Designing And Implementing A Materials Science And Engineering Program With Limited Resources

Boise State University (BSU) is located in Boise, Idaho, the state capital, the largest metropolitan area in Idaho, one of the fastest growing high-tech cities in the U.S., and home of Micron Technology, SCP Global Technologies, HP Printer Division, and other high tech companies. The state recognized a need for an university program to educate engineers in Boise and in 1995, it authorized BSU to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The three programs earned ABET accreditation in 1998. In 2000, a Masters of Science graduate program was added to allow students to earn an M.S. degree in the three engineering disciplines. Boise State University is the largest university in Idaho with approximately 17,000 students currently enrolled. Over 600 students are enrolled in the undergraduate engineering program and over 35 in the graduate program.