Department of Engineering

Engineering at St. Mary’s

The Engineering programs at St. Mary’s University are known for high academic standards and innovative Senior Design Projects.

The curriculum emphasizes important areas in the respective engineering fields and exposes students to state-of-the-art engineering tools including hardware and software.

Students get a special blend of classroom learning and hands-on engineering practice, creating technical leaders who are able to “engineer the greater good” for society.

St. Mary’s focuses on educating the whole individual by integrating liberal arts and professional education. Our institution promotes student development in the context of the larger community, preparing students for success not only in their engineering careers, but also in all aspects of their lives.

Education of the whole person is an important trait of the Marianist education philosophy that we follow in our Engineering programs. We also offer thought-provoking lectures from a variety of experts each semester during the Engineering Seminar Series.

Drone Concentration

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science at St. Mary’s University offers a concentration that allows students to acquire the depth and breadth of knowledge for a career in the rapidly expanding drone industry.

This program is the first of its kind in Texas.

The drone concentration combines foundational engineering principles — common to all engineering majors — as well as 24 credits hours of technical electives related to drone technology.

The electives include a yearlong senior design project to develop drone technology for real-world applications for industry partners and a drone flight certification. Upon completion of the program, graduates will possess a competitive portfolio and be prepared for entry into the drone industry or for continuing education.

The drone education takes place in the 25-foot-tall, 1,734-square-foot Drone Lab, complete with a flight area, an observation area and workstations. The Lab allows professors to incorporate drones into their curriculum and students to take on more drone-related research for industry partners.

Rattler Racing

St. Mary’s students build the Rattler race car, which looks something like a dune buggy, from the ground up.

It will be taken to Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) competitions and raced by student drivers.

While Engineering students are key in the development and maintenance of the race car, Rattler Racing seeks students of all majors to join the crew.

STEM Facilities

Recently, our facilities underwent significant upgrades to accommodate both the broadening scope of research that is being carried out and the acquisition of several new pieces of machinery that will serve the Department for years to come.

The Department of Engineering’s teaching and research facilities are located in the Richter Math-Engineering Center Lab Annex and in the basement of Garni Science Hall.

This commitment to the field of engineering and global technology is accomplished using first-rate teaching and research facilities specially built to accommodate research targeted toward multiple fields.

The Wireless (WiSe) and Computer Security Laboratory is equipped to address the fast-growing need to integrate effective security features into wireless communications networks.
The Prototyping and Development Laboratory is the Department’s definitive workshop. Here, arrays of prototypes are constructed using state-of-the-art machinery. It is also frequently used by students for the Engineering Senior Design Projects.
The CAM and Robotics Laboratory is used for high-precision engineering and manufacturing. This laboratory houses what are arguably some of the most pivotal tools of the 21^st century – a state-of-the-art 3-D printers and laser scanners.

STEM Summer Camps

In the Drone Programming Summer Camp, students will program drones using Python and learn advanced concepts such as autonomous flying, computer vision, and ArUco markers identification.

In the Engineering Summer Camp, learn basic engineering concepts in computer-aided design and 3D printers, structural engineering, fluid dynamics, electrical engineering and thermodynamics.

Learn more about camps