Opportunities & Resources

Smith College and Boston University’s College of Engineering are pioneering a collaboration that enables Smith College students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science to gain early admission to the Master of Science programs in engineering at Boston University and access enriching research experiences at Boston University as undergraduates. The partnership with Boston University provides early admission and reduced tuition and fees for graduate school.

Smith College has partnered with Princeton University to establish an exchange program for junior year students that will expose students from both schools to vastly different learning environments and better prepare women to enter and succeed in the field of engineering.

Smith Students

At Princeton, Smith students will be exposed to an engineering community that includes about 750 undergraduates (of about 4,600 total), 500 graduate students and 130 faculty members across six engineering departments: chemical engineering; civil and environmental engineering; computer science; electrical engineering; mechanical and aerospace engineering; and operations research and financial engineering. The course offerings and research facilities and opportunities are extensive.

Princeton Students

At Smith, Princeton students will have an opportunity to live and study in a community where small classes afford extensive opportunities for close contact and collaboration with faculty and peers in a curriculum that stresses integration with the liberal arts, and where 100 percent of the engineering students and over 60 percent of the faculty are women. The Picker Engineering Program has special strengths in biomedical engineering and engineering for sustainability.

Program of Study

Students will exchange in the spring semester of their junior year. The typical load is four courses at both institutions, though a course load of up to five can be accommodated. Students can choose from any of the courses offered at both institutions. Typically, a program of study would comprise two or three technical courses, junior independent work or a junior project course, and no more than one course in the humanities. Students are encouraged to carry out an independent research project during the term. Programs of study will be approved by advisers at Princeton and Smith.

Independent Research Project

A visiting Smith student will be a member of the department that matches best with their primary interests. Smith students who choose to do an independent research project and who earn a semester average of a B+ or better will be invited to continue their independent research project into the summer between their junior and senior years in order to complete a substantial piece of research. The summer component of the visiting student’s research program would be supported by a stipend from the faculty member with whom the research is conducted. All visiting Princeton students will be a part of the Picker Engineering Program and are welcome to contact a faculty member directly if they are interested in pursuing an independent research project. Students may be directed to faculty members at Princeton or Smith to further explore research opportunities.

Admission

Prior to applying for admission to the program, students must discuss course and research opportunities with their academic adviser or department representative, the Picker Engineering program assistant at Smith, or Princeton’s associate dean for undergraduate affairs of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. See the Forms page for more information and the application.

Application Deadline

Applications from Smith students must be submitted by February 1 of the year before the intended exchange. If accepted, the Smith student must submit a leave of absence form to the junior class dean by December 1.

Visiting the Campus

A visit to the other campus in the fall term of the junior year will help facilitate exploring potential independent research projects and courses to be taken.

Tuition & Fees

Smith College students accepted for the Smith-Princeton Exchange Program are charged their normal home college tuition and fees. These costs are paid to Smith College. Students on financial aid normally receive their regular assistance while on the exchange program.

Housing and Student Life

Housing is in Princeton University dormitories for juniors and seniors. Room and board charges will be paid directly to Princeton University.

Dining

Several dining options exist, including purchase of a Princeton University dining contract, independent self-catering, and a possible membership in an eating club.

Transportation

Students provide their own transportation to and from Princeton.

Campus Exchange

Members of undergraduate engineering societies and departmental organizations play an active role in welcoming visiting students and involving them in the engineering community and undergraduate life at the exchange college or university.

Princeton Life

With the exception of varsity intercollegiate athletics, which are bound by strict NCAA rules, visiting Smith students are welcome to explore participation in all types of extracurricular activities that interest them.

Smith Life

 Northampton is a lively town of 30,000. Residential life at Smith is considered an important part of a student‘s education. Smith is committed to a co-curricular environment that enhances and enriches the academic program: residential living is an integral part of that education.

More Information

Smith Contact

Contact Assistant Director Martin Green, 413-585-7516.

• Smith College Course Catalog
• Smith College Registrar/Academic Calendar

Princeton Contact

Contact Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs Peter Bogucki, 609-258-4554.

