Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology

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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

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.

Learn More

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 Open House

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

Design, build, and maintain the world around you as a leader in a field of your choice

Electrical & Computer Engineering Department

Build skills that extend to robotics, renewable energy and other in-demand industries

Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering & Technology Department

Learn to transform conceptual designs into critical structures and projects

Mechanical Engineering Department

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

Student and alumni stories

Stories from the Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology

Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology

A Brotherhood That Stood the Test of Time

November 2026

Alumni veterans from the Classes of 1970–75 returned to Bradley this fall, revisiting the campus where shared experiences became lifelong friendships.
Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology

From Interns to Full-Time Employees at CMT

September 2026

Two Civil Engineering alumni stepped into full-time roles after interning for the company as students.
Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology

Built on Bradley: Three Decades of Innovation

September 2026

How Bradley Shaped Two Generations of Leadership at EngineeringPeople

Caterpillar College of Engineering & Technology