Dakota, I’m especially happy the College of Engineering and Mines will have a greater presence in this part of the state and, together with BSC, train more engineers to help grow the economy of our state.”
Both campuses will maintain compliance with state and national accreditation guidelines, and the collaboration will benefit the engineering workforce needs of the region and beyond by providing high-quality engineering graduates.
New students interested in this engineering degree pathway can apply for the Fall 2021 semester at bismarckstate.edu/apply. Current BSC pre-engineering students should apply at UND.edu.
