Follow the money.
Many students are taking that advice to heart when choosing a career path.
“There is a huge demand for engineering, especially here in Fort Wayne and throughout northeast Indiana,” says Don Mueller, interim chair of the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Fort Wayne. “In addition to that, we’re hearing from our graduates that salaries for students with four-year degrees in engineering are earning upwards of $70,000 upon graduation.”
Adolfo Coronado is the chair of the Computer Science Department and says the same is true for that particular field of study.
“It’s a global phenomenon,” says Coronado. “Our department has been growing 20-25% over the last three years in terms of number of students and, looking ahead to the next academic year, we’re expecting another record number of students.”
Both Coronado and Mueller say they thought the surge in demand for engineering and computer science would have slowed down at some point, but instead, the demand remains constant and strong.
“Engineering is always going to be a career in demand,” says Mueller. “Demand is particularly high right now because of all the innovation and technology development. Companies need engineers to make sure all of that gets into their operations. A lot of the older engineering workforce is not trained in the new technologies like today’s students are. Plus, our programs are really personalized and offer the opportunity for students to work with local companies while they are still in school. That’s a very unique opportunity for our students to work with local engineers, solving real-world problems even before they graduate.”
PFW has made significant changes to properly prepare for the growing number of students in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science.
“We have two new, full-time faculty joining us this coming semester and we’ve been hiring more part-time instructors,” says Coronado. “And I want to emphasize that our faculty really get to know the students. Because we’re a smaller campus, we have a more personal connection with our students and that is highly valuable and helpful for them to be successful.”
Mueller tells his students that PFW is a lot like the city of Fort Wayne when it comes to opportunities and connections.
“We’re big enough to have every opportunity here on campus for our students to thrive,” he says. “On the other hand, we’re small enough to be personal and we can get to know our students. I make myself accessible to students so they can stop by my office and ask questions. We also have a help desk and a mentoring program. All of that combined makes for a good, solid program here at PFW.”
Both engineering and computer science majors have different options to choose from in terms of what degree they pursue.
“Within our department we have two disciplines: computer science and information systems,” says Coronado. “With computer science, you can earn an undergraduate and graduate degree. With information systems, you can earn an associate degree or four-year degree.”
“We give the students a lot of flexibility as they journey through their engineering education,” says Mueller. “Some of our students are able to work 20 hours a week and still stay in school, while some of them graduate in three and a half years with a four-year degree. We also offer four-year degrees in many polytechnic programs such as mechanical engineering technology and computer engineering technology. In addition to having a four-year degree, we offer two certificate programs that give our students an extra credential in advanced manufacturing engineering or bio-mechanical engineering. And, we have an option for students to get a Bachelor of Science and master’s degree in five years. There are similar programs in electrical, computer and systems engineering, as well as computer science. All of this allows the students to tailor their degrees and better position themselves for employment after graduation.”
Coronado says the computer science program not only draws local students, but international students as well.
“The fastest growing population has been among students from overseas who have an interest in our programs,” he says. “A lot of those students stay here after graduating and find jobs here in the region and across the United States.”
Both Mueller and Coronado say their graduates have no trouble getting a job and keeping that job.
“Our programs are very closely influenced by local industry,” says Mueller. “That is a big advantage for our students because we have relationships with these companies, and they work with our students to prepare them for their careers long before graduation day. Our students hit the ground running as soon as they enter the workforce.”
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
pfw.edu/etcs/cme
cme@pfw.edu
Department of Computer Science
pfw.edu/etcs/computer-science
csdept@pfw.edu
