There are many great advantages to participating in a dual-degree engineering program as opposed to a traditional engineering program. First and foremost, this gives students the opportunity to gain from and contribute to the Bethany Lutheran College community spiritually, educationally, and socially while still being able to pursue engineering as an academic discipline. Pre-engineering courses at Bethany, such as calculus, general chemistry, and general physics, traditionally have less than 20 students, which gives the student the opportunity to take advantage of the personal attention professors can only give with small classes. Students are also given more opportunities to participate in campus activities such as theatre, music, and athletics than they would be at a large university.
Another great advantage to this program is that through the dual-degree agreement with the University of Minnesota, Bethany students are guaranteed placement in their engineering program of choice, given that they satisfy the degree requirements and the minimum GPA requirements. This means that dual-degree students at Bethany do not have to worry about being accepted as transfer students to their engineering institution; acceptance is already guaranteed.
