About Us

About the College

About the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science

Academic Focus
Faculty & Research
Mission & Vision

Message from the Dean

Dr. Ying Shang
Dean of the UCCS College of Engineering and Science

Welcome! As a dynamically growing college, we welcome you to join us to start or enhance your career. We have 24 Bachelor, Masters, and PhD degrees in these engineering areas: aerospace, computer, electrical, mechanical, and systems, plus computer science, cybersecurity, and data analytics. Career-enhancing online master’s degrees for working professionals are also available in engineering management, space operations, and systems engineering.

 

We have embraced new ways for students to engage with the college. There are statewide transfer agreements for community college students, and in-person and online graduate certificates to allow for upskilling without a full degree commitment. There are three types of bachelor degrees so that students may find the right person and career fit.

 

At the bachelor level, we offer the industry-standard Bachelor of Science degrees, alongside the Bachelor of Innovation degrees, which pair deep technical knowledge with a core education in innovation and business to result in successes for graduates innovating within an organization or starting their own business. The Bachelor of Arts degree was designed to work with transfer students, transfer credits, and to fill gaps in the workforce. 

 

Both undergraduate and graduate students take part in research activities with research faculty resulting in enhanced understanding of topics and contributions to the field, relevant experience, and publications.

 

The college is developing the workforce of the future. In the most recent 5 years, three new buildings have been added to enhance student learning, research, and experience. 

  • The Cybersecurity building is a partnership of government, industry, and academia that together meets stringent criteria in collaborative work, education, and research in cyber defense. 
  • The Anschutz Engineering Center opened in 2024, adding classrooms and labs to support the new bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering. It also enhances other engineering degrees with added unique spaces and equipment for other specialties, such as power engineering and collaborative game design. 
  • The new Prototyping building adds a new mechanical shop with modern manufacturing technologies and has collaborative meeting and workspace for senior design teams working on industry-sponsored projects. 
  • In addition to the three new buildings listed above, the main Engineering building is set for renovation starting in January 2025, giving the college four new and modern buildings.

 

Our faculty and staff are waiting to welcome you to UCCS and the college. Our students are heavily recruited by industry and government employers to fill the local, regional, and nationwide workforce. Please explore the college, stop in for a visit, attend an event, and become an Engineering Mountain Lion. 

 

Ying Shang, Ph.D.
Dean, UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science

 

Academic Focus

EAS provides a range of programs for students, including undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as various non-degree options. Within the college, there are three specialized departments:

  • Computer Science
  • Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Faculty & Research

At UCCS, research is an essential part of the educational experience for students. 

In the College of Engineering and Applied Science, our faculty members conduct research in various technical areas, such as Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. 

Through their dedication, our faculty secure millions of dollars in funding annually, creating unique educational and research opportunities for EAS students.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to inspire and develop technological leaders in engineering and computer science through quality teaching and innovative research, creating an academically rigorous and enriching experience in a collaborative environment.

We advance and disseminate applied and theoretical research along with educating students in ethical service to diverse communities in Colorado, the nation, and the world.

Vision Statement

As a forward-thinking, collaborative community, we serve the people of Colorado and the global society through world-class research, innovative teaching, and the application of new knowledge. We develop diverse, technical leaders to challenge the present and create the future.

2021-2030 Initiatives

Strategic Plan
  • Our People
    Our People

    Our greatest strength in the college is our people.  We will pursue an agenda to enable competitive salaries, a positive work environment, and increased diversity amongst our faculty.

    EAS Initiative:  Our People

    		UCCS Strategy
    Goal P1: Increase gender diversity amongst faculty ranks from 23% to at least 33% by 2030.

    Learning Engagement and Belonging

     

    Financial Strength

     

    Deliberate Investment

     

     

     

    Strategy:

    • Consider diversity while forming search committees
    • Implicit bias training as part of the search committee charge
    • Increase job posting visibility to female and minority groups
    Goal P2:  Increase salaries to the 50th percentile by discipline amongst R2 institutions (similar university or college size).

    Strategy: 

    • Establish salary peer groups
    • Establish 50th percentile per rank by discipline for faculty and staff
    • Work towards increasing salaries (starting and existing) and start up packages gradually over 10 years
    Goal P3:  Ensure staff support commensurate with faculty size and student enrollment

    Strategy: 

    • Provide right sized staffing at college and departmental levels based on work load studies
    • Provide cross training of staff
    • Provide professional development opportunities for staff
    Goal P4:  Continuously improve teaching effectiveness

    Strategy: 

    • Provide training and development opportunities
    • Provide mentoring opportunities for new faculty
    • Share best practices among all college faculty
    • Explore more comprehensive teaching evaluation tools
  • Our Students
    Our Students

    As a state university, it is our responsibility to ensure students have access to education as well as the tools necessary to be successful in their efforts to graduate from UCCS.

    EAS Initiative:  Our Students

    		UCCS Strategy
    Goal S1: Increase gender and racial diversity amongst our students to exceed local demographics by 2030.

    Learning, Engagement and Belonging

     

    Retention and Graduation

     

    Financial Strength

     

    Deliberate Investment

     

    Partnerships and Outreach

     

    Strategy:

    • Target marketing to increase international student enrollment
    • Increase recruiting efforts in diversely populated areas
    • Enable opportunities for increased participation in K-12 STEM education initiatives
    • Build diversity through scholarships
    Goal S2:  Increase 2nd to 3rd year retention rates.

