Enhanced Student Experience

The Bagley College prides itself on creating an environment where any student can come to MSU and better themselves while earning an engineering degree. Although the coursework may be rigorous, BCoE offers its students valuable experiences that don’t exist at other engineering schools within the region. Outside the classroom, students can join more than 50 engineering student groups, be part of more than a dozen student competition groups or teams, participate in undergraduate research opportunities, co-op for real-world experience and more.

Newly admitted students from diverse backgrounds can attend the Summer Bridge Program. The five-week summer residential program gives students an extended orientation and a smooth transition into college life. Consisting of both life skills and academic activities, the program is designed to produce meaningful connections and a strong foundation to support student success. A similar program has been rolled out for all transfer students coming into the Bagley College.

At the core of the Bagley College’s education is the Cooperative Education Program, which allows students to gain real-world experience related to their major. MSU is one of the nation’s leading co-op education institutions and is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Co-op and Internship. Since 1955, co-ops have given engineering students a competitive advantage by having 52 weeks of professional work experience upon graduation. Engineering students account for more than 80 percent of all MSU’s co-op enrollment.

Student research opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels are also instrumental for the Bagley College. BCoE has supported more than 200 students on assistantships across its eight departments and affiliated centers this past year. More than half of these were research assistantships, with the rest being teaching assistantships, service assistantships or fellowships.

Nearly 95 percent of BCoE's projects are federally funded with project scopes spanning from external contracts and grants for government agencies and industries, to collaborations with other universities, organizations and corporate group across the nation.

“Research expenditures have continued to increase within engineering, and student engagement at the graduate and undergraduate level is critical to meeting deliverables,” said Kari Babski-Reeves, associate dean of the Bagley College and Larry G. Brown Endowed Professor. “As an R1 university, BCoE is integral to ensuring that the MSU research enterprise is healthy. The Bagley College engages in interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research with other colleges, universities, national laboratories and R&D units nationally and internationally.”

BCoE engages in research across many of the college- and universitylevel research centers and institutes, including, but not limited to, the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS); CAVS Extension; High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPC2); Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory; Institute for Clean Energy Technology (ICET); Institute for Imaging & Analytical Technologies (I2AT); and the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL). Through these innovative facilities, students can grow their research experiences to fulfill degree requirements, participate in meaningful discovery and develop their skillsets.

“Our programs frequently engage industry by incorporating real-world problem-solving activities through the curriculum so students can practice the skills and techniques they learn in the classroom,” said Babski-Reeves. “Graduate student participation in funded and unfunded research leads to innovations and discoveries. Without our student’s engagement in research, we would not be a leader in the state and nation in developing solutions to some of the nation’s most important challenges.”