Conrades School of Engineering

On Dec. 1, 2025, Ohio Wesleyan announced the creation of its endowed Conrades School of Engineering, supported by $17 million in alumni contributions, including a lead $13 million gift from alumni George Conrades, Class of 1961, and Patricia "Patsy" Belt Conrades, Class of 1963. The School launches with a Department of Engineering, a major in mechanical engineering, two engineering minors, and groundbreaking collaborations with industry partners.

Introduction to Engineering

As an engineer, you are a problem-solver and a world-changer. As an Ohio Wesleyan-trained engineer, you also have the liberal arts perspective needed to understand issues from multiple academic viewpoints and then to envision, design, refine, and produce the practical solutions needed.

The National Academy of Engineering estimates there are more than 2 million practicing engineers in the United States, working in fields such as biomedicine, energy, aerospace, computers, and others that "require people to create products that didn't exist before" with precision and elegance.

If you enjoy using math and science as foundational skills to solve vital challenges, you may wish to explore a career in engineering.

Department Features

• A liberal arts-infused program with abundant research opportunities to prepare you to begin a career as a highly skilled mechanical engineer or to seek an advanced degree in areas such as mechanical engineering, engineering, and engineering management, or related fields, including computer science, data science, and robotics. 
• The ability to earn a designated Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree from an ABET-accredited program*.
• Ohio Wesleyan's mechanical engineering degree will begin enrolling students in fall 2027. Related, recent OWU students have been accepted for graduate study at Princeton, Caltech, MIT, Cornell University, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Cambridge University, The Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, and others.
• 3-2 engineering opportunities, where students spend three years at OWU and two in an engineering program at schools such as Caltech, Washington University in St. Louis, and Case Western Reserve University, earning bachelor's degrees from both schools.