Academic Catalog

2024-2025

Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology

Department website: http://www.odu.edu/eng

Jeffrey Fergus, Dean
Jeffrey LaCombe, Associate Dean for Undergraduate & Graduate Education
Sherif Ishak, Associate Dean for Research & Innovation
Stacie Ringleb, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access
Anthony Dean, Assistant Dean for Maritime and Defense Initiatives

Mission Statement

In accordance with the mission of Old Dominion University, the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology promotes the advancement of engineering knowledge, both by its creation and dissemination and by providing successful graduates and a continuously improving learning environment to its constituents, while maintaining ethical, multicultural and global standards.

College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement 

The Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology recognizes that diversity and inclusion are foundational to developing creative and robust engineering solutions to address complex global challenges.  We are committed both to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff and to educating our students on the need for these in the engineering profession.

Overview

The Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University offers degrees in engineering and in engineering technology. The course of study that leads to engineering degrees is characterized by a solid foundation in the theoretical underpinnings of engineering based on science and mathematics. Graduates of our undergraduate programs are well equipped to pursue advanced study through graduate education, pursue professional registration, or enter the engineering profession. The course of study that leads to engineering technology degrees is characterized by strong laboratory experiences and an emphasis on the application of engineering fundamentals and techniques that will prepare the graduate to be ready to embark on applied engineering career paths and implement advanced design, analysis and development concepts. The engineering technology degree is considered to be a terminal degree and graduates are prepared for manufacturing, testing, production, and operations.

The engineering and engineering technology programs at Old Dominion University are specifically designed to take advantage of the unique assets in the Hampton Roads area. These assets include:
 
  1. a strong technology center to promote and use modeling and simulation
  2. the NASA Langley Research Center with its focus on aerospace and virtual environments
  3. the Jefferson Laboratories, a major center of nuclear physics and engineering
  4. one of the major international deep-water ports on the east coast of the United States
  5. a major shipbuilding and ship repair industry
  6. a major high technology industry base
  7. a very large presence of military facilities and military contractors 

These assets have enabled the development of distinctive engineering and technology curricula. Points of distinction (from other programs in and out of the state) include the following:

Engineering Up-Front

Freshmen immediately become engaged in practical engineering and technology activities through a required course,  ENGN 121 Introduction to Engineering and Technology. Team projects in different engineering disciplines allow students to experience the professional spectrum from idea generation through its translation into the design, manufacture, and commercialization cycle. This course is well-suited to aid students in selecting a specific engineering discipline for their major for the remainder of their studies. 

Multi-Disciplinary Industry Senior Project

Seniors may choose to join a multi-disciplinary team of students led by faculty and industry representatives to work on an industry project subject to specific deliverables and time and budget constraints.

Linked Bachelor's/Graduate Degree Programs

Undergraduate students in the Batten College of Engineering and Technology may apply for early admission into an engineering graduate program and may be permitted to apply credits for some courses simultaneously to both degrees. The degrees need not be in the same field of engineering.

Monarch Engineering and Innovation Laboratory (M-Lab)

Undergraduate and graduate students in the Batten College of Engineering and Technology have access to the M-Lab a 6,500 square-foot facility where they can learn how to use advanced hardware and software tools that enable 1) the analysis of complex problems, 2) the development of engineering solutions, 3) the analysis and testing of engineering solutions, 4) the development of prototypes from low to high-fidelity, 5) collaboration with students from different engineering programs and engineering disciplines, 6) collaboration with other colleges within the university, 7) collaboration with industry and research partners, and 8)  the promotion of entrepreneurial and commercialization activities.  

Professional Engineer (P.E.) Certification

The  College encourages all of its graduates to eventually be certified as Professional Engineers (P.E.). The certification requires taking the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination and the Professional Engineering (P.E.) Examination. All students are encouraged to take the FE Examination in their senior year. For details, contact the departmental or Dean's Office and the following web site: www.dpor.virginia.gov.

For further information, please visit the college's web site: http://www.odu.edu/eng.

Programs of Study

Bachelor of Science (Majors)

Engineering Programs

  • Civil Engineering - B.S.C.E.
  • Computer Engineering (Computer Engineering Major) - B.S.C.E.
  • Computer Engineering (Modeling & Simulation Engineering Major) - B.S.C.E.
  • Electrical Engineering - B.S.E.E.
  • Mechanical Engineering - B.S.M.E.

