Department of Engineering

About

Our dream is that every student gets to do deep engineering work by the time they graduate.
– Rafael Moras, Ph.D., Professor of Industrial Engineering

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.

Accreditation

Our programs in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Industrial Engineering  are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Engineering is supportive of the mission of St. Mary’s University to foster the formation of people in faith, dedicated to education, scholarship, and service.

Each student is guided and encouraged to grow as a whole person, to develop intellectual capabilities and strong moral and ethical convictions, and to appreciate the value of community service.

Senior Design Projects

The Engineering senior design project is a two-semester effort jointly supervised by St. Mary’s faculty and engineers from the sponsoring organization. Seniors work on solving open-ended problems submitted by and relevant to our industrial collaborators.

The senior project culminates the professional education received at St. Mary’s. Each project is a comprehensive effort: working in conjunction with an industrial internship, the students must apply their educational experience and expertise to identify, plan and design a practical solution to an actual problem.

The end product is a professional report and presentations given before students, faculty, industrial panelists and the sponsoring organization. Interdisciplinary teamwork among students is encouraged through the application of concepts, skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom.

View Senior Design Page

Read about our partnership with Labatt Food Service

Rattler Racing

Rattler Racing officially launched in summer 2017.

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

Facilities

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.

For example, the Wireless (WiSe) and Computer Security Laboratory is equipped to address the fast-growing need to integrate effective security features into wireless communications networks.

There is also the Prototyping and Development Laboratory, which 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.

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.