Mission & Educational Objectives
Union's longstanding engineering programs have the technical depth of most university programs and an unsurpassed international focus along with our historical liberal arts context. We continue to prepare and inspire students to pursue careers that combine their passions, their knowledge of the world, and their technical expertise. If you want to work on innovations that will meet the challenges of the future, a Union engineering education will provide you with those competencies.
Engineering is a social enterprise that uses the creative design process to solve problems for humanity. It is critical that engineers understand the social context for these solutions. Studying engineering in small classes in a liberal arts setting provides an integrated experience that produces graduates who:
- understand the philosophical basis for the practice of engineering,
- have critical thinking skills they can apply to all areas of life,
- have the social skills to be excellent team members and leaders,
- have a solid understanding of engineering fundamentals, and
- are committed to lifelong learning.
The Union College Mission
Union College, founded in 1795, is a scholarly community dedicated to shaping the future and to understanding the past. Faculty, staff, and administrators welcome diverse and talented students into our community, work closely with them to provide a broad and deep education, and guide them in finding and cultivating their passions. We do this with a wide range of disciplines and interdisciplinary programs in the liberal arts and engineering, as well as academic, athletic, cultural, and social activities, including opportunities to study abroad and to participate in undergraduate research and community service. We develop in our students the analytic and reflective abilities needed to become engaged, innovative, and ethical contributors to an increasingly diverse, global, and technologically complex society.