Engineering Technology Program's Majors

  • Civil Engineering Technology - B.S.E.T. (Major: Civil Engineering Technology)
  • Electrical Engineering Technology - B.S.E.T. (Major: Electrical Engineering Technology)
  • Manufacturing Engineering Technology - B.S.E.T. (Major: Manufacturing Engineering Technology)
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology - B.S.E.T. (Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology)

Minors

  • Minor in Aerospace Engineering (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
  • Minor in Biomedical Engineering (Interdisciplinary, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering)
  • Minor in Civil Engineering (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Minor in Civil Engineering Technology-Construction (Department of Engineering Technology)
  • Minor in Computer Engineering (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering)
  • Minor in Cybersecurity (Interdisciplinary, see details below)
  • Minor in Electrical Engineering (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering)
  • Minor in Electrical Engineering Technology (Department of Engineering Technology)
  • Minor in Energy Engineering (Interdisciplinary, see details below)
  • Minor in Engineering Management (Department of Engineering Management & Systems Engineering)
  • Minor in Engineering Solutions for Climate Adaptation and Resilience
  • Minor in Environmental Engineering (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Minor in Global Engineering (Interdisciplinary, see details below)
  • Minor in Marine Engineering (Department of Engineering Technology)
  • Minor in Mechanical Engineering (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
  • Minor in Mechanical Engineering Technology (Department of Engineering Technology)
  • Minor in Military Leadership (Department of Naval Science)
  • Minor in Modeling and Simulation (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Master's Programs

Engineering Programs

  • Aerospace (Engineering, M.S., M.E.)
  • Biomedical (Engineering, M.S., M.E.)
  • Civil (Engineering, M.S.)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering (Engineering, M.S.)
  • Engineering Management (M.S., M.E.M.)
  • Environmental (Engineering, M.S.)
  • Mechanical (Engineering, M.S., M.E.)
  • Modeling & Simulation Engineering  (Engineering, M.S.)
  • Systems Engineering (Engineering, M.E.)

Doctoral Programs

Engineering Programs

  • Aerospace (Engineering, Ph.D.)
  • Biomedical (Engineering, Ph.D.)
  • Civil and Environmental (Engineering, Ph.D.)
  • Cybersecurity Engineering (Engineering, D.Eng.)
  • Electrical and Computer (Engineering, Ph.D., D.Eng.)
  • Engineering Management and Systems Engineering (Engineering, Ph.D., D.Eng.)
  • Mechanical (Engineering, Ph.D., D.Eng.)
  • Modeling and Simulation (Engineering, Ph.D., D.Eng.)

Accreditation

The following are engineering programs accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET www.abet.org:

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

The following are engineering technology programs accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission ABET www.abet.org:

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology - Civil Engineering Technology
Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology - Electrical Engineering Technology
Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology - Mechanical Engineering Technology

The following program is certified by the American Society for Engineering Management www.asem.org:

Master of Engineering Management

Collaborative Programs

Cardinal Education

Stacie Ringleb, Director

Cardinal Education is a unique cooperative agreement. This agreement is among the six largest engineering schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia: Old Dominion University, George Mason University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The program was developed in response to the diverse continuing education needs of engineering graduates working in industry and government.

Graduate engineering courses leading to a Master of Science, Master of Engineering degree or a variety of graduate certificates are offered through these universities via a statewide interactive distance-learning network.

Students seeking admission to the various degree programs should request and process their applications through the Cardinal Education Program Office in the Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University: https://www.odu.edu/eng/programs/cgep.

Special Programs

Cooperative Education/Internships Program

The cooperative education programs in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University are of the highest academic quality. These programs allow students to combine academic study with professional-level training. Cooperative education positions may be based on the alternating program style in which periods of full-time study are alternated with periods of full-time employment.  Participation in the cooperative education program can be a source of financial support to help meet a substantial portion of college expenses. All departments in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology strongly endorse the concept of cooperative education and internships.

Old Dominion University/Eastern Virginia Medical School Joint Program in Medicine

The joint program in medicine is designed to encourage highly qualified students to receive a BS from Old Dominion University and an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Students apply after completion of their freshman year at Old Dominion University. Upon successful completion of requirements and graduation from Old Dominion University, a student accepted in the ODU/EVMS Joint Program in Medicine will be guaranteed admission to Eastern Virginia Medical School. Engineering and engineering technology students are encouraged to apply for this program. Complete information can be found in the College of Sciences section of this catalog.

Engineering Fundamentals Division & Curriculum

The Engineering Fundamentals Division (EFD) is designed to provide support to first-year engineering and transfer students as they make the transition into the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology. All students are admitted to this division until they are prepared to successfully take courses in their major. While in this division, students receive individualized counseling, mentoring, and advising support designed to prepare them for success in their chosen engineering or technology major. A key experience for students in this division is ENGN 121 Introduction to Engineering and Technology. This group-oriented course uses hands-on projects to expose students to the spectrum of engineering practices from innovation through design, manufacture and commercialization of a product or process. It also provides students with an opportunity to experience various aspects of engineering and have a basis for selecting their major.

Admission

Students who qualify for regular admission to the University will be accepted into EFD. Students in EFD may identify a desired degree program or may declare that they are undecided among engineering and engineering technology programs. They will be assigned an intended major code classification, which indicates that they are enrolled and, if appropriate, which is their preferred program.