    Strategy: 

    • Identify reasons why students leave programs, create strategies based on this data
    • Enhance the student experience, clubs, mentoring, advising
    • Become a school of choice for higher performing high school students
    • Create early intervention programs to help struggling students
    Goal S3:  Increase 4 and 6 year undergraduate graduation rates

    Strategy: 

    • Identify and eliminate barriers to progressing through programs
    • Better understand why students aren’t graduating sooner including why students take time off
    Goal S4:  Increase financial support for students

    Strategy: 

    • Increase scholarship opportunities
    • Provide more opportunities for student employment
    • Explore other ways to offer tuition support – fellowship, department employment programs
  • Student Growth & New Academic Programs
    Student Growth & New Academic Programs

    Grow existing degrees and provide additional academic programs for students while satisfying technical workforce demands in the region.

    EAS Initiative:  Student Growth and New Academic Programs

    		UCCS Strategy
    Goal G1a:  Responsibly grow our current undergraduate student population in existing programs by 3% per year

    Retention and Graduation

     

    Distinctive Programs

     

    Deliberate Investment

     

    Partnerships and Outreach

    Strategy:

    • Increase recruiting efforts in partnership with admissions
    • Establish clear pathways for community college students
    • Targeted marketing
    • Increase K-12 outreach
    • Creation of tracks within degrees
    Goal G1b:  Responsibly grow our current Master’s student population in existing programs by 3% per year

    Strategy:

    • Examine best practices used in Master’s programs
    • Identify and eliminate barriers to completion
    • Increase number and quality of Master’s applicants
    Goal G2:  Create two new in-person degree programs by 2030

    Strategy:

    • Identify growing degree programs nationally
    • Leverage faculty expertise/internal resources analysis
    Goal G3:  Create two new online and/or hybrid programs by 2030

    Strategy:

    • Leverage new teaching modes in developing new programs
    • Identify market for online/hybrid degrees
    • Leverage faculty expertise
    • Leverage professional expertise in SE Colorado
    • Poll industry/Research in demand programs (state, region, etc)
    Goal G4:  Create one new department by 2030

    Strategy: 

    • Evaluate need for new department
    • Identify growing degree programs
    • Leverage faculty expertise
  • Research & Doctoral Programs
    Research & Doctoral Programs

    Add to the global body of knowledge in engineering and computer science by increasing research in the college and expanding doctoral programs.

    EAS Initiative:  Research and Doctoral Programs

    		UCCS Strategy
    Goal R1:  Increase college yearly research expenditures from $65k/TTF/yr to $130k/TTF/yr by 2030

    Research and Creative Excellence

     

    Financial Strength

     

    Partnerships and Outreach

    Strategy:

    • Celebrate individual, department and college successes
    • Seek new grant opportunities and partnerships
    • Encourage attendance at grant writing workshops
    • Seek collaborations (internal and external)
    Goal R2:  Increase the number of students graduating with a PhD from 17/yr to 25/yr by 2030

    Strategy:

    • Explore new international partnerships
    • Increase recruitment with targeted marketing
    • Better understand student progress through PhD programs
    • Increase funding for PhD students
    Goal R3:  Increase research opportunities for undergraduate students

    Strategy: 

    • Explore potential for reviving scholar program for EAS students
    • Undergraduate inclusion in grant writing
    • Expand participation in NSF undergrad research experience
    • Market undergraduate research opportunities
  • Expand Our Facilities Base
    Expand Our Facilities Base

    Expand our facilities to accommodate existing needs, student growth, new programs, and a broadened research mission.

    EAS Initiative:  Expand our Facilities Base

    		UCCS Strategy
    Goal F1:  Remodel the UCCS Cybersecurity Building to broaden research and increase student population in cybersecurity.

    Deliberate Investment

     

    Partnerships and Outreach

    Strategy:

    • Use EDA money and matching gifts to remodel the facility in phase 3 to expand cybersecurity efforts and solve crowding issues in the current EAS complex.
    • Establish a program plan and raise money for phase 4
    • Establish resident partnerships with government and industry in the Cybersecurity building to broaden student and faculty opportunities.
    • Leverage state of the art learning spaces to attract students to cybersecurity
    Goal F2: Create an Engineering Annex to accommodate student and program growth

    Strategy:

    • Establish need for space by projected growth over the next 10 years
    • Raise $8M in gifts with a match of $8M from the endowment
    Goal F3:  Modernize the Engineering building while solving safety and code issues.

    Strategy: 

    • Seek $28M in state capital money for the project matched with $6M in gifts
  • Community Partnerships
    Community Partnerships

    Strengthen and broaden partnerships with the community, industry, and government, as a vehicle to improve our programs, demonstrate relevancy, create opportunities for students and faculty, and connect academic programs to regional needs.

    EAS Initiative: Community Partnerships

    		UCCS Strategy
    Goal C1:  Increase alumni engagement 

    Partnerships and Outreach

     

     

    Strategy: 

    • Market alumni successes
    • Fundraising
    • Improve connections to alumni
    Goal C2:  Increase community partnership investment in UCCS EAS

    Strategy: 

    • Broaden our Engineering Leadership Council from 48 to 60 companies
    • Increase internship opportunities
    • Increase industry sponsored research, mentoring, and speakers
    • Increase involvement/exposure in senior projects
    Goal C3:  Increase UCCS EAS standing/reputation in community

    Strategy: 

    • Service initiatives for community impact
    • Expand research footprint
    • Increase number of on campus activities for public