Augusta, Ga.—Officials of Augusta State University and Georgia Institute of Technology signed an articulation agreement today (Aug. 8th) establishing an engineering transfer program between the two institutions.

The agreement establishes a pre-engineering preparatory program at Augusta State that matches the core curriculum coursework required for a seamless transfer to the engineering program at Georgia Tech Savannah. After completing the academic requirements of both institutions, students will earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Georgia Tech.

“While the Engineering College is already the largest college at Georgia Tech, the demand for spaces in the entering class always seems to be growing.  The agreement signed here today is one response to that growing demand.  But it also gives students seeking a bachelor’s degree in engineering another option, and one that we believe for some will be an important one,” says Dr. Jane Ammons, associate dean of engineering for faculty affairs, Georgia Tech, Atlanta.

“Of course, working out the details of any articulation agreement involves many details, and on behalf of the College of Engineering, I want to commend and thank the faculty and staff here at ASU and at our Savannah campus for the fine work they did.  I believe the articulation arrangement they produced will prove to be one that smoothes the way for students and maintains the quality that both our institutions expect,” she adds.

“Students entering Augusta State University through the engineering transfer program are
accepted  into the engineering program at Georgia Tech Savannah provided that the minimum grade point averages are met.  Students must, if Georgia residents, have a minimum grade point average of 2.7. Non-Georgia residents must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the math, science, and engineering courses.

“Students in Augusta will now have another option for pursuing degrees in engineering. This is a great opportunity for those who wish to remain local due to circumstances or convenience, and we anticipate this program will produce graduates of Georgia Tech who otherwise would not have been able to begin or complete an engineering degree,” says Dr. Sam L. Robinson, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

All mathematics and science courses required in the first two years of an engineering program are already offered at ASU. For purposes of the transfer agreement, the Department of Chemistry and Physics created two new engineering courses, at least one of which will be offered this spring.

“We are excited about the opportunities provided by our new engineering transfer program with Georgia Tech Savannah. Nationally there is a high demand for engineers, and we now will offer students in Augusta a new way to enter the profession. Our program will benefit not only the students who continue in Savannah but also our other students, because we will now be able to offer several introductory engineering courses not previously available on our campus,” says Dr. J. Andrew Hauger, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics.

“For its part, Georgia Tech is very pleased to be a participant in the agreement being signed here today.  While the agreement is a good example of effective collaboration between institutions in the University System, what’s most important is that it creates new opportunities for students.  Now undergraduate students will be able to begin their engineering studies here at Augusta State and complete them at Tech’s developing campus in Savannah,” says Dr. Gary Schuster, provost and interim president of Georgia Institute of Technology.

“We want to express our appreciation to President Bloodworth and his colleagues at ASU for their very helpful cooperation in crafting this agreement.  We’re confident that having this arrangement in place will mean it’s more likely that the needs of individual students as well as the area’s economic development will be well served,” adds Dr. Schuster.

The new pre-engineering program will be a track in the physics major at Augusta State. The university currently offers more than 50 degree programs leading to associate, bachelor, master’s, and specialist degrees.

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