What is LAES?
The LAES program is a hybrid study of engineering and technology components enriched with the appropriate features of culture, arts and the humanities. This program encourages students to see engineering, the sciences and humanistic study as interconnected and equally valid methods of asking the same essential questions about the world around us. This is not, however, an engineering degree; it is a new interdisciplinary degree program (PDF) split between the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts.
The LAES program prepares students for key positions in government, education, and industry that require a deep knowledge of the histories and day-to-day practicalities of working with technology and the impact that technology can have when contributing to the expression and solution of cultural problems.
The LAES program provides an avenue of focused interdisciplinary study (PDF) for students who have professional and academic interest in engineering, as well as the arts and culture. These students therefore wish to be part of a technical program that includes specializations in the study of sound and music, theater, public policy, interactive design, intercultural communication, and a wide range of other innovative technical careers in education, community development, commerce and the arts.
Students who are currently enrolled in other majors and want to enroll in LAES need to apply to transfer into the program. Students cannot double major in LAES and Engineering. Once students are accepted into the LAES program, they immediately begin planning their degree program based on their individual interests in consultation with the Program Directors.
For more information, download our summary sheet (PDF).