aerial photo of UWM

College of Engineering & Applied Science

The College of Engineering & Applied Science is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s largest and most diverse city, which is on Lake Michigan and 90 minutes north of Chicago. Six Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Milwaukee metro area, joining more than 600 other companies that recruit at UWM.

General

  • UWM is ranked in the top 3% of universities worldwide (Center for World University Rankings)
  • Milwaukee is a best destination in the world to travel to (National Geographic), to live in (U.S. News and World Report), and to visit (Trip Advisor).

Research

UWM and the College of Engineering & Applied Science are known for cross-college collaboration and interdisciplinary research. UWM is one of Wisconsin’s two R1 Research Universities, named by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The college was responsible for $7 million in externally funded research in FY2023.

Research focus areas:

  • Biomedical & Health (rehabilitation and mobility, medical imaging, removing airborne pathogens)
  • Energy & Sustainability (electrochemical energy storage, electrical power & control, batteries & microgrids)
  • Water & the Environment (removing PFAS and other contaminants through filters, adsorbents, sensors)
  • Advanced Manufacturing (embedded systems, digital twin manufacturing, robotic controls, VR)
  • Transportation and Infrastructure (safety, advanced materials, cybersecurity, EVs)

Academics

UWM is one of only two public universities in Wisconsin offering engineering degrees through the doctoral level. The College of Engineering & Applied Science offers 13 undergraduate majors.

Departments

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
  • Materials Science & Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

Students

  • 2,000 students, including 430 graduate students (master’s and PhD)
  • 66% of graduates remain in Wisconsin* 

Diversity

UWM and the College of Engineering & Applied Science are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse student body and UWM is proud to have the largest veteran student population in Wisconsin.

  • 45% of students in the college are non-white.
  • First-generation students comprise 26% of the students in our college.
  • The college’s share of female students nearly doubled over the last ten years to 20%.

Faculty and Staff

  • 70 full-time PhD faculty members
  • 30 full-time teaching staff with extensive industry experience

Alumni

The college has a strong alumni network of 13,000+. You’ll find the majority of our alumni in Wisconsin, Illinois or California; however, our alumni span all states in the U.S. and 56 countries. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella (’90 MS Computer Science), is a proud alumnus.

Career Launch *

  • $72,000 average starting salary.
  • 98% of students launch their careers or continue their education within six months of graduation.
  • Students often earn more than $8,000 in full-time, work-related internships in summer.
  • Some of the places our students have landed: Amazon • Apple • Briggs & Stratton • Eaton • FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles • FIS • GE Healthcare • Generac • GRAEF • Harley-Davidson • Intel • Johnson Controls • Kohler Company • Microsoft • Milwaukee Tool • Modine Manufacturing • Molson Coors • Northwestern Mutual • Raytheon Missile Systems • Rockwell Automation • Tesla • We Energies • Wisconsin Department of Transportation

*Source: UWM First Destination Survey, December 2022; as voluntarily reported by graduating undergraduate and graduate students.  

Download Flyer

College of Engineering & Applied Science digital Viewbook