As the first dual-degree engineering program to be instituted in the U.S., Columbia’s Combined Plan Program was the pioneer in its field. Today it continues that pioneering spirit by leading the way in engineering and applied science discoveries.

 

Combined Plan Program students actively engage in undergraduate research (from climate forcasting to video compression and streaming for interactive TV and the Internet).

General Information

Founded in 1864 as the Henry Krumb School of Mines, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science’s curriculum provides an education that is a combination of instruction in scientific and engineering fundamentals at the highest level supported by a solid liberal arts base. As Combined Plan students take classes, for example, in the dynamics of complex fluids or classical nonlinear optics, they may also take courses in literature, philosophy, music, and art. The Combined Plan results in not only a B.S. and a B.A. dual degree, but, as stated by a current student, in “a more complete and true engineer.”

Columbia maintains cooperative program relationships with institutions nationwide, and with the other Columbia University undergraduate divisions. A list of participating Combined Plan affiliate institutions is detailed on this page.

The Combined Plan Program at Columbia

Students who follow this program apply through their own school at Columbia College, Barnard College, or the School of General Studies for admission. Under this plan, the pre-engineering student studies in the appropriate college for three years, then attends The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science for two years and is awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree and the Bachelor of Science degree in engineering upon completion of the fifth year. This five-year program is optional at Columbia, but the School recommends it to all students who wish greater enrichment in the liberal arts and pure sciences.

A similar program can be planned for students at the affiliated liberal arts colleges listed on this page. The Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide is available online.

The Combined Plan Program at Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities

There are over ninety liberal arts colleges and universities, including those colleges at Columbia, in which a student can enroll in a Combined Plan program leading to two degrees. As each liberal arts college requires the completion of a specified curriculum to qualify for the baccalaureate from that institution, students interested in this program should inform the liaison officer at their home institution as early as possible, preferably in the first year.

The 3-2 Combined Plan Program, B.A./B.S., at The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is designed to provide students with the opportunity to receive both a B.A. degree from an affiliated liberal arts college and a B.S. degree from SEAS within five years. Students complete the requirements for the liberal arts degree along with a pre-engineering course of study in three years at their college and then complete two years at Columbia. Admission to SEAS at the end of the junior year is likely for those students who have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better; are recommended by the liaison officer; and have completed the appropriate preparation successfully.

Another available option is the 4-2 B.S. degree program. This is designed to allow students to graduate from their liberal arts college with a B.A. degree and then transfer to SEAS to complete a B.S. degree in two years. Students should have followed a related course of study at their liberal arts college.

The colleges at the bottom of this page are affiliated with The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science; admission requirements and other information may be obtained from them or by contacting the Columbia Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Admission to the Combined Plan Program

Admission is offered for the fall semester only. There is no application fee.

Your completed application should include all of the following:

• The fully completed application;
• All official post-secondary school/college transcripts;
• Any Advanced Placement test scores already taken;
• The Statement of Good Standing, containing a recommendation from your Combined Plan Program liaison;
• Course descriptions of the courses that you have or are currently taking which fulfill the pre-requisites prescribed in the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide;
• An annotated Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide in which you indicate the courses you have taken to fulfill any required and recommended courses, the term you took each course, and the grade you received;
• The Application for Financial Aid document (located in the application itself), if you are applying for Financial Aid.

Applications will be accepted between January 1 and March 15. After March 15th, applications will be reviewed on a space availability basis. Applicants will be notified of a decision no later than April 15. Your reply to an offer of admission must be postmarked by May 15.

Guaranteed admission into The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science’s undergraduate Combined Plan Program is offered to applicants who have met the following requirements.

• An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher during your first 3 years at an affiliated institution.
• A favorable recommendation from the Combined Plan liaison at your home institution.
• A course load during your first 3 years at your home institution that includes:
  
• At least 27 credits (approximately 9 classes) of non-science and non-math liberal arts courses.
• The specific science and math prerequisite courses prescribed by the agreement between your home institution and Columbia.

Articulation agreements vary slightly at each school, the following lists the basic required classes for guaranteed admission. (Please see your Combined Plan liaison for specifics.)

• Calculus (4 terms); Ordinary Differential Equations
• Physics (2 terms) plus lab; Modern Physics (not required for all majors)
• Chemistry (2 terms) plus lab
• Computer Science (1 term)
• Economics (1 term)
• English Composition (1 term)

Although the above courses are required for guaranteed admission, an applicant who has not met the requirements is still considered for admission, at the discretion of the Combined Plan admissions committee. The Economics and English requirements, in particular, can be completed the summer before your first year at SEAS or, if your schedule allows, during your first year at SEAS.

Please note that it is highly recommended that a student take other courses in addition to those required for guaranteed admission as prescribed by the department of one’s intended major at SEAS.* Completion of the recommended course work will more likely ensure graduation in two years.

