The Dual Degree Program
The University of Richmond in combination with Columbia University offers a 3-2 or 4-2 dual-degree engineering program. Through the Columbia Combined Plan Program, students receive a bachelor's degree in a major of their choosing from the University of Richmond and a second bachelor's degree in engineering from Columbia. Students spend their first three or four years at the University of Richmond fulfilling requirements for their Richmond degree and completing pre-requisites for admission into the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science. Students then spend their last two years at Columbia completing their engineering degree. Students apply to transfer to Columbia in the start of the Spring of their third (for the 3-2 program) or fourth (for the 4-2 program) year at UR.
Columbia Degree Options
- Applied mathematics
- Applied physics
- Biomedical engineering
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Computer engineering
- Earth and environmental engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Engineering and management systems
- Industrial engineering
- Materials science and engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Operations research
Program Requirements and Recommendation
- Successful completion of the University of Richmond degree and major requirements including, all general education requirements and major requirements during the three or four years at the University of Richmond.
- Full-time enrollment at the University of Richmond for at least the past three years.
- An overall GPA of 3.30 or higher is highly recommended.
- A pre-engineering GPA of 3.30 or higher, as calculated by Columbia. Additionally, the minimum grade for each pre-engineering science or math course must be a B (3.0) or better on the first attempt.
- Successful completion, by the end of the spring semester in which you are applying, of the foundational and major-specific pre-requisite courses for your intended major as listed in the Curriculum Guide. (See the Curriculum Guide corresponding to your date of matriculation below for a detailed list of pre-requisite coursework.)
- Letters of recommendation from the Engineering Dual-Degree Advisor as well as two other letters from a math or science instructor.
- Demonstration of English language proficiency. A candidate whose native language is not English and whose language of instruction in secondary school was not English must demonstrate English language proficiency as described under applications requirements on the combined plan admissions website.
Curriculum Guides
Specific course requirements can be found here. Please select the year you began at the University of Richmond.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What kind of student is the dual-degree engineering program ideal for?
The dual-degree engineering program is designed for students who want to combine the experience of the high-quality, student-centered, undergraduate liberal arts education of UR with an engineering degree. This is the stated goal of both the UR engineering program and the Columbia University Combined Plan.
Because students pursuing the pre-engineering program must complete all of the pre-requisite courses for the program, plus all of the courses for their major and general education requirements, by the end of their third (for the 3-2 program) or fourth (for the 4-2 program) year at UR, students in the program are typically highly motived and interested in both quantitative fields and other subjects.
Students who are primarily interested in just an undergraduate engineering education are likely to be better matched to a university which has an engineering school and undergraduate engineering majors available.
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How likely am I to be accepted to transfer to Columbia?
Students who complete all of the pre-requisite courses with a grade of B or better in each, have an overall GPA of at least 3.30 and generally good grades in their science and math courses, and receive positive letters of recommendation are extremely likely to be accepted to transfer to Columbia into the engineering concentration of their choice. Students who do not meet these requirements are unlikely to be accepted to Columbia and typically don’t apply.
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What happens if I don’t apply to transfer to Columbia, or if I am not accepted there?
Students who do not apply to transfer to Columbia or are not accepted there simply finish their UR degree and graduate from UR.
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How many students are in the dual-degree program? How many students apply to Columbia each year?
Typically dozens of students are interested in the dual-degree program but many decide on other paths for their career, such as pursuing a graduate degree in engineering or another profession or entering the workforce with just their UR degree.
Around 5-6 students per year have applied to Columbia in recent years. As discussed above, students who meet the conditions to successfully apply to Columbia are likely to be accepted.
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Which letters of recommendation are needed to apply to transfer to Columbia?
Letters of recommendation are needed from 1) a science professor that the student has taken a class with, 2) a math professor that the student has taken a class with, and 3) the pre-engineering advisor. The latter letter is more of a certification that the student has met the pre-requisite requirements.
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Does UR financial aid transfer to Columbia?
Financial aid and scholarships do not transfer, although student loans can likely continue. Columbia allows transfer students to apply for financial aid.
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In the pre-requisite course requirements, what counts as “non-technical” courses?
Non-technical courses are those which are not i) science or math, ii) business, or iii) involve learning a ‘hands-on’ skill. As an example of the latter, a course about the history of painting would be considered non-technical, but a course where you learn how to paint would not be eligible.
Some courses in Economics are considered non-technical if they are less mathematically intensive, for example ECON 102 is considered non-technical and is commonly taken.
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Can courses taken to meet general education requirements or major requirements count as pre-requisite courses, including non-technical courses?
Yes.
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Do foreign language courses count as non-technical courses?
Yes.
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Can courses which I have AP or IB credit satisfy pre-requisite course requirements?
Yes, as long as they appear on your UR transcript.
See https://newspiders.richmond.edu/academics/planning/transfer-credit.html for general information about transferring AP and IB credits to UR
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Can transfer courses from another university satisfy for pre-requisite course requirements?
Yes, as long as they appear on your UR transcript with a corresponding UR course number.
See https://registrar.richmond.edu/services/procedures/transfer-work.html for general information about transferring other university credits to UR.
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Do students need a particular major to pursue the dual-degree engineering program? Which majors do students pursuing the program typically have?
Students with any UR major can pursue the dual-degree program. Common majors are Mathematical Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics (including the Interdisciplinary Physics major), Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Finance, and others.
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Do students need to complete all of the UR graduation requirements by the time they transfer to Columbia?
Students need to complete the requirements for their major, the general education requirements, and all other general UR graduation requirements, except for the total number of credits by the time they transfer to Columbia, which is at the end of their third (for the 3-2 program) or fourth (for the 4-2 program) year. Credits from Columbia can be transferred back to UR in order to meet the total number of credits requirement for UR, for those students who did not meet this before transferring to Columbia.
See https://registrar.richmond.edu/services/graduation/ for general UR graduation requirements.
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Can students in the dual-degree program participate in UR’s graduation commencement ceremonies?
Yes students can participate in UR’s graduation commencement ceremonies in May as soon as they meet all of the requirements for UR graduation, even if they have already been accepted to transfer to Columbia or are at Columbia at that time.
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Can students who pursue the dual-degree engineering program study abroad?
For students pursuing the 3-2 program it is typically quite difficult to study abroad given that students must complete all of the required courses for the program and to those graduate UR with their major in 3 years. It is possible for students pursuing the 4-2 program to study abroad, but this depends on a number of factors such as which major(s) they are pursuing and which AP or IB credits they may have.
General UR study abroad information is available here: https://registrar.richmond.edu/registration/programs/study-abroad/requirements.html.