Programs in the Engineering/Technology/Architecture Department

Associate in Science Degrees - All transferable to 4 year schools

Architecture - is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. A wider definition would include within its scope the design of the total built environment, from the macrolevel of town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture to the microlevel of furniture. [i] This program is designed to prepare students who plan for a career in architecture to transfer to a five- year baccalaureate program.  Most students transfer to NJIT.

The Difference between Engineering and Engineering Technology

"Graduates of Engineering programs apply scientific concepts to develop solutions to real world problems. Their job is more theoretical, involving the design of new products such as a robot that will be used in an auto manufacturing plant. Engineers require more theoretical, scientific and mathematical knowledge. At the same time, some colleges and universities offer two- and four-year Engineering Technology programs that prepare students for practical design and production work. Graduates of four-year Engineering Technology programs may get jobs similar to those obtained by graduates with a bachelor's degree in engineering.”[ii]

Or

Engineers have many different kinds of jobs to choose from -- research, design, analysis, development, testing and sales. If you are interested in discovering new knowledge, consider a career as a research engineer. If you are imaginative and creative, design engineering may be for you. If you like laboratory work, test engineering might be the answer. If you like to manage projects, look into becoming a development engineer. Sales engineering could be a good choice if you are persuasive and like working with people.

Engineering Technology

Engineering technology programs are characterized by their focus on application and practice, and by their approximately 50/50 mix of theory and laboratory experience. Technologists are employed across the technological spectrum, but are better suited to areas that deal with hardware application, implementation, and production, as opposed to the conceptual design and research functions. Engineering technology is the profession in which a knowledge gained through higher education, experience and practice is devoted primarily to the implementation and extension of existing technology in such areas as product improvement,manufacturing, and engineering operations.[iii]

Engineering - is the application of pure science to practical problems. More specifically, engineering is a professional activity that uses imagination, judgement, and intelligence in the application of science, technology, mathematics, and practical experience to design, produce, and operate useful objects or processes that meet the needs and desires of humanity.[iv]

    The Engineering program offers the first two years of a "four-year" engineering curriculum and prepares graduates for transfer to bachelor's degree programs at leading engineering colleges throughout the country.  The first two years are common to most fields of engineering (e.g., civil, electrical, and mechanical), but in the second year some students may begin to specialize in a field of their choice (e.g. chemical engineering).

    Union County College has dual admissions and formal transfer agreements with New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and other colleges. Due to the diversity of engineering curricula in certain fields of specialization, it is sometimes necessary for graduates to take one or two additional courses before attaining junior status at the transferring college.  Other transfer colleges include Cooper Union, Princeton University, and Stevens Institute of Technology.

Options within the Engineering Program include:

Civil Engineering - Most civil engineering today deals with roads, structures, water supply, sewer, flood control and traffic. In essence civil engineering is the profession which makes the world a more habitable place to live.[v]

Mechanical Engineering - Fundamental subjects of mechanical engineering include: dynamics, statics, strength of materials, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, control theory, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechatronics, kinematics, and applied thermodynamics.[vi]

Environmental Engineering - is the application of science and engineering principles to improving the environment (air, water, and/or land resources), to provide healthful water, air and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to investigate the possibilities for remediation of polluted sites.[vii]

Geoscience Engineering - Careful stewardship of the planet is necessary to sustain a quality living environment. The geoscience engineer, at the forefront of optimizing Earth's precious resources, plays an important role given the global nature of the economy and the rapidly expanding world population.[viii]

Chemical Engineering - is the application of science, in particular chemistry, along with mathematics and economics to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms.[ix]

Computer Engineering - Computer engineering professionals develop, design, and test computer systems. They understand both computer hardware and software and possess enough engineering breadth to design computer systems for a variety of applications.[x]

Electrical Engineering - is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. Electrical engineering is a broad field that encompasses many subfields including those that deal with power, control systems, electronics and telecommunications.[xi]

Associate in Applied Science Programs – All transferable to four year schools

Recent graduates have transferred to NJIT, Fairleigh Dickinson, SUNY, Kean University, and Penn State University.

Engineering Technology - is a cross between engineering (which is more research-based), and technology (which is applications-based).[xii]

Engineering Technology Programs at UCC

Civil / Constructional Engineering Technology - is a two-year program that prepares students for technical employment in field or office positions related to the design, layout, and construction of land subdivisions, buildings, streets and highways, bridges, storm drainage projects, water supply facilities, pollution control systems, and other public works infrastructures.

Electronics / Electromechanical Technology - is a two-year program that prepares students for technical employment in the electronics/electromechanical field. Special emphasis is placed on computers, computer peripherals, robotics, automated manufacturing systems, fiber optic systems, and the operation of digital computers in automatic control systems.

Mechanical Engineering Technology  - is a two year program whose graduates are prepared to work in engineering and manufacturing firms and research and development laboratories. Typical positions are in the areas of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), machinery and tool design, Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), facilities design, electronic packaging, CAD/CAM and materials testing.