<p>I am currently a freshman at penn state and was hoping to transfer to fordham by the end of soph year. I know the school doesn't have an engineering department, but how does the coop program with columbia work? </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Mainly, is it more selective than regular admissions to other majors? And from what I understand, you spend 3 years at ford, then 2 at columbia--but do you have guaranteed admission at columbia or does it involve a transfer application process? Lastly, do you need a minimun gpa before going to columbia?</p></li>
<li><p>I always liked fordham's campus and resources and this seems like a great thing--you get a diploma from Fordham AND columbia (IVY!).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Dang, I just realized the the coop program is only offered at the lincoln center campus--can anyone confirm this? I was hoping it would be at rose hill, which is the better campus, of course. Too bad.</p>
<p>The 3-2 Engineering program with Columbia is only offered on Fordham's Rose Hill campus when you're in the "Fordham" phase of the program. Since rose hill has both the University's Physics and Chemistry depts, you take the physic/engineering/chemistry courses at the Bronx campus. You should check with the coordinator at Fordham for the combined program (probably in the Physics dept) to see what the admission criteria is for Columbia (I would imagine it shouldn't be too bad and would consist of a minimum gpa). Don't forget, you don't get any degree until you finish the 2 yrs at Columbia, at which point a BA from Fordham is granted with a BS from Columbia. There is also a 4-2 program with Case Western (and possibly also with Columbia) where you spend 4 yrs at Fordham to get a BS, and are granted automatic admissions into the graduate program for an MS in engineering.</p>
<p>Off topic, Fordham has a very solid Physics dept which will give you a strong undergrad foundation in this field for further studies. It definitely doesn't get the recognition that it rightfully should. Their dept will prepare you well for graduate studies.</p>
<p>But do you get a diploma from each school? Say if I want to major in computer science, do you get the BA from fordham and then the diploma for engineering from columbia? </p>
<ul>
<li>what do you guys think of this coop program--is it as strong as a direct major from say, stony brook or other universities?</li>
</ul>
<p>I think I understand what you're looking for now. Below is the hyperlink to Fordham's bulletin (you may have already looked at it).
<a href="http://www.fordham.edu/UndergraduateBulletin/%5B/url%5D">http://www.fordham.edu/UndergraduateBulletin/</a></p>
<p>In the search box type in: pre-professional
Then follow the links to the pre-professional engineering program.</p>
<p>If you are thinking of computer science, then you may be correct in thinking that you need to be at the Lincoln Center campus. The bulletin says that with the 3-2 Fordham/Columbia program, students at Rose Hill typically major in physics or chemistry, and students at Lincoln Center usually major in computer science or mathematics with this pre-professional program. Again, I would recommend contacting any of the following concerning this program(cut and paste from Fordham's website):</p>
<p>Director: Poor (mathematics)
Advisor: Bender (chemistry); Haider (physics); Strzemecki (computer science)
Locations: RH: JMH 415; Phone: (718) 817-3230 (Poor), (718) 817-4430 (Bender), (718)
817-4175 (Haider)
LC: 113 West 60th Street, Room 813; Phone: (212) 636-6332 (Strzemecki)</p>
<p>As far as your degrees, you need to complete the program in its entirety to qualify for both degrees ->that's the "gotcha ya" so to say with choosing this type of program. You get into very "turbulent waters" if you change your mind in midstream with the co-op program and decide against the engineering degree.</p>
<p>Concerning the strengths of this program, only you can decide, not anyone else. I think of this program as being meant for someone who wants the strengths of Fordham's core curriculum with what it exposes one to, but ultimately desires a bachelors from an engineering school (and the professional job opportunities in the engineering field that would come with this engineering degree from Columbia's Fu School of Engineering).</p>
<p>Thank you. I was also wondering if you get an individual diploma/degree from each school. Certainly, getting a degree from columbia is an advantage of the program, but if the diploma comes with a *footnote saying you weren't actually a columbia student, it would sound somewhat unconvincing and lose some of its appeal to me personally. I don't know why their website doesn't go into details, I guess this option isn't that popular. </p>
<p>In any way, I was hoping this could also be pursued at rose hill, which seems to be a better campus and have more resources--but I can't see myself majoring in physics and detest chemistry...</p>
<p>I see that several schools participate in this 3-2 combined program with Fu as well, I wonder if the 3 year students have to go through the hassle of completing a regular application to columbia (essays/recommendations/Ecs) or are just required to fulfill the requirements with a certain GPA, which is what the website makes it sound like. The latter sounds to "good" to be true, although you will stay an extra year in college.</p>