Engineering Exchange Program with Dartmouth
Introduction. The engineering exchange (or dual degree) program with Dartmouth is an arrangement, offered through the Twelve College Exchange, under which eligible Amherst College students may attend Dartmouth College for a year to take engineering science courses (chosen to be eligible for credit at Amherst College), leading ultimately to both an A.B. from Amherst and a B.E. from Dartmouth in five years. A student spends his or her first two years at Amherst, followed by a junior year at Dartmouth for engineering science coursework. The student returns to Amherst for senior year and graduates from Amherst with an A.B. in an Amherst College major. The student then has the option to return to Dartmouth for an additional year to complete a B.E. degree. Applications to the program are due each year on February 1 of sophomore year to spend junior year at Dartmouth.
Requirements: Students must have completed the prerequisite courses to apply and must follow Amherst college policies regarding withdrawals and course load. Courses at Dartmouth must be pre-approved by the Amherst College Registrar. Students must receive a minimum grade of “C” in the Dartmouth courses to receive Amherst College credit.
Prerequisite courses:
1. Calculus through vector calculus (MATH 111, 121, and 211)
2. Two semesters of introductory physics (PHYS 123 and 124 preferred, PHYS 116 and 117 accepted)
3. One semester of introductory chemistry
4. One semester of introductory computer science
Courses at Dartmouth:
Students spend three quarters at Dartmouth, taking three courses each quarter, including three common core engineering courses, 1-2 distributive core engineering courses, 1-2 gateway engineering courses, and 3 courses in the humanities or social sciences. The Amherst College Registrar may consult with the Dean of the Faculty or Amherst College departments to confirm whether a course could qualify for credit at Amherst based on a criterion that the course is consistent with the liberal arts. Final approval is at the discretion of the Registrar.
Common core courses: ENGS 21 (Introduction to Engineering), ENGS 22 (Systems), ENGS 23 (Distributed Systems and Fields).
Distributive core courses: ENGS 24 (Science of Materials), ENGS 25 (Introduction to Thermodynamics), ENGS 26 (Control Theory), ENGS 27 (Discrete and Probabilistic Systems).
Gateway courses: ENGS 31 (Digital Electronics), ENGS 32 (Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits), ENGS 33 (Solid Mechanics), ENGS 34 (Fluid Dynamics), ENGS 35 (Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering), ENGS 36 (Chemical Engineering), ENGS 37 (Introduction to Environmental Engineering)
Senior year at Amherst: Students return to Amherst to complete an Amherst College major and graduate with an Amherst College degree. Students are encouraged to take additional advanced science and math courses during this year.
Fifth year at Dartmouth: Students returning for the fifth year take additional technical engineering courses that lead to a B.E. from Dartmouth.
Pre-approved courses. Final approval of courses for Amherst College credit is at the discretion of the Registrar. The following Dartmouth engineering courses have been pre-approved by the Registrar for Amherst College credit. Departments should be consulted for advice on whether courses could be used to satisfy departmental requirements.
ENGS 20: Introduction to Scientific Computing
ENGS 21: Introduction to Engineering
ENGS 22: Systems
ENGS 23: Distributed Systems and Fields
ENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 26: Control Theory
Additional details, including admissions requirements and suggested courses of study, housing and financial aid during the fifth year are available at: