Meet some of our talented and diverse students:

---

What I loved most about Engineering Science was the flexibility it gave me. As a student in the Electrical Engineering department, I began to volunteer at a local Charlottesville middle school engineering classroom. I soon realized that teaching was my passion, but was disappointed thinking that I would have to switch out of the engineering school in order to pursue teaching as a career. Luckily, I learned about the Engineering Science major, which allowed me to continue studying Electrical Engineering while also adding on enough Applied Math courses to become a certified math teacher in the state of Virginia (in addition to taking education courses). After five years at UVA, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science and my Master of Teaching Secondary Mathematics. The Engineering Science program allowed me to combine my passions for engineering and education, and it provided dedicated and supportive advisors to help me along my path.

---

At UVA, I was the kind of student who wanted to study everything and figure out how different subjects intersected. I loved finding connections between seemingly unrelated things. I knew that I could not fit into one box or category, so when I discovered Engineering Science (ES), I knew that this major would be able to help me achieve my goals. As a double major with Music, I wanted to learn more about the engineering side of music, but I had a fascination with Astrophysics and still wanted to pursue it. Engineering Science allowed me to study everything I wanted in college and in my own way. As a working professional in the entertainment industry, I am able to use my knowledge that I bring together from my unique experiences. ES gave me the tools and support I needed to pursue my passions.

---

First year, like many other engineering students, I wasn’t 100% certain of what area of engineering I wanted to pursue.  I didn’t like the idea of having to choose one field while having minimal exposure to all of the potential engineering majors. The ES program gave me the opportunity and flexibility to explore more than just one area of engineering and find what I was passionate about. In the end, I decided on a combination of Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science in addition to pursuing an Entrepreneurship minor in the Commerce school. Overall, the ES program has given me the unique perspective and value of an engineering education while also offering the flexibility to pursue my passions beyond engineering.

---

ES is a great path for undergraduates to take because it allows flexibility, diversity, and creativity when scheduling and organizing your credits. The difference between ES and other engineering departments is noticeable. For example, my colleagues in ES studied a variety of subjects, ranging from neuroscience to music to entrepreneurship. When I started Engineering at UVA, I thought I wanted to go the typical route of Mechanical or Systems Engineering. However, during my second semester, I took an elective Materials Science course to try new subjects. The term Materials Science meant nothing to me at the time, but soon after my first year of college was over, I knew MSE was the route for me. ES allowed me to customize my courses to meet my interests more than any other engineering major would have.