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Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology

Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology

At Bradley University’s Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology, students turn ideas into reality, from autonomous vehicles to 3D printing and robotics. With ABET-accredited programs, hands-on learning, and small class sizes, students gain a personalized yet powerful education, supported by internships, industry connections, and top-tier faculty. Ranked among the top 30 undergraduate engineering programs by U.S. News & World Report, the college fosters innovation, collaboration, and career-ready skills. With a 95% job placement rate within six months of graduation, Bradley engineers graduate as leaders, problem-solvers, and innovators shaping the future.

Take the Virtual Tour of our Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology

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College Resources

Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology recommends that all incoming freshmen and transfer students have a laptop computer to complete their coursework.

Minimum specifications are noted below. If you would like to invest more, we recommend the following in prioritized order:

  • 1. A better/faster/larger processor
  • 2. More memory (this could be a later upgrade)
  • 3. A larger/faster hard drive. There are computer labs available with all course software.

Student Laptop Minimum Recommendations

Dell Inspiron 5000 Series

  • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Processor: Core i5 (8th generation)
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Storage capacity: 500GB hard drive (solid state drive)
  • Extended warranty (4 year warranty with accidental damage protection)

PC/Windows machines are highly preferred and recommended for Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Electrical and Computer Engineering majors.

Apple MacBook Pro

(Apple MacBooks not recommended/supported for Electrical and Computer Engineering or Civil Engineering and Construction)

  • Operating System: Mac OS 10.13 High Sierra or newer
  • Processor: Core i5
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Storage capacity: 256GB hard drive (solid state drive)
  • Extended warranty (4 year warranty with accidental damage protection)

An Ethernet adapter is also recommended for online test-taking.
Please note the extended warranty is an additional purchase for your laptop. You can also add a rider on parents’ homeowners insurance policy for added protection.

Software Recommendations

  • Microsoft Office: 2019 for Windows / 2016 for Mac
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader: available as a free download

Individual courses for all majors may require additional software specific to the course

Web Browsers

The University recommends using Google Chrome for university email and for most learning applications.

The schedule and tasks of a college student frequently require multi-tasking with lots of windows open and may require taking online tests. Netbooks, tablets, and eReaders are not suited for this. Consider netbooks, tablets, or eReaders as note-taking, reading, media consumption, or email devices not a primary computing device.

Bandwidth

University Learning tools and technology might require either wired or wireless connections with minimum bandwidth capabilities.

Other Financial Considerations

With purchase receipts, the expense incurred to purchase required technology may be used to increase private or PLUS loan amounts. It is important to note that increases in cost of attendance for required technology will not result in an increase in scholarship, grant or work-study funding. Please contact the Bradley University Office of Financial Assistance for further information at bufinaid@bradley.edu.

Cutting edge manufacturing resources are at your fingertips right here on the Bradley University campus. The Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology Machine Shop features a modern facility with dozens of state-of-the-art machines and equipment.

Located in the basement of BECC, the Machine Shop’s services are available to all students, faculty and staff at Bradley. We assist with designing and producing the parts you need to tackle any project, as scheduling allows.

Student organizations continue to use the shop for a variety of needs, including to build a Formula One-style racecar.

The Machine Shop is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Extended hours are available by appointment only and reserved solely to fully trained individuals with an approved shop monitor. These reservations must be approved by the Shop Supervisor in advance.

Lathes

  • Trak Southwestern Industries
  • Enco manual
  • Grizzly Bed Lathe G4003
  • Haas ST-20-015

Mills

  • Haas VF-2TR
  • Grizzly Mill/Drill
  • Bridgeports
  • Tormach

Saws

  • Chop saw
  • Band saw
  • Horizontal band saw
  • Miter saw
  • Saw stop table saw

Miscellaneous

  • Acer Precision surface grinder
  • OMAX Water Jet
  • Sheet metal shear/brake
  • Sodick EDM

Course-Embedded Microcredentials

Professional Pathways is an innovative, high-impact practice that bundles groups of approved credit courses into microcredentials to verify mastery of specific, industry-based skills.

Bradley University undergraduate and graduate students can accumulate the embedded microcredentials while working toward their degrees and use the resulting digital badges to showcase the granular knowledge and in-demand skills that set them apart in today’s job market.

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Special Programs

The Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology offers opportunities beyond the classroom!
Explore the programs that are unique to the experience of engineering students here at Bradley.

The Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology and Foster College of Business prepare students for the workforce providing them with hands-on, practical experiences. Our convergence and capstone projects allow students to collaborate with industry partners to solve complex problems and produce real world deliverables.

Each April, at the Capstone Open House, students present their findings to a diverse audience including clients, faculty, the Business and Engineering Advisory Council, members of the business and engineering sectors, and the public at large.

Capstone & Convergence Showcase

Global Scholars Program

We live in an increasingly interconnected world and transact in a global marketplace where discovery happens through collaboration that spans cultural boundaries. Innovation in engineering and technology engages a wide array of stakeholders, including technologists, innovators, policy and decision makers, and the business community across the globe. The Global Scholars Program in CCET builds on a long and rich tradition of innovative programs that have brought together scholars and students from across the globe. Students will earn the Global Scholar designation upon completion of the program requirements, which includes an immersive cultural study-abroad experience.

  • Study-abroad opportunities as early as the sophomore year
  • Opportunities to interact with global leaders in engineering and technology
  • Recognition with a commendation letter from the Dean
  • Global Scholar designation on the university transcript
  • Digital Global Scholar badge
  • Minimum GPA 2.50
  • Immersive cultural study-abroad experience, and 2-page reflective essay on their experience
  • Global Scholars Seminar – 1 hour
  • Total of 12 hours of relevant coursework in at least three of the following areas.
  • Courses offered in CCET (as approved by the CCET Executive Committee)
  • International Business (IB204/IB205, IB206, IB302, IB323, IB309, IB391), Economics (ECO355), Finance (FIN323), Marketing (MTG388), and/or Accounting (ATG 461/ATG561)
  • Global Perspectives
  • World Cultures
  • Fine Arts
  • Humanities
  • Courses designated as MI
  • World Language

Student Organizations

Connect with fellow Braves from the Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology, and from around campus!
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Departments

Explore our diverse academic departments that offer the skills and knowledge to help you thrive in the business world.

Civil Engineering & Construction Department

Civil Engineering & Construction Department

Design, build, and maintain the world around you as a leader in a field of your choice
Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Build skills that extend to robotics, renewable energy and other in-demand industries
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering & Technology Department

Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering & Technology Department

Learn to tranform conceptual designs into critical structures and projects
Mechanical Engineering Department

Mechanical Engineering Department

Build a strong foundation and choose a specality to focus your learning within
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