Assumption College launches engineering degree

Louise Carroll Keeley, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Assumption College

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By Sam Bonacci

Assumption College students will soon be able to get a master's degree in engineering from Washington University in St. Louis' School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) on top of their bachelor's degree from the Worcester school under an agreement the schools reached in early May.

The deal is among a slew of articulation agreements that allow Assumption students to go on to schools such as Notre Dame, Duke University and New England School of Law where they can get degrees in specialized fields such as forestry and law.

However, this is the first agreement that will allow students to complete their undergraduate bachelor's degree at Assumption and then move directly to studying for a master's degree in engineering they can complete in three years at the school in St. Louis.

Why engineering?

Having access to an engineering program such as SEAS at Washington University benefits the quantitatively minded students who attend Assumption by allowing them to transition their liberal arts education into a professional path towards engineering, said Louise Carroll Keeley, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Assumption College.

The liberal arts education provides a well-rounded base while the SEAS program will allow the students to accelerate along a particular professional path, she said.

“We understand the importance that prospective students and parents give to a professional life. We know that's important, but we believe the liberal arts is the best foundation for that,” Keeley said.

What you end up with is a well-rounded professional who can deal with ethical dilemmas and look at situations from a wider array of perspectives, she said.

Why a master's?

Having a master's degree moves the student further along the professional shoot, Keeley said. Increasingly having an advanced degree allows a student to get better job placement when they enter the workforce upon their graduation.

“The more education and the better quality education one can earn helps to position a person to realize the goals he or she is seeking in a career and in life,” Keeley said.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the agreement was with George Washington University. The article has been changed to reflect the affiliation with the university located in St. Louis, Missouri.