Grad Profiles - Catholic University Engineering

Overview
The Catholic University of America was founded in 1889. It was originally intended for graduate instruction and research exclusively and has always retained a strong graduate orientation. The Institute of Technology was established in 1896, the forerunner of the School of Engineering, established in 1930, and of the School of Engineering and Architecture, established in 1936. Separate school status was achieved by the Schools of Engineering and Architecture in 1992. Although founded and partially supported by the Catholic Bishops of the United States, the University is essentially a free autonomous center of study and an agency serving the needs of human society.

The University's total enrollment is about 5,500, including approximately 3,200 graduate and professional students. The School of Engineering has about 250 undergraduates and 100 graduate students.

The Location and Community
The Catholic University is located in the nation's capital, a city that offers excellent opportunities for study, research, and cultural enrichment. In addition to being the home of numerous government laboratories and research facilities, Washington is the center of a rapidly growing intellectual and research-minded community.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The School of Engineering offers M.S.E., M.S.C.S., D.Eng., and Ph.D. degree programs in the fields of biomedical, civil, computer science, electrical, and mechanical engineering. In addition, graduate programs are available in applied energy systems, biomechanics, cell/tissue engineering, computer engineering, construction management, control systems and mechatronics, engineering management, environmental engineering and management, fluid mechanics, intelligent control and robotics, mechanical design, medical imaging and signal processing, rehabilitation engineering, software engineering, solid mechanics, structures and structural mechanics, geotechnical engineering, systems engineering, telemedicine, and thermal sciences.

Requirements for the master's degrees include a minimum of one academic year of residence and 30 semester hours of credit. Both thesis and nonthesis options are available. Dual degrees, requiring 48 semester hours of credit, are offered within the School of Engineering.

The doctoral degrees normally require at least three years in residence, or the equivalent, beyond the bachelor's degree; a minimum of 53 semester hours of graduate course work must be completed. The doctoral dissertation is based on original research in the field of specialization. There is no foreign language requirement.

Facilities & Resources
Each department conducts research programs and has extensive research equipment and facilities.

The Center for Planning and Information Technology provides computing and network facilities to students and faculty members for their educational and research activities, supports the University's management information systems, manages the campus network, and provides telecommunication services. The center provides leadership on the ethical use of computing. Numerous public lab areas and classrooms are equipped with networked desktop computers. All buildings and residence halls connect to a multigigabit Ethernet campus backbone. The center supports all of the latest Internet tools. Numerous Web tools are also available for instructional and research purposes. Popular software programs for Windows and Macintosh machines are supported in the public users' areas.

The campus network consists of Intel, Sun, and Alpha servers running the Windows, Solaris, OpenVMS, and Linux operating systems; numerous workstations; and more than 1,700 networked Windows-based PCs and Macintosh desktop computers with direct access to the Internet, Internet 2, and the Washington Research Library Consortium. The central systems are accessible via direct connections on campus.

The Mullen Library collection includes more than a million volumes housed in the main library and seven school and departmental libraries on campus. The libraries of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area extend borrowing privileges to graduate degree candidates. In addition, other library resources in the Washington area such as the Library of Congress and the National Library of Medicine are readily accessible.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition is $25,230 per academic year for full-time graduate students in engineering and computer science. Tuition for part-time students was $910 per credit hour on campus and $760 off campus.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid is available in the form of research and teaching assistantships and tuition scholarships. The scholarships are available in all fields except engineering management. In order to be eligible for the widest variety of aid programs, an applicant should take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and submit a GAPSFAS application.

Housing/Living Expenses:
On-campus dormitory facilities are available for unmarried graduate students. Room costs range upward from $5,848 (double occupancy) per year. A meal plan cost an additional $4,348 to $5,784 per year, depending on which plan was selected. There are numerous private rooms and apartments for rent in the nearby community.

How to Apply / Application
Admission applications may be submitted at any time during the year; however, all supporting credentials should be received well in advance of the preferred semester of entry. Applicants requesting financial aid should ensure that completed applications, including GRE scores and the GAPSFAS, arrive by February 15.

International Students
International students from countries where English is not the primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Students achieving a score of 580 or higher on the paper-based test or 237 or higher on the computer-based test will be given regular admission provided their academic background is satisfactory.All international students whose TOEFL scores are lower than 580 on the paper-based test or 237 on the computer-based test will be given provisional admission provided their academic background is satisfactory. Prior to registration for courses, they will be evaluated for English language skills by the Intensive English Program of CUA’s Metropolitan College. Depending on the result, students may be required to take intensive classes in English to strengthen their skills. Subject to the approval of their academic adviser, students can take intensive English classes concurrently with a reduced number of School of Engineering graduate engineering courses. Upon satisfactory completion of any required intensive classes in English, students will be given regular admission.

Who to Contact
Chairman
(specify program)
School of Engineering
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C. 20064

202-319-5160

E-mail: cua-engineer@cua.edu

Graduate Programs
Biomedical Engineering. Professor B. Q. Tran, Chair.
• Biomedical Engineering at the Catholic University of America is uniquely located in the "capital" of biomedical research, Washington, D.C. The program offers master's and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering in specialization areas such as bioinstrumentation, biomechanics, home-care technologies, telehealth and telerehabilitation, rehabilitation engineering, medical imaging, biomaterials, and tissue engineering. Through close working relationships with nearby institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), Walter Reed Medical Center, Georgetown University, and others, students work alongside faculty members, world-renowned scientists, and researchers to conduct state-of-the-art biomedical research.

Civil Engineering. Professor Poul Lade, Chair.
• The CE department offers a large selection of both professional and research-oriented programs, including construction management, systems and transportation engineering, structural engineering and applied mechanics, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering and management, and environmental fluid mechanics. Faculty research is widely known in infrastructure systems management, earthquake engineering, composite structures, fluid and solid mechanics, physical oceanography, and underwater acoustics. Several research laboratories are on campus, and close collaboration is maintained with Washington-area industry and government research facilities, as well as strong affiliation with the Washington construction industry. A unique dual-degree program, M.C.E./M.Arch., is offered with the School of Architecture.

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Professor Robert Meister, Chair.
• The EECS department continuously upgrades its curriculum to maintain academic focus on the mainstream of current and future technologies. Current curriculum focus is on bioinformatics, signal and image processing, micro-optics, bioimaging, high-speed communication and networking, and intelligent information systems. EECS' widely published faculty is highly active in research in areas such as bacteriorhodopsin, cancer prevention, digital watermarking, network security, signal/image processing, networking, communication and control, and molecular imaging. There are five EE and two CS laboratories on campus, as well as a close association with local labs, including NIH, NASA, NSWC, ARL, APL, and NRL.

Engineering Management Program. John Leonard, Director.
• The Engineering Management Program leads to the Master of Science degree in engineering management or a Certificate in Engineering Management. The program develops skills in managing engineering processes and organizations. Courses are taught by working professionals who have the education and experience to provide an understanding of engineering management practices and the underlying theory that supports them. The program focuses on a balanced and integrated view of theory and practice related to management of engineering activities and organizations. Courses are held off campus in Arlington, Virginia.

Mechanical Engineering. Professor J. Steven Brown, Chair.
• The ME department offers both professionally and research-oriented programs, including heat transfer in biological systems, biomechanics, imaging technologies, combustion, environmental engineering, controls, smart materials, air-conditioning and refrigeration, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, applied thermodynamics, advanced and nonlinear dynamics, and magneto-hydrodynamics. There are six ME labs on campus, and there is close collaboration with several local laboratories, including NIH, NASA, ARL, APL, NIST, and FDA.