Matriculation into a Degree Program

Students must meet with a major advisor and meet the following requirements in order to be declared:

  1. Earn an overall GPA of 2.0 or better
  2. Complete the Engineering Fundamental courses listed below and earn at least 30 credit hours applicable toward a degree
  3. Complete ENGN 121
  4. Complete ENGL 110C with a C or higher
  5. Complete all freshman-level math courses with a C or higher (MATH 211 & MATH 212 for engineering majors and MATH 162M and MATH 163 or higher for engineering technology majors)
  6. Complete any other major-specific requirements

Normally, students are not eligible to enroll in major courses until they are accepted into the degree program. Students may petition to waive this rule when extenuating circumstances warrant.

Continuance

Students are eligible to continue in the EFD as long as, within two years, they:

  1. meet the continuance regulations of the University and
  2. make reasonable progress toward matriculation into an engineering or engineering technology program.

A student who has ceased reasonable progress toward matriculation into a college degree program will be notified in writing. One semester following this notification, if reasonable progress has not resumed, the student will be referred to the Center for Major Exploration. A student who successfully completes the requirements must apply to and be accepted by a college degree program. Students not accepted into a degree program during a period of one semester beyond completion of the requirements will be referred to the Center for Major Exploration.

Computer Requirement

The Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology requires that all incoming freshmen and transfer students to the college have a notebook or laptop computer that meets or exceeds the Mobile Monarch Student Notebook Program's recommended models for engineering majors. Students are strongly encouraged to consider purchasing one of the Mobile Monarch Student Notebook Program's notebooks; however, students may bring their own notebook if it meets the specifications. Contact the campus Monarch Techstore for technology requirements and student programs at:  https://www.odu.edu/techstore.  Please note, Apple computers are not compatible with engineering software.

Engineering Fundamentals—Engineering Programs

The following courses are commonly taken during the Freshman year (minor differences will be seen from program to program). Please see the individual department/program pages for four-year academic plans. 

First-Year Engineering Courses
ENGN 121Introduction to Engineering and Technology *4
ENGN 122Computer Programming for Engineering4
MATH 211Calculus I4
MATH 212Calculus II4
CHEM 121NFoundations of Chemistry I Lecture3
CHEM 122NFoundations of Chemistry I Laboratory1
ENGL 110CEnglish Composition (grade of C or better required)3
COMM 101RPublic Speaking **3
PHYS 231NUniversity Physics I4
Total Credits30
*

Meets the lower-division general education information literacy and research requirement.

**

Civil Engineering majors may complete Human Creativity during the Freshman year and COMM 101R during the Sophomore year.

Engineering Fundamentals—Engineering Technology Programs

The Engineering Technology course requirements for the freshman year differ from the above by 1) MATH 211 and MATH 212 are replaced by MATH 162M and MATH 163, 2) COMM 101R is replaced by either ENGL 211C or ENGL 231C, and 3) PHYS 111N is taken in place of PHYS 231N.  For additional details, please refer to the degree program guides appearing in the Engineering Technology section.

Advanced Placement

The University provides for possible advanced placement for up to 60 semester hours of course work. The student should refer to the advanced placement policy of specific departments (Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, etc.) and the Policy for Prior Learning Assessment Credit Options at the Undergraduate Level found in this Catalog.

Qualified students may take advanced placement examinations in certain courses in the various departments of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology. The student should contact the chair of the department offering the course for information on applicability and approval.

Prospective freshmen are encouraged to take as many advanced placement courses as possible in high school. Further, prospective freshmen are encouraged to take as many AP examinations of the Educational Testing Service and CLEP examinations as possible. Qualifying scores on these examinations may result in advanced placement credit. However, freshmen should still consult with their faculty advisor before "skipping" courses given at Old Dominion University.

Additional information on advanced placement credit awarded for qualifying scores on AP and IB subject examinations can be found on the equivalency charts on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website at https://www.odu.edu/admission/undergraduate/credit.

Transfer Students

Transfer students seeking admission to an engineering or engineering technology program at Old Dominion University must complete the standard admission procedures as established by the Office of Admissions.

Transfer students are usually in one of the following categories:

  1. students who have completed some course work, but who have not completed associate degrees
  2. students who have completed associate degrees in appropriate fields before transferring.

Certain special policies have been developed for students in category (2). If the overall educational background of the transfer student who has completed an associate degree is felt to be sufficiently strong to permit them to pursue upper-division work satisfactorily, a composite or "package" evaluation of transfer credit may be made. This approach will permit some flexibility in accommodating students with slightly different but equally appropriate backgrounds, dependent on the engineering or engineering technology program involved. Certain deficiencies can be made up while the student is pursuing upper-division studies.

To be admitted as a transfer student with departmental junior standing, the student should have either completed an associate degree in an acceptable program or received full credit for two years of work indicated by the completion of the equivalent number of semester hours in the chosen engineering or engineering technology curriculum with a grade of C or better in each course.

Transfer students must earn a minimum of 25 percent of the total number of credits required for the degree from Old Dominion University and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours in upper-level courses in the major program from Old Dominion University.

Students transferring from the Virginia Community College System may view information about Old Dominion University’s Guaranteed Admission Agreement, curriculum sheets, the letter of intent process, and Articulation Agreements on the Transfer Student Centers website.