RCGC's Engineering Program — Structured for Success

Engineers like to solve problems so when it comes to calculating the best value for the money it is not surprising that Rowan College at Gloucester County’s (RCGC) Engineering Science program has increased in popularity over the last four years.

A unique articulation agreement with premier partner Rowan University offers students the opportunity to complete the first two years of an Engineering Sciences degree at RCGC then seamlessly transfer to the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering for a bachelor’s degree. The College’s Engineering Science program, which previously had only 25 students enrolled, now numbers more than 100 — proof that students and their parents are analyzing the cost and effectiveness of attending RCGC. Although many students choose to travel a few miles down the road to Rowan University, RCGC’s engineering graduates have also transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, Elizabethtown College, Drexel and Rutgers, just to name a few.

“I was motivated to pursue an engineering degree at RCGC to save money and because of the partnership between RCGC and Rowan University,” said Vanessa Pierce of Pitman, who graduated in May with a 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) and begins at Rowan University in September as a junior. “Starting my education at RCGC has been beneficial. The smaller class sizes helped me to adjust to college and the faculty were always willing to be of assistance. I highly recommend the College’s engineering program. I learned so much thanks to my professors, who prepared me for my next steps as a chemical engineering major.”

RCGC students follow an academic blueprint, one that blends a two-year curriculum incorporating basic science, engineering science, engineering design, practical engineering applications, and humanities and social sciences, saving approximately $18,000 in tuition and fees for a four-year degree. Other program advantages include the guarantee that graduates with a GPA of 3.5 or higher are accepted into Rowan University’s engineering program as juniors, in majors such as biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering entrepreneurship and mechanical engineering. (Students with GPAs between 3.0 – 3.49 are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.)

“Jumping in as a junior at Rowan University can be very challenging. The junior and senior years are focused specifically on your major,” admitted RCGC Engineering Instructor Gayle Hughes. “As freshman and sophomores, RCGC students will typically take 17-18 credits per semester. They have clinics, calculus, chemistry, physics, and specialized engineering courses for their specific major. It’s a heavy load. I make sure the students have the skills they need to succeed.”

Hughes, the driving force behind the College’s engineering program, works double duty to safeguard that the transition from RCGC to Rowan University goes smoothly. At Rowan University where she teaches clinic classes, Hughes ensures that the material and rigor at RCGC is consistent with the university’s program.

“We are in the process of offering additional major-specific engineering courses next spring, courses similar to those taught at Rowan University,” Hughes noted. “RCGC’s new engineering classroom extension to Scott Hall opens in September, with classrooms able to accommodate more project-based assignments. Classrooms will be outfitted with laser cutters, CNC machines, 3-D printers and other tools, stocking it with equipment typical of an engineering lab.”

This new pathway to an affordable engineering degree fits all shapes and sizes, and is not limited to only the traditional college student transferring to Rowan University. Nontraditional students, whether seeking a career change or enhancing their current work situation, are sitting in the seats. Students enrolled in the College’s Rowan Choice program — a two-year option to take RCGC classes and live on Rowan’s main campus in Glassboro — get the “college experience” while still saving on an engineering degree.

Megan Zeigler, of Cherry Hill, already has a Bachelor of Science of Architecture degree from Temple University and is employed full time at an engineering firm in Haddonfield. A work conversation with two engineers about a drafting project she was working on piqued her interest to learn more. With encouragement from her co-workers, she decided to head back to the classroom.

“Starting at RCGC allowed me to get my feet wet again, and gave me the confidence to move forward,” stated Zeigler, a 4.0 Engineering Science student transferring into Rowan University’s graduate program to study Civil Engineering, with a concentration in Transportation and Structure. “There is nothing different about me except my age. I think my drive may be different because of my life experience and I know what is riding on this. Obtaining my Professional Engineer License will allow me to advance in my current position. I started as a draftsman and worked my way to learning design. My firm has been very supportive and integral in my returning to school to pursue my engineering degree.”

“This spring, 21 engineering students graduated from RCGC and transferred into one of Rowan University’s six engineering programs where they will have the opportunity to pursue paid internships and co-ops,” said Hughes. “Many of our students work part time or full time, 10 percent are returning college students and 20 percent are female. Some are in the military. RCGC welcomes all engineering students and provides them with a way to receive a quality education and reduce college debt. Also significant is that starting salaries for engineers range from $60,000 to $80,000.”

For more information about RCGC’s Engineering Science program, visit RCGC.edu/STEM.

Rowan College at Gloucester County’s 250-acre campus is located on Tanyard Road in Deptford, just off Exit 56 of Route 55.

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Photos:

RCGC second-year Engineering Science major Amanda Dias-Liebold (left), of Westville, and Instructor Gayle Hughes create models using a 3D printer. Dias-Liebold, who works as a lab tech at the College, plans to transfer to a four-year university to study aerospace.

RCGC students Jonathan Ladner (front) and Nicholas Duca (back) in Instructor Gayle Hughes Engineering Science program launch their optimized bottle rocket designs, one of the many interactive course assignments.