Tarleton State University recently gained approval for two new engineering degree programs in civil and electrical engineering, both of which are now available for immediate enrollment. The addition of these two programs will allow the College of Science and Technology to expand into new territory. The move to bring in civil and electrical engineering programs appears to be a sensible one, as they coincide with Tarleton’s current programs.

“Engineering physics had begun to evolve in the direction of electrical engineering, as my background is electrical and people tend to recognize [electrical engineering] as a name more than [they recognize] engineering physics,” said Dr. Denise Martinez, Head of the Department of Engineering and Computer Science. “Environmental engineering has a lot to do with the water side of civil engineering and in most places is sort of a track through civil engineering, so it was easy to add the structural transportation component and extend it to civil.”

In order for these programs to come to Tarleton they first had to be approved by the Texas A&M University System, and then by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Only engineering and doctoral programs are required to seek such approval. A third program, mechanical engineering, is in the works and a decision is expected to be made by the end of this school year.

“I think this will help us get Tarleton’s name out there. We haven’t been thought of as a technical school and this will help enhance our technical profile,” Martinez said. “I think that the civil and electrical engineering [programs] will grow quickly and not be placed on the small programs list, because they have a name recognition and they are programs that people are asking for.”

The civil and electrical engineering programs are currently available for enrollment at the Stephenville campus of Tarleton. For more information on these new programs or any Tarleton engineering program, contact the Department of Engineering and Computer Science at (254) 968-9863. Or you can email them at [email protected] or visit the website at www.tarleton.edu/encs.