The Volgenau School of Engineering provides students with a well-rounded education, research, and professional development. Our seven departments work cooperatively to build unique and timely programs, including several interdisciplinary degrees.
Bioengineering
The Department of Bioengineering seeks to advance knowledge in the field through research and the education of future specialists with challenging, yet rewarding undergraduate and graduate programs. Bioengineering is an interdisciplinary field that integrates engineering, biology, and medicine to promote scientific discovery, new technology, and medical therapies to improve health.
Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering
The Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering is an internationally recognized program that educates visionary students to lead in the development of sustainable cities. Our faculty and students seek innovative solutions to construct energy-efficient and environmentally informed buildings, transit systems, utilities, and infrastructure through the use of sustainable materials and renewable resources. The nation relies on a vast network of infrastructure systems which are becoming more interdependent as urban areas grow and increase. Infrastructure based on sound, sophisticated civil engineering principles, and technology-based best practices ensures that the water we drink is safe, that the bridges we cross are solid, and that our transportation systems take us to school and into space.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering blends electrical and electronic studies and research to develop, design, and operate computers, machines, hardware, and software. ECE faculty and students are also involved in innovative research in a variety of areas, such as bioengineering, cryptography and network security, medical imaging, nanotechnology, ocean acoustic tomography, and wireless communications. ECE faculty at Mason have funding from several major agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Institutes of Health.
Mechanical Engineering
Mason's Department of Mechanical Engineering students seek innovative solutions to meet the growing demands of worldwide energy needs spurred by population growth and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. Our graduates oversee the operations and management of large systems in nuclear energy, biofuels, wind, and tidal energies to build an energy portfolio that exploits these seemingly limitless resources. Mechanical engineers must also have an awareness of risks due to cyber threats.
Systems Engineering and Operations Research
Mason's Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research offers students the "people-oriented engineering profession." Systems engineers plan, design, implement, and manage complex systems that assure performance, safety, reliability, and maintainability at a reasonable cost and delivered on time. Operations researchers try to find order in apparent chaos by identifying the structure in complex situations and understanding how the components or organizations interact. They can then explain and predict the effect of actions on these systems.