Engineering and Pre-Engineering
Students preparing for careers in engineering have three kinds of programs available at Pittsburg State University:
- Two-year pre-engineering;
- A chemistry or physics B.S. degree as preparation for graduate work in engineering;
- An engineering technology B.S. degree as preparation for transfer to engineering B.S. program or graduate work in engineering.
Pre-Engineering
Pre-engineering is the name given to the first two years of study for students who plan to transfer to an engineering school. Unlike some "pre"-programs, pre-engineering is an engineering curriculum and not something taken before studying engineering.
The chairperson of the Department of Physics coordinates the pre-engineering curricula. These are administered by the Departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering Technology. Advisors for specific engineering specialties may be contacted in these departments:
Department of Engineering Technology
Architectural Engineering, Construction Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Plastics/Polymer
Engineering
Department of Chemistry
Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering,
Nuclear Engineering and Petroleum Engineering
Department of Mathematics
Civil Engineering and Mining Engineering
Department of Physics
Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering,
Engineering Physics, Agricultural Engineering,
Aeronautical Engineering, General Engineering,
and Industrial Engineering
Students who have not yet chosen a particular specialty will be advised in the Department of Physics initially.
Pre-Law Curricula
Pre-Law Advisor: Dr. Michael A. Kelley, Social Sciences
Office: 412 Russ Hall
Telephone: 620-235-4324
email: jmkelley@pittstate.edu
Law schools, unlike medical or some other professional schools, do not require any particular degree or course of study for admission. Each applicant is required to have completed only a bachelor's degree and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Someone who is interested in pre-law at Pittsburg State University may choose any field in which to complete a baccalaureate degree. However, prospective law students should possess three basic qualities, which should be developed and amplified by their major/minor during their matriculation at the university:
• Skill in the comprehension and use of language. Language is the lawyer's working tool. In seeking to convince, in drafting legal instruments and legislation, and in oral and written arguments, a lawyer must have the capacity to communicate with clarity, precision, and persuasiveness. A program of study which requires one to write is, therefore, essential.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills. An important part of a lawyer's work is problem solving, which demands creative and analytical thinking. Any pre-law curriculum should, therefore, foster student development of research skills, use of facts, deductive and inductive reasoning, critical concepts and logic, and the systematic formation of principles and concepts.
• An understanding and interest in human institutions and values. Lawyers are not just engaged in a process like that of an assembly line worker; rather, they are forces in the actual operation and shaping of the institutions and values with which humankind is concerned. The work lawyers do can have a tremendous impact on the lives of both individuals and the broader community. A broad background in politics, history, philosophy, economics, and the arts is, therefore, quite important.
The political science major provides students with a pre-law emphasis. The emphasis area allows students not only to develop the requisite skills necessary to law school success but also will expose them to the "Socratic" approach to learning employed at most law schools.
Pre-Medicine
The program of study for pre-medical students is designed to meet the course work requirements for application to most medical schools. While students may major in any field of study, most choose either biological or physical science. Most pre-medical advisors are in the Department of Biology or the Department of Chemistry. For a suggested program of study, see the pre-professional curriculums listed in the catalog sections for the Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry or consult pre-medical advisors in the Department of Biology or the Department of Chemistry.
Pre-Dentistry
The pre-dental student may pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in a major of their choice, although most choose either a biological or a physical science. Although the minimum requirements for admission to approved schools of dentistry as established by the Council of Dental Education, American Dental Association provides for admission to most dental schools after the completion of two full years of college work, the applicants will find their chances of being accepted are increasingly improved with the completion of the third or even the fourth year of college work. Early contact with a pre-dental advisor is imperative.
Pre-Pharmacy
The university offers pre-professional work in pharmacy. Details concerning this two year program can be obtained from the Department of Chemistry. Following pre-pharmacy studies at Pittsburg State University, students must be admitted to a school of pharmacy to complete their training. Names and addresses of nearby schools of pharmacy are available.
Other Pre-Professional Programs
The Department of Biology offers pre-professional work in forestry, medical technology, physical therapy, optometry and veterinary medicine. Consult the chairperson of the department for details concerning these programs. |
