New engineering minor offers students invaluable internship opportunity

Pacific Lutheran University leaders recently announced two new natural sciences programs. Officially launching in fall 2022, students will be able to pursue a major in applied mathematics and/or a minor in engineering and industry.

The engineering and industry minor will take advantage of courses already offered by the university’s physics department to students in the Dual-Degree Engineering Program. In addition to math and science courses, students will complete an internship/industry experience and/or courses in business, economics, history and ethics.

“Project-based learning is a different kind of learning than in-class learning and adds a different kind of value to a student’s degree,” said Bogomil Gerganov, associate professor of physics. “Internships and apprenticeships are extremely valuable training for future engineers, and students with such experience are more attractive job and graduate school candidates.”

To fulfill the engineering internship/industry requirement, PLU has enlisted the assistance of an advisory board consisting of engineering and science professionals to advise students with placement.

The applied mathematics major builds upon the existing mathematics courses, incorporates interdisciplinary studies and adds a permanent mathematical modeling course that challenges students to use mathematic tools to solve real-world problems.

“It is really awesome to pair with other science majors to give more math background to support those concepts,” said Nicola Justice, assistant professor of mathematics. “Such double majors will be set apart and stronger in the job market.”

Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the applied mathematics major pairs well with other natural sciences majors such as computer science, physics, and chemistry, as well as with an economics or data science minor. The applied mathematics major is offered in alongside the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education.

Learn more about these new offerings at plu.edu/naturalsciences.