*Refer to the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide for the name and description of the courses recommended for each specific major.

Financial Aid for Combined Plan Program Students

For U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents, and Mexican and Canadian
Citizens:

• Columbia will meet 100% of demonstrated financial need with an award that is comprised of federal loans, work-study and University grant.
• Need is determined after students and parents have completed the FAFSA, CSS Profile and submitted most recent copies of their Federal Tax Return and W-2 statements.

For international students:

• Columbia provides limited funding for international students. Annually, the Financial Aid Committee determines the amount of Columbia Grant that partially fulfills a student’s financial need.
• Grant amount is guaranteed for the two years needed to complete the requirements for the engineering degree.
• There is an expectation that a student secures loans from non-University sources to supplement their Columbia University grant. In many cases, a student must find an American citizen to co-sign for these loans. Unfortunately, there is no institutional funds for international students whose circumstances change or whose sponsor/co-signer fails to provide support.

Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities

Adelphi University, Garden City, NY Albertson College, Caldwell, ID Albion College, Albion, MI Alfred University, Alfred, NY Allegheny College, Meadville, PA Arcadia University, Glenside, PA Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD Austin College, Sherman, TX Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Barnard College, New York, NY Bates College, Lewiston, ME Beirut University College, Beirut, Lebanon Beloit College, Beloit, WI Bethany College, Bethany, WV Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME Brandeis University, Waltham, MA Carleton College, Northfield, MN Carroll College, Helena, MT Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA Centre College, Danville, KY Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA Clark University, Worcester, MA Colgate University, Hamilton, NY College of Notre Dame, Baltimore, MD College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO Columbia College, New York, NY Davidson College, Davidson, NC Denison University, Granville, OH DePauw University, Greencastle, IN Dillard University, New Orleans, LO Doane College, Crete, NE Drew University, Madison, NJ Earlham College, Richmond, IN Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT Fordham University, Bronx, NY Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA Hamilton College, Clinton, NY Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY Hastings College, Hastings, NE Hendrix College, Conway, AR Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA

Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, KS Knox College, Galeburg, IL Lawrence University, Appleton, WI Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL MacMurray College, Jacksonville, IL Marietta College, Marietta, OH Miami University, Oxford, OH Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT Millsaps College, Jackson, MI Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA Pitzer College, Claremont, CA Providence College, Providence, RI Queens College, Flushing, NY Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA Reed College, Portland, OR Rollins College, Winter Park, FL St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY Scripps College, Claremont, CA Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Great Barrington, MA Spelman College, Atlanta, GA State University of New York, Fredonia, NY State University of New York, Geneseo, NY State University of New York, Binghamton, NY Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA University of Richmond, Richmond, VA University of the South, Sewanee, TN University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA Wells College, Aurora, NY Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA Whitworth College, Spokane, WA Willamette University, Salem, OR William Jewell College, Liberty, MO Williams College, Williamstown, MA Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC Yeshiva University, New York, NY York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time frame for the program?

There are 2 options: The 3-2: 3 years at your home school + 2 at Columbia. Apply your junior year of college. The 4-2: 4 years at your home school + 2 at Columbia. Apply your senior year of college.

What degrees will I graduate with?

A BA from your home institution and a BS from Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Is there guaranteed admission?

Yes, given that the prerequisites as listed below are met.

What are the prerequisites?

Admission is guaranteed if you:

1. Come from an affiliated school (refer to website listed below.)
2. Receive an overall GPA of 3.0
3. Receive a favorable recommendation from your Combined Plan liaison.
4. Take at least 27 credits (approximately 9 classes) of non-math/science courses at your home school.
5. Take the specific science and math prerequisite courses prescribed. (Please see your Combined Plan liaison for specifics and the online Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide for course recommendations.):
   • Calculus (4 terms); Ordinary Differential Equations
   • Physics (2 terms) plus lab; Modern Physics (not required for all majors)
   • Chemistry (2 terms) plus lab
   • Computer Science (1 term)
   • Economics (1 term)
   • English Composition (1 term)

What is the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide?

It provides the name and description of the courses recommended for each specific major and can be found online.

What is the best way to prepare for the program?

Make sure to follow the guidelines described in Question 4 above. In brief:

• Start planning by at least your first or sophomore year of college.
• Get to know your Liaison.
• Follow the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide as closely as possible.
• Keep all syllabi of your courses.
• Get in touch with students who have attended the Columbia Combined Plan from your home school.
• Explore the general website for The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University.

Is there guaranteed need-based financial aid?

Yes, for US citizens, US permanent residents, Canadian and Mexican citizens, and people in the US on refugee visas, 100% of an admitted student's demonstrated need is guaranteed to be met.

However, this is not the case for foreign students, for whom financial aid is granted on a case-by-case basis. Columbia awards no merit scholarships and only partially meets the demonstrated financial need of foreign students.

Is housing guaranteed?

