Some of the engineering degree programs offer concentrations, a focus, or an option for students to further deepen their studies. Explore all of the detailed engineering major possibilities below by using the listing or interactive table.
OPTN Option: If completed, appear on your official UW transcript. These are generally competitive and require an additional application after you are in the major.
FOC Focus area: Do not appear on your official UW transcript. Serve as guidance for students who wish to deepen their knowledge in a specific subject.
CONC Concentration areas: Do not appear on your official UW transcript; represent a focused area of coursework.
Aeronautics & Astronautics
A&A does not have formal concentrations or transcripted options. Although students have the opportunity to take a few courses in focus areas, we encourage students to have a broad knowledge of the different components of flight vehicles (e.g., controls, fluids, structures) and how those things work together in a systems approach.
Focus Areas- Controls
- Fluids
- Plasma Science
- Structures
Bioengineering
Most BioE students choose Bioengineering and Engineering electives in their topics of interest such as biomaterials, data analysis, global health, imaging and neural engineering. Some students prefer to specialize further by pursuing one of the two transcripted options (Data Science and Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering). These students are required to choose specific Bioengineering and Engineering electives for each option.
Options (Transcripted)- Data Science
- Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
Bioresource Science and Engineering
BSE does not have formal concentrations and has a transcripted option in Business that can be added on by student request once they join the major. Students can pursue a wide variety of elective courses as part of the degree’s elective requirement, and we encourage students to develop a broad knowledge of skills that will apply to development of sustainable products, fuels, and chemicals from biomass resources.
Options (Transcripted)
- Business
Chemical Engineering
ChemE has an array of options and focus areas meant to help students deepen their knowledge in strategic areas. However, the ChemE curriculum expands past these areas. We encourage you to explore further by using our career outcome pages to learn about where ChemE can take you after graduation.
Options (Transcripted)- Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
- Bio & Biomedical Materials, Interfaces and Systems
- Data Science
- Computation statistics & modeling
- Energy systems
- Entrepreneurship
- Environmental engineering
- Polymers, composites, colloids & interfaces
Civil Engineering
The Civil Engineering major does not have formal concentrations or transcripted options. The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) degree covers six areas of research: Construction, Environmental, Hydrology, Geotechnical, Structural, and Transportation.
The 300-level CEE Core Curriculum provides a foundation in all areas. Technical Electives and Engineering & Science Electives, usually taken in the senior year, allow students to develop breadth in their preferred area(s) of interest. Seniors also complete a capstone design course in an area of their choice.
Research areas at CEEEnvironmental Engineering
The Environmental Engineering major does not have formal concentrations or transcripted options. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSENVE) degree encompasses extensive coursework, labs, and project experiences centering on microbiology, chemistry, and sustainability. The degree includes a focus on water and air quality, water/wastewater treatment, hydrology, and hydrodynamics. BSENVE students gain a deep understanding of the interactions among natural and human systems to develop innovative solutions to address environmental challenges.
Research Areas in Environmental Engineering
Electrical Engineering
- Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
- Controls
- Embedded Computing Systems
- Digital Signal and Image Processing
- Digital VLSI
- Integrated Systems
- Communications
- Advanced Electronic & Photonic Devices
- Sustainable Power Systems
- Neural Engineering
- Power Electronics and Drives
Human Centered Design & Engineering
- Data Science
- Human Computer Interaction
Industrial Engineering
- Data Science
- Human Factors
- Applied Statistics & Production Systems
- Operations Research
Mechanical Engineering
- Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
- Biomechanics
- Mechatronics
- Engineering Innovations in Health
Materials Science and Engineering
- Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
- Materials and Manufacturing
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Energy/Environmental Materials
- Materials in Medicine and Biomimetics
- Structural Materials
- Materials Computation and Data Science
You can also learn more about each Concentration Area on the MSE website.
Explore by areas of impact
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| Majors | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area of impact | AA | BioE | BSE | ChemE | CivE | EE | EnvE | HCDE | IE | MSE | ME |
| Air & Space | Controls FOC Fluids FOC Plasma Science FOC Structures FOC |
Polymers, Composites, Colloids, & Interfaces FOC |
Controls CONC | Materials and Manufacturing CONC |
See listing above for information | ||||||
| Computing, data and digital technologies | Controls FOC | Data Science OPTN |
Data Science FOC Computation, Statistics & Modeling FOC |
Embedded Computing Systems CONC Digital Signal & Image Processing CONC Digital VLSI CONC Integrated Systems CONC Communications CONC Advanced Electronic & Photonic Devices CONC |
Data Science OPTN Human Computer Interaction OPTN |
Data Science OPTN |
Materials computation & Data Science CONC Electronic, Optical & Magnetic Materials CONC |
See listing above for information | |||
| Environment, sustainability, and energy | Fluids FOC Plasma Science FOC |
See listing above for information | Energy Systems FOC Environmental Engineering FOC |
See listing above for information | Sustainable Power Systems CONC Power Electronics & Drives CONC |
See listing above for information | Energy/ Environmental Materials CONC Electronic/ Optical Materials CONC |
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| Health and medicine | Structures FOC | Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering OPTN | Bio & Biomedical Materials, Interfaces and Systems FOC Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering OPTN |
Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering OPTN Neural Engineering CONC |
Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering OPTN Materials in Medicine and Biomimetics CONC |
Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering OPTN Biomechanics OPTN |
|||||
| Infrastructure, transportation, and society | Structures FOC |
See listing above for information | See listing above for information | Sustainable Power Systems CONC Power Electronics and Drives CONC |
See listing above for information | Human factors CONC |
Structural Materials CONC |
See listing above for information | |||
| Robotics and manufacturing | Controls FOC |
See listing above for information | Polymers, Composites, Colloids, & Interfaces FOC |
Controls CONC |
Applied Statistics & Production Systems CONC |
Materials and Manufacturing CONC |
Mechatronics OPTN |
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| Other | Business OPTN |
Entrepreneurship FOC NME OPTN |
Operations research CONC |
Engineering Innovations in Health CONC |
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