Established in 1847, the undergraduate engineering program at the University is the oldest in the Ivy League and the third oldest civilian engineering program in the country, preceded only by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1824) and Union College (1845). In 1916, the departments of civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering were merged into one Division of Engineering with a common core of basic engineering courses. This model has been preserved, ensuring that faculty and students engage in an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to engineering.

Engineering Faculty

Brown currently has approximately 40 full-time, tenure-track faculty members in engineering. Externally supported research reported in fiscal year 2011 included:

• Fiscal year 2011 awards total: $12,880,228
• Graduate research assistants supported: 93

Faculty in the School of Engineering account for:

• 19 fellows of major professional societies
• 14 National Science Foundation Career Awards
• Five members of the National Academy of Engineering
• One member of the National Academy of Sciences
• One fellow of the Royal Society
• Four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• One fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Engineering Students

Brown currently enrolls more than 400 undergraduate students and 150 graduate students in engineering.

Undergraduates:

• Class of 2011: 94 graduating seniors (36% women)
• Class of 2012: 107 concentrators (33% women) 
• Class of 2013: 100 concentrators (33% women)
• Class of 2014: 215 current students (36% women)
• Class of 2015: 194 current students (34% women) 

Ph.D. Students:

• Ph.D. students per full faculty member: 2.9
• All Ph.D. students are guaranteed five years of financial support.
• Brown accepts approximately 12 percent of applicants for engineering Ph.D. programs.