Academic Majors
Questions about a particular major field? Post here, and Richmond professors will get involved in the discussion. Or start a new major-specific discussion if you'd like.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Lee on -
i wanna do electrical engineer. when i visited, i heard about a partnership with columbia. i was curious how that worked out.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Nicholas on -
Bruce,
We have a couple of different dual-degree programs in engineering. Our program with Columbia is a 3-2 program (3 years at Richmond, 2 years at Columbia), and electrical engineering is a possibility there. We also have partnerships in electrical engineering with George Washington University, Virginia Tech, and UVA. For all the nitty-gritty details, see http://admissions.richmond.edu/majors/others/engineering.html.
Tom
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Permalink Reply by Matt Trawick on -
Bruce--
This is Matt Trawick, a physics professor here. Tom has already mentioned our 3-2 engineering program; another page with some additional information about it is here: http://preengineering.richmond.edu/program/dual.html. The rough outline of the program is that you spend your first three years pretending to be a regular physics major here at Richmond, taking advantage of what we're good at (small classes, a broad liberal arts education, and the opportunity to do meaningful, real research with professors), and then finish up at a big school that offers what we can't: specific courses in engineering.
I should mention, though, that there's another path to engineering through Richmond that also works well: just stay here the full four years, get a single degree in physics, and then go to graduate school in engineering afterwards. One of our best students last year did that; he's now a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering at Boston University, with full tuition and a stipend paid by the BU. I recently spoke to the chairman of graduate studies in electrical engineering at another university, who told me that students with a physics background typically do really well there. (In fact, he said most of the graduate students in his lab were physics majors, and he loves them.) We get a fair number of physics majors every year who initially intend to do the 3-2, then change their minds when they realize that they like it a lot here, and that they can get where they want to go by just staying here for the full four years.
Best,
--Matt
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Lee on
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thanks Matt.
that sounds really interesting. i want to come back to the west coast for graduate school, so the 4-year program would probably be better right?
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Permalink Reply by Matt Trawick on
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Probably so; the 3-2 program is currently set up to partner with a handful of schools, all of which happen to be east of the Mississippi. Incidentally, one of our current seniors, who will graduate with a straight-up B.S. in physics after 4 years here, has just been accepted into graduate school in electrical engineering. So you can add another data point to your list.
Cheers,
--Matt
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Permalink Reply by Mary Catherine Brickle on -
How does double majoring work?
I plan on doing a BS in Environmental Science and a BA in International Relations.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Nicholas on
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More than 50% of our students double-major, so you won't be alone there! Double majors are very common at Richmond, and it's quite possible to do a BS/BA. Make sure you discuss this with your academic adviser early on, so you can be sure to get in the coursework you need to fulfill your general requirements and start working toward two majors. When the time comes to declare, you'll simply declare two majors, and select a new primary academic adviser within one of those fields (and perhaps a secondary adviser in the other). Of course, if you end up changing your mind, you'll have plenty of time to figure things out once you arrive on campus. That's one of the advantages of a liberal arts college!
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Permalink Reply by Laura Runyen-Janecky on -
Welcome potential new UR spiders
My name is Laura Runyen-Janecky, and I am a professor in the Biology department at UR. If any of you have questions about the Biology major or undergraduate research opportunities at UR in the sciences, which by the way are fabulous, post your question.
Dr R-J
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Permalink Reply by Caroline Elia on -
How does the Pre-Med track work? I know there isn't a specific Pre-Med major so I was wondering what major you end up graduating with.
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Permalink Reply by John Vaughan on -
I oversee the Pre-Medical Program at UR. Your choice of major should be based solely on your academic interests. (Medical schools do not give preference to one major over another.) You can be pre-med with any major at UR, including those offered by the Business and Leadership Studies Schools. What is most important is that you complete the basic pre-med prerequisites: 2 semesters of biology, 4 semesters of chemistry, and 2 semesters of physics. If you are a humanities major, these prerequisites can count as electives toward your general graduation requirements.
John Vaughan, Ph.D.
Director, Pre-health Education
Biology Department
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Permalink Reply by Caroline Elia on
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Thank you so much! I have been hearing so many things about the Pre-Med program and it's nice to finally have an answer!
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Permalink Reply by Meghan Cardell on -
Hi everyone!
My name is Meghan Cardell and I am a sophomore here at UR. I am also the Assistant to the Pre-Law Advisor at the University. Any questions you might have, please post them and I will be happy to answer them or get the answers for you if I don't know! Here is a message from Professor McGarvie, the Pre-Law Advisor ...
The office of pre-law counseling and advice maintains a database of all UR students interested in law school. Anyone interested in law school may want to consider placing her or his name on this database. Doing so allows you to receive notice of programming activities, summer internships, and meetings with the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity. Previous programming has included evenings with directors of admissions from various law schools, former UR students now in law school, and current practitioners in law. The pre-law advisor is Professor McGarvie of the history department. He practiced law for 15 years and has been on the faculties of four law schools. He is very accessible and will meet with you regarding any questions you might have concerning admissions to law school, the law school experience, or the practice of law.
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