Yes.

What kind of housing do Combined Plan students receive?

Most first year Combined Plan students live in Carlton Arms, a suite-style residence hall on Riverside Drive, a 6-9 minute walk from campus. Each suite contains a double equipped kitchen, (including 2 full refrigerators and stove tops); 1-2 common rooms; 2 multi-person bathrooms; and single and double-occupancy rooms. Cost is $450-$600 per month. Second year Combined Plan students enter the on-campus room draw as seniors.

Why do the program?

• Guaranteed admission to one of the nation’s top universities and engineering programs.
• Employers in and out of the engineering fields appreciate the rare combination of problem solving and technical skills joined with a liberal arts groundwork.
• Students will be connected to the expansive network of Columbia alumni for employment and research opportunities in New York and throughout the world.
• For many jobs in the fields of Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Applied Math, Industrial Research, Operations Research, Engineering and Management Systems, a BS provides ample credentials for career advancement
• In the words of one recent Combined Plan graduate: “I chose the Combined Plan at Columbia because I wanted a diverse school in Manhattan and because of Columbia’s reputation. I got the ‘best of both worlds.’”

What are my opportunities for research?

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in a broad range of ongoing faculty research projects encompassed by the Undergraduate Research Involvement Program.

What majors are available?

15 Programs:

• Applied Physics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Engineering Mechanics
• Computer Science
• Computer Engineering
• Earth and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Engineering Management Systems
• Industrial Engineering
• Operations Research
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

What is the enrollment size?

Of the 1400 undergraduate students in Columbia Engineering, approximately 140 are Combined Plan students.

When is the application deadline?

Applications will be accepted between January 1 and March 15. After March 15th, applications will be reviewed on a space available basis. All students who submit complete applications by February 1st will receive a response by March 15th.

Is there admission for the Spring term?

No, admission is for the Fall term only.

Is there an application fee?

No. It is free to apply.

What does the completed application include?

• Part 1 of the application, fully completed
• All official post-secondary school transcripts
• Advanced Placement Test scores
• Part 2 of the application fully completed, containing a recommendation from your Combined Plan liaison
• Course descriptions of the courses that you have or are currently taking which fulfill the prescribed pre-requisites
• Part 3 of the application, if you are applying for Financial Aid

How do I receive an application?

You may download the application online after October 1, 2006.

How do I apply for Financial Aid?

Financial Aid Checklist:

• Columbia aid application
• FAFSA
• CSS Profile
• Signed copy of student taxes and W-2
• Signed copy of parent taxes (including all schedules) and W-2
• The Office of Financial Aid and Educational Financing may require additional corporate and asset information and may contact you if necessary.
• No student should assume one will be considered an independent for institutional aid purposes unless one’s parents are deceased.
• Financial Aid documents must be completed as soon as possible.

When are the financial aid forms due?

As soon as possible, and no later than March 1st.

When will I be notified of the decision?

You will be notified by March 15th if your complete application is received by February 1st. Otherwise, you will be notified by April 15th.

When must I notify Columbia of my decision if I am admitted?

Your reply must be postmarked by May 15th.

Are there courses I am advised to take other than the prerequisites?

Yes. The Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide outlines recommended course work beyond the prerequisites, which will better prepare you for higher level coursework in your intended major department.

Will I be considered for the program if I have not fulfilled all the prerequisites?

Yes. You will not be guaranteed admission but will still be considered for admission at the discretion of the Combined Plan admissions committee. In particular, the 27 non-technical requirements necessary for guaranteed admission are often not necessary for admission.

Can I apply to the program if I am not from an affiliated school?

Yes. You will not be guaranteed admission but will still be considered for admission at the discretion of the Combined Plan admissions committee. Although admitted non-affiliated students will receive financial aid according to the same policies as affiliated students, housing is not guaranteed.

If my school gave credit and/or exemption for a prerequisite course due to AP scores or coursework at a non-affiliated school, will Columbia give credit and exemption?

Yes. Any course waived by your affiliated school will be waived by Columbia.

Will I have room for non-technical liberal arts electives at Columbia?

Depending on your department and fulfillment of recommended coursework as outlined by the Pre-Combined Plan Curriculum Guide, your schedule may allow you to take non-technical elective courses. The average is 3 courses.

Do I have to take P.E?

No.

Can I visit campus?

Overnight and day visits, including class visits, special tours, and appointments with the Admissions Office are offered but subject to availability. Weekend visits are discouraged and rarely available. Please contact the Combined Plan Program Coordinators to schedule a visit by locating the information provided at the right sidebar of this page.

How do I learn about Columbia’s Combined Plan Program for the Masters Degree?

Contact:
Columbia Engineering Graduate Student Services Office
Columbia University
524 S.W. Mudd,
500 W. 120th Street
New York, NY 10027
seasgradmit@columbia.edu
212-854-6438