Scholarships at St. Thomas
97% of first-year students receive merit scholarships that bring the average tuition cost down to $23,068 per year.
The Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering is a hands-on, industry-oriented and career-focused program that blends theory and research with practical engineering fundamentals to prepare you to succeed in this increasingly autonomous and interconnected world. Computer engineers design, program and develop an ever-growing list of embedded products and systems such as smartphones, self-driving vehicles, smart home systems, pacemakers, medical diagnostic equipment, and a variety of other life-saving medical devices.
The University of St. Thomas School of Engineering is consistently ranked in the top 50 undergraduate engineering schools in the country by US News and World Report. Your Computer Engineering journey consists of a hands-on, experiential learning in small groups facilitated by faculty with real-word experience. You will apply your curiosity and creativity to enhance your understanding of topics in computing systems, digital embedded systems, electronics, artificial intelligence and software engineering.
At the same time, you will get a strong foundation in the liberal arts to cultivate critical thinking, oral and written communication and problem-solving skills that will accelerate your path, whether you plan to go into industry or further your academic studies after graduation.
Senior year, you will spend two semesters in our Senior Design Clinic working as part of a team to solve a real-world design challenge provided by an industry partner. This practical challenge mirrors what you will do as a professional engineer and is a critical component of the St. Thomas engineering program. With an in-demand degree from St. Thomas, you will be prepared to work in industries focused on artificial intelligence, medical devices, autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things, digital electronics and more.
Get to know us better, and see why St. Thomas is a great place to study engineering. Request an in-person or virtual visit with our Dean, Dr. Don Weinkauf and/or one of our engineering faculty.
Students earning a BS in Computer Engineering will complete the University of St. Thomas Core Curriculum requirements and Computer Engineering major requirements and allied requirements.
If you are interested in transferring to St. Thomas with an Engineering major, read this information for undergraduate Engineering transfer students.
Your faculty adviser will personalize a four-year plan with you based on your goals. This is one snapshot of how the plan of study for this major can look. Plans of study exist for students who wish to study abroad, double major or for ROTC.
The Engineering Senior Design Clinic is a two-semester capstone that challenges students to create novel solutions to engineering problems posed by industry and community partners. This course is a critical component of the St. Thomas engineering curriculum as it requires student teams to engage hands-on with real-world design problems and to gain skills in professionalism, communication and project management, all while applying their engineering knowledge. Projects are selected from a broad range of partners to match varying student interest, from multinational corporations looking for fresh ideas to entrepreneurial ventures hoping to take a prototype to the next level.
Students earning a BS in Computer Engineering will complete the University of St. Thomas Core Curriculum requirements and Computer Engineering major requirements and allied requirements.
If you are interested in transferring to St. Thomas with an Engineering major, read this information for undergraduate Engineering transfer students.
Your faculty adviser will personalize a four-year plan with you based on your goals. This is one snapshot of how the plan of study for this major can look. Plans of study exist for students who wish to study abroad, double major or for ROTC.
The Engineering Senior Design Clinic is a two-semester capstone that challenges students to create novel solutions to engineering problems posed by industry and community partners. This course is a critical component of the St. Thomas engineering curriculum as it requires student teams to engage hands-on with real-world design problems and to gain skills in professionalism, communication and project management, all while applying their engineering knowledge. Projects are selected from a broad range of partners to match varying student interest, from multinational corporations looking for fresh ideas to entrepreneurial ventures hoping to take a prototype to the next level.
“Empathy” isn’t often equated with engineering, but at St. Thomas it’s considered an essential quality for students, according to Ann Thompson. Someday soon, she said, it will help her understand clients’ needs. The School of Engineering encourages her to think about the impact she can have. To that end, she took a year off to volunteer at a school in Nepal. In the next five years, she envisions going on to graduate school in engineering, where she may research the effects of sound on our lives. “The world is getting louder all the time,” she explained. “What will that mean for animals and for humans?”
Dr. Lucas Koerner is developing electrical instrumentation for challenges in sensing with student teams. One team is working on a low-cost, optical measurement system for portable medical diagnostics. Students have created an economical light measurement system that leverages the computational capabilities of a microcontroller.
Jeremy Ziemer '21 is working on bringing the Internet of Things to a small immigrant farm near the Twin Cities, in partnership with the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA). His project aims to leverage his St. Thomas coursework and what he’s learned about the design and implementation of low-cost sensor platforms and automated control systems. He’ll add instrumentation and robust control to new high-tunnels erected on the HAFA farm.
The University of St. Thomas School of Engineering helps you build your resume from day one. You will have the opportunity to engage in research with faculty, become a global learner, participate in co-op and internship programs, connect with potential employers during our annual reverse career fair, build your network with a wide a variety of tech companies, and enjoy lifetime career development support.
Meet the Engineers is a Reverse Career Fair held every fall. St. Thomas engineering students interested in full-time employment and internships represent themselves with a poster board and standby as prospective employers walk and talk with students about their particular goals, interests and talents.
80% of engineering students graduate with a technical internship in industry. (Many with more than one!)
The Twin Cities is one of the leading tech areas in the United States with over 136,000 tech jobs* and over 600 companies are within 20 minutes of campus including: 3M, Honeywell, Ecolab, Polaris, Medtronic, Cargill, Xcel Energy, Cargill, Graco, and Boston Scientific.
*Why the Minnesota Technology Corridor? https://www.mntechcorridor.com/collaboration/why-the-Minnesota-technology-corridor
Access to tools and resources, including career webinars, resume assistance, interview prep and one-on-one advice.
Collaborate with faculty and engage in hands-on research right from the start as a St. Thomas engineering student.
Take advantage of study abroad opportunities to learn and grow through life-changing global experiences.
97% of first-year students receive merit scholarships that bring the average tuition cost down to $23,068 per year.
Several competitive scholarships are available for first-year students planning to major in engineering, science and mathematics. There are also undergraduate scholarships available for returning engineering students each academic year.
is the median annual pay for computer engineers in 2021.
Dr. Hassan Salamy is working on research with undergraduate students to reduce power consumption in devices such as smartphones. His team is also working to provide thermal balancing on multi-processor systems commonly used in these devices, because high temperature densities can cause them to fail.
Dr. Lucas Koerner is collaborating with electrophysiologists at the National Institutes of Health to create a new digital-based amplifier system for studying the behavior of ion channels.With his St. Thomas students, he is creating a Python software package that facilitates experiment reproducibility. This software suite manages instrument control, data acquisition and experimental configurations to provide experimentalists more confidence in their measurements.
Dr. Kundan Nepal is collaborating with researchers at Southern Methodist University to design fault tolerant computing systems used in autonomous vehicles and other mission-critical applications. His research team is developing hardware and software techniques to provide low-power, rapid field testing of these critical systems.
Become a Global Engineer
The German and Engineering dual degree program prepares graduates for meaningful careers in a globally minded and diverse world. Spending a year abroad, the combination of foreign language and engineering studies lets students apply their language and culture skills to engineering and vice versa.
The University of St. Thomas bachelor's degree programs in Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. ABET, 415 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.
The University of St. Thomas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Graduates of the University of St. Thomas Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.C.P.E.) program are expected to achieve one or more of the following:
Adopted: April 21, 2014. Revised: May 6, 2022.
Graduates of the program have:
It takes more than theory to transform an idea into useful technology for our society. St. Thomas engineers emerge with practical, hands-on experience, the power of strong communication skills and the broad perspective of a liberal arts education. Our rigorous engineering programs are designed to transform the young creative minds of our students into engineers who can truly make a difference in the world.
There is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.