The Elmhurst College Physics Department offers several options for students who wish to study engineering.  All of these options are designed to provide both a broader educational experience and a stronger basic science background than is provided by the traditional engineering curriculum.

A unique parallel dual-degree program offered in cooperation with Illinois Institute of Technology allows studetns to simultaneously take basic science and general education courses at Elmhurst and engineering courses at IIT's Rice Campus in Wheaton.  Curricula in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering with a Computer Engineering Option, Mechanical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering are currently being offered.  Upon completion of the program, which normally takes five years, the student receives a B.A. or B.S. degree in physics from Elmhurst and a B.S. degree in engineering from IIT.  Students enrolled in this program can participate in student activities and use all available facilities at both institutions.  Resident students may remain on campus at Elmhurst during the entire duration of the program.

Another option is a "3-2" dual-degree progam in which students spend the first three years at Elmhurst taking basic science and general education courses followed by two years taking engineering courses at a cooperative university.  This also leads to both a B.A. or B.S. in physics and a B.S. in engineering.  Formal arrangements of this kind currently exist with the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Washington University in Saint Louis, and the University of Southern California, but transfer to other engineering schools is possible as well.   A "2-2" program leading to a single degree can also be arranged.  In any case, initial course selection is the same as for the regular Physics Major with subsequent courses depending on the area of engineering the student plans to enter.   Further details may be obtained from the Chairperson of the Physics Department who serves as coordinator for these programs.

An alternative chosen by many students interested in electrical, mechanical, or nuclear engineering or material science is to complete a physics degree at Elmhurst and then go to graduate school for one or two additional years to obtain a master's degree in an engineering specialty.  There are two advantages to this approach: first, the student receives two sequential degrees rather than two degrees at the same level; second, a strong student can usually obtian an assistantship or fellowship to cover tuition and expenses during the period of graduate study.