College of Engineering and Technology

Welcome to the web pages of the College of Engineering and Technology at Bradley University. As an engineer and an educator for over 30 years, I would like to give you my views of the value of an engineering or technology education. Professor Joe Emanuel, chair of our Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Technology Department, makes an excellent analogy by noting that life is full of choices, and deciding on a degree program might be like choosing between a Corvette or a four-wheel drive Sport Utility Vehicle. If the highways are smooth and the weather is good, the Corvette would be a lot of fun. But its going to be a lifetime journey, and the roads will not always be smooth nor the weather good. The SUV is a vehicle that can be adapted to many circumstances, from driving to the black-tie affair to negotiating the tiny unpaved road in the Ozarks. An education in engineering, science, or technology is a lot like the SUV. People who complete these programs not only go on into engineering, they become doctors, lawyers, writers, entrepreneurs, yes, even educators. The engineering education program is demanding, but it develops broad skills in technical areas, an appreciation for the arts and humanities, writing and speaking skills, teaming skills, and problem solving skills and experience. All of these attributes are essential for success in today's and tomorrow's workplace.

The focus of the College of Engineering and Technology at Bradley University is undergraduate engineering education. Our faculty have achieved a high level of technical competence in their field, but are committed to teaching and mentoring students. The fact that the college has 800 undergraduate students in a university of 5000 undergraduates in five colleges allows us to provide an educational experience that contains many interdisciplinary aspects through collaborations with the other colleges. The campus has an atmosphere of open inquiry and exploration. This enhances the sound technical foundation that our engineering and technology students receive.

This sound technical background and broad liberal foundation is augmented with a large dose of hands-on laboratory and design experience. Some of this hands-on activity is voluntary participation in student projects such as the ASCE Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge Competition, the SAE Mini-baja and Formula car competitions, and participation in the Universityīs Exposition of Student Projects. Virtually all our senior projects are industry supported real problems for which the student teams provide real engineering solutions. With available co-op positions, summer internships, and our unique industry practicum program, our students can gain valuable "on the job" experience that makes them sought by industrial employers. Our emphasis on sound fundamentals gives our graduates the knowledge and tools to be successful in graduate programs, and we have many who have completed Ph.D. programs at institutions such as MIT, Stanford, and the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana.

I invite you to explore the Bradley University College of Engineering and Technology by following links from our home page to learn about our different departments, programs, and student activities.

Richard T. Johnson
Dean, College of Engineering and Technology

For contact information, please go to our Contact Page for numbers and email addresses for the College of Engineering and Technology.