• Princeton University Engineering
• Princeton University Course Catalog
• Princeton University Registrar/Academic Calendar

The relationship between Smith and Dartmouth’s engineering program goes back decades. A partnership between Dartmouth Engineering and the Picker Engineering Program streamlines the application process and provides scholarship support to Smith engineering graduates interested in pursuing a Master of Engineering Management at Dartmouth.  

Download the Information Sheet below for additional details:

Information Sheet

Information Sheet

Tufts School of Engineering offers undergraduate STEM majors from Smith College an accelerated path to a master’s degree in one of 15 programs of study. The partnership with Tufts University provides a streamlined application process and lower tuition cost.

The College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst offers accelerated MS programs to Smith engineers. Engineering students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher will be automatically admitted, with no application fee and no need for GREs. These programs are currently offered in five fields of study, and details can be found at the 4+1 Accelerated MS Programs page.

Purpose

The fund shall be used to support initiatives that will foster entrepreneurial spirit among students in the Picker Engineering Program

What is Entrepreneurial Spirit?

Entrepreneurial spirit comes in a variety of forms, but is typically marked by curiosity, creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience. People with entrepreneurial spirit frequently take the initiative to seek out and solve problems to improve the status quo. They are motivated by challenges, and have a willingness to take risks. Their efforts often (but not always) take the form of new business ventures that seek to add value to society. 

Who can apply for funding?

Individuals or teams of students who are engineering majors or minors. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

What can this fund support?

• Direct expenses (supplies, tools, travel, etc.) for an entrepreneurial project
• Travel to conferences or workshops
• Summer wages (must have a faculty advisor)

How to apply?

Send a proposal to Kristin Morse (egradmin@smith.edu), who will pass it on to the review committee. Proposals should include

• Brief description of the activities and expected outcomes
• Budget
• Timeline
• Name and contact information for one reference (faculty or staff; project supervisor, if appropriate)

How are funds dispersed?

Purchases for supplies or equipment are made through a requisition form and direct payment by the program. For other expenses (travel, etc.), the student incurs an expense and works with Kristin Morse (egradmin@smith.edu) to submit receipts and reimbursement forms through Workday. If reimbursement presents a hardship, the student can work with Kristin on other approaches.

What are the reporting requirements?

• 1 Powerpoint slide with photos
• 1-page report of outcomes

The Picker Engineering Program recognizes the value of attending identity-based professional conferences for engineering, such as SWE, NSBE, SHPE, and others. As such, we provide financial support to engineering majors who wish to attend such conferences.

Who can apply for funding?

Individuals or groups of engineering majors. Groups of students attending together will receive higher priority for funding, as peer-to-peer learning and collaboration can enrich the experience. Higher priority will also be given to students who have not previously received funding.

What can this fund support?

• Travel
• Food and lodging
• Registration fees

How to apply?

Send a proposal to Kristin Morse (egradmin@smith.edu), who will pass it on to the review committee. Proposals should include

• Name of the conference and web link
• Dates of the conference and dates you plan to attend
• Names of students 
• Budget (include supplemental support from other sources if appropriate; if you are not proposing to use the $1000 of funding per person per year that is available though the SGA and Lazarus Center, please explain why)
• Explanation of how you meet the expectations regarding preparation, economy, and reporting (described below) 

Expectations

Over the years, we have found some best practices to get the most out of these conferences. As such, students must meet these expectations to receive funding.

• Commitment to preparation for the conference, such as preparing a resume or elevator pitch, reviewing companies who will be attending the job fair, working with the Lazarus Center, etc.
• Commitment to being economical; examples include sharing rooms, seeking low-cost transportation, etc.
• Sharing elements of the experience upon return; examples include giving a presentation in an engineering forum or other format, making a video about your experience and what you learned, drafting a memo that can be shared with other engineering students, etc.

How are funds dispersed?

The primary form of access to funds is via reimbursement. The student incurs an expense and works with Kristin Morse (egradmin@smith.edu) to submit receipts and reimbursement forms through Workday. If reimbursement presents a hardship, the student can work with Kristin on other approaches.