My son is looking at this program. Does anyone have any insight?
I can’t comment directly on the program at UNCW. But within the engineering industry overall, they are not very popular.
I’ll suggest you head over to the engineering forum and get some more generalized info on programs such as this. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors
Not sure of your comment on the engineering industry, but the UNCW program is a transfer program prepares students to transfer to NC State as juniors into one of the best ranked engineering programs in the region. UNCW does not offer an engineering program. I am inquiring as to how successful participants have been in gaining admission to NC State and, after gaining admission to NC State, if they felt prepared for the rigors of the program there.
By “engineering industry”, I am simply referring to engineers in general. I have a degree in engineering and have been working close 30 years. Never met someone that went this route - from any school, not just UNCW. Doesn’t mean it’s not possible, but it’s just not common. If you search the engineering forums here, you will find that a common outcome is that a student decides not to transfer because they are happy where they are.
I cannot provide any meaningful info on how prepared a student would be when transferring to NCSU from UNCW. Your best bet is to visit both schools and ask someone directly.
Few students follow through on 3+2 programs. If you want engineering, go to a school that offers it as a major.
The UNCW program looks pretty rigorous. It is a standard freshman and sophomore engineering curriculum. If your son does well in these classes at UNCW he will be fine at NC State. The question is, why would he prefer to start at UNCW? And the risk is (as stated above) that he will not want to transfer after two years…and as you know UNCW doesn’t offer an engineering degree (beside Comp Sci).
The most common (and best) advice I’ve heard on this forum regarding engineering is - if you want to study engineering, go to a school with engineering.
https://uncw.edu/preeng/ProspectiveStudents/documents/2017_18/ME_AY_2017-18_14MEBS_final.pdf
For clarification, my son would prefer to start at NC State and complete the engineering curriculum there. We are looking at backup plans including SC schools, Auburn, UNCC, and Cincinnati. Wilmington is a reasonable distance from home, UNCC is too close (per son). Cinci is the outlier but we have a close support network in the area.
Plans are for next year for UNCW to offer their first complete engineering program in coastal engineering. It’s the first undergraduate degree in the country in coastal. I think it’s smart of them to focus on coastal engineering first, as all things marine are their specialty. https://uncw.edu/news/2018/07/UNCW-to-Offer-Degrees-in-Coastal-Engineering,-Interdisciplinary-Studies.html
Update on our visit. I was very impressed. The director of the transfer program is an NC State engineer and a UNCW based employee of the engineering school at NC State. She works directly with the students and NC State to prepare students to transfer into NC state. As sophomores, the students take some NC State classes via videoconference. UNCW 2+2 have a far greater transfer admission rate than other students. About 50 students/year successfully transfer into NC State. I think this is a great option for those students who either don’t quite make the grades to get freshman admission to NC State engineering or prefer to start in a smaller school.
Sounds like a great option for your son if he fits that description. Also, UNCW has plenty of great majors if he decides engineering is not his thing. Best of luck to him if this is the path he chooses!
I have known a few students that did this program and they did finish at State, one even transferred after one year.