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History & Goals

History

The engineering program was established in 1896, soon after the founding of The Catholic University of America. The School of Engineering was formally established as a separate school in 1930 and was shortly thereafter renamed the School of Engineering and Architecture. In 1992 the School of Engineering and Architecture separated and became the School of Engineering and the School of Architecture and Planning. Prior to 1950, the primary focus of the school was on undergraduate professional programs, although graduate programs had always been offered. However, research activity and graduate professional offerings have increased at a steady rate since 1950. Today the School of Engineering offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in five academic programs as well as master's degrees in Engineering Management, Materials Science and Engineering, and Data Analytics. The school prides itself on being a small Catholic engineering school that provides quality education with a personal touch.

Students can expect close interaction with faculty, small class sizes, a small student-to-teacher ratio and a faculty dedicated to teaching and research. All members of the full-time faculty hold doctoral degrees and are very active in funded research and scholarly publication.

The school's strong ties with local research institutions such as NASA, NIH, NIST, NRL etc., foster research collaborations and enable our faculty to bring research experience into the classroom. Students can benefit from research assistantships from funded research projects.

Goals

  1. Goal 1: Distinction. Distinguish the CUA School of Engineering through actions and communications as the Engineering School with Teaching and Research Excellence, Ethical Character Development, Caring Service, and the advantages of Location in the Capital of the United States of America.
  2. Goal 2: Prosperity. The School will achieve prosperity by expanding and strengthening existing programs and establishing unique and timely new academic programs that serve the region, nation, and world with superior technical competence, incorporate moral and ethical values, and prepare future leaders.
  3. Goal 3: Opportunity. The School will provide the best opportunities for Faculty, Staff, and Students to realize their full potential.

Graduate programs in the school emphasize both theory and application of advanced engineering principles. The goal of the school is to produce professional engineers, scientists and researchers who can contribute significantly to society through their chosen profession and scientific and research activities.