The Program
The School of Engineering at Santa Clara University is pleased to present a Fall offering of our new Virtual Engineering Seminar (VES) program. This program allows students to engage with the School of Engineering community and participate in various panel discussions and activities facilitated by our students and faculty. Topics will include: Bioengineering, Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, General Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. The goal of this program is to provide students with a chance to explore the broad possibilities of engineering as a career with the hope of fostering a deeper interest in future engineering study. The program is open to all high school students.
Our program’s format and eligibility criteria are designed to suit students with little prior engineering exposure. The Virtual Engineering Seminar (VES) program is geared toward students who have not yet committed to future engineering study and who have had minimal exposure to engineering topics. Due to the high level of student interest, acceptance into this program has become highly competitive.
Program Details: Selected participants will join us on Zoom on Sunday, November 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PST to participate in specially designed interactive panel discussions and breakout sessions, spanning several fields and areas of engineering. Students will need an authenticated Zoom account. There is no cost to participate in this virtual program. If you are interested in attending, please fill out the VES Student Application Form by 5:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, October 29, 2021
The eligibility criteria for VES are determined by the purpose and content of the program, as well as Santa Clara University's Strategic Vision. This program aims to motivate more students to pursue engineering study and workshop content is on a broad, introductory level. Santa Clara University's Strategic Vision also emphasizes education in "service to society, especially on behalf of those in greatest need," which is in line with our Jesuit identity. As such, the following criteria have been set for program participants:
- Students who are currently enrolled in high school by August 5, 2021.
- Students who are interested in broadly exploring the field of engineering and its various disciplines
- Students who have not been exposed to engineering through high school coursework, extra-curricular activities, similar programs and close role models working in engineering
- Students who lack the means to access engineering courses and programs, due to limited financial resources and a lack of school & community opportunities
- Women, first-generation college students and other underrepresented groups in the field of engineering are highly encouraged to apply, though this is not a limiting factor for program participation.
- Priority is given to students in 10th-12th grade.
FREE.
VES is sponsored by the School of Engineering and local industry, which enables us to offer the program at no cost to students.
To be considered for this program, applicants must submit the following application materials:
- A completed online application submitted by the deadline: 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, October 29, 2021. The application can be found here.
- A maximum 500-word essay submitted on the online application addressing the following: What does engineering mean to you? How do you define it? How do you think this program could benefit you?
Questions to consider in your response may include:
- What are you passionate about?
- What drives your curiosity for engineering?
- What impact do you hope to have on society?
- What kind of problem are you trying to solve?
For program consideration, applications will be evaluated based on academic performance (particularly in math and science), strength of applicant essay, and the alignment with program eligibility criteria (with particular emphasis on applicant need). Because of program popularity and limited space, acceptance is competitive. Applicants will be informed of their application status via email by Friday, November 5, 2021.
To learn more about the several fields of engineering, please feel free to watch these SCU YouTube videos: (Please note that these videos were previously recorded by our SCU faculty that highlights each field in general, and specifically at SCU)
- Bioengineering: by Dr. Jonathan Zhang
- Civil Engineering: by Dr. Tonya Nilsson
- Computer Science and Engineering: by Dr. Nam Ling
- Electrical and Computer Engineering: by Dr. Shoba Krishnan
- General Engineering: by Dr. Jess Kuczenski
- Mechanical Engineering: by Dr. Drazen Fabris
- Undeclared Engineering: by Dr. Jess Kuczenski
The Inaugural VES program was offered on May 31, 2020.
View the video here:
For more information or questions, write or call:
408-554-4728
E-mail: seeds@scu.edu
If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please call 408-554-4728 or California Relay at 800-735-2929 (TTY) two weeks prior to the event.
The School of Engineering provides an outstanding theoretical and practical experience for both undergraduate and graduate students in the heart of Silicon Valley. Distinguished faculty, academic excellence, personal attention, and a culture of social responsibility are hallmarks of our program.
Disciplines in the School of Engineering include applied mathematics, bioengineering, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering, and engineering management and leadership. More information can be found at www.scu.edu/engineering.