Return to Pointer View home page August 27, 2004

Engineering Programs among top in Nation

By Col Stephen J. Ressler
Dept. Civil and Mechanical Engineering

West Point’s civil and mechanical engineering programs have achieved their highest ratings ever in the U.S. News and World Report “America’s Best Colleges 2005” edition, released last week. In the category “Schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s,” the U.S. Military Academy civil engineering program ranks second in the nation, up one place from last year.

In comparison, the Air Force Academy civil engineering program is ranked seventh and Navy is 12th.  The USMA mechanical engineering program also achieved its best ranking ever, vaulting from its sixth-place ranking last year to third place in “Best Colleges 2005.”

The Navy and Air Force mechanical engineering programs rank sixth and tenth, respectively.

The U.S. News and World Report’s rankings are based on surveys of engineering deans and department heads at institutions with programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The survey respondents rate each ABET-accredited program on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished).  Thus the “America’s Best Colleges” rankings are primarily a measure of a program’s national reputation.

Why did West Point’s engineering programs fare so well in the rankings?  “Quality people and quality programs,” explains Col. Kip Nygren, head of the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering here.  “Our cadets, staff, and faculty are engaged in a variety of highly successful outreach activities that contribute to our national reputation for excellence in engineering education.”

For example, department faculty members currently serve in 28 different key leadership positions in national professional engineering societies. Five faculty members participate in the engineering accreditation process by serving as ABET evaluators. The department sponsors active student chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, both of which have achieved national recognition.

Civil and mechanical engineering cadets and faculty are always a visible presence at engineering education conferences. Cadets have participated in and won many engineering competitions, ranging from “concrete canoe” races to ethics essay contests. And the department runs two high-profile national educational outreach programs in partnership with the ASCE — the West Point Bridge Design Contest for middle-school and high-school students and the Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Teaching Workshops, attended by faculty members from over 100 different U.S. universities. These activities have significantly raised West Point’s profile in engineering education.

“Two decades ago, we did a great job of teaching cadets, but we were an insular institution and our accomplishments never left the hallowed walls of West Point,” said Col. Al Estes, director of the Civil Engineering program here.