Combined Plan Program Experience

The Columbia Combined Plan program enables students to receive both a liberal arts and an engineering education, getting the best of what each educational experience has to offer. Students will receive a B.A. degree in a liberal arts field as well as a B.S. in an engineering discipline from Columbia.

The program is usually completed as a 3-2 sequence: three years in a liberal arts curriculum and two years in Columbia Engineering (with students applying in the junior year). The program may also be completed as a 4-2 sequence: four years in a liberal arts curriculum and two years in Columbia Engineering (with students applying in the senior year).

Life at Columbia

Combined Plan students can participate in undergraduate researchundergraduate student life (including groups such as Engineers Without Borders and the Engineering Student Council) and Columbia resources such as the Center for Career Education and the Center for Student Advising

Combined Plan students are guaranteed housing during their first engineering year.  Many Combined Plan students choose to live in Carlton Arms, which is comprised of suite-style single and double rooms. There are a total of approximately 150 Combined Plan students across two years. While Columbia will do its best to accommodate students’ requests to live on campus after the first year, there is no guarantee that Combined Plan students will be offered a room on campus beyond the first year. Off-Campus Housing Assistance (OCHA) can assist students in non-Columbia owned buildings.

Combined Plan Frequently Asked Questions

How many classes do Combined Plan students take in a typical Columbia Engineering semester?

Depending on the course of study, Combined Plan students will take five or six classes per semester (including laboratory supplements to classes).

What kind of housing do Combined Plan students receive?

Combined Plan students are guaranteed housing in their first year.

While Columbia will do its best to accommodate students’ requests to live on campus after the first year, there is no guarantee that Combined Plan students will be offered a room on campus beyond the first year of the program. Off-Campus Housing Assistance (OCHA) assists Columbia students and affiliates in their search for housing in non-Columbia owned buildings in the metropolitan area. The OCHA website provides advice, resources and an online database of available housing.

 

If I am a Combined Plan student, can I pursue an internship while I am at Columbia?

Yes! Combined Plan students have access to the Center for Career Education, which assists students with finding appropriate internship opportunities and preparing for postgraduate careers.

What assistance is available to help Combined Plan students with their post-graduate plans?

Combined Plan students have full access to the Center for Career Education, Preprofessional Advising and Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, which provide individual advising, programming and rich resources to help students explore and prepare for internships and jobs, graduate school and fellowship programs. Graduating student survey results demonstrate that Columbia Engineering students are equipped to pursue a variety of paths upon graduation.

Will I be able to take non-technical liberal arts electives as a Combined Plan student?

Depending on your department and schedule, you may be able to take non-technical elective courses.