Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science

About the school

One of the best state schools in Texas, the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science, functions under the aegis of the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson City.

The university was founded in 1969 and offers a total of 146 programmes, half of which are graduate-level courses. UT Dallas's best graduate programmes are business, engineering, audiology, and technology. The School of Engineering at UT Dallas holds the 73rd position among the Best Engineering Schools in the US, per U.S. News and World Report.

John H.L. Hansen (head, Department of Electrical Engineering), Dipak C. Jain (professor, Kellogg School of Management, and Harsh Gupta (earth scientist and seismologist) are some of the notable alumni of UT Dallas.

Since 2008, the Engineering School has experienced a significant increase in size, establishing 4 additional departments and 9 new degree programmes. Jonsson School is expanding its programmes by including biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, analog electronics, cybersecurity, systems engineering, robotics, and control systems.

Given its strategic location in Richardson, known as Dallas’ Telecom Corridor, students at the Engineering School can reap several advantages regarding internships and life-long career paths as the place is home to hundreds of high-tech companies.

Where is the school located?

Life at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science

At the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science, students pick a wide variety of housing alternatives designed with individual preferences in mind. The university provides a variety of on-campus and off-campus housing options, including those that are coed and family-friendly.

The university commons dorms are primarily reserved for first-year students. The university area and Canyon Creek Heights provide unfurnished and furnished housing options for international graduate students. Each housing option is made to work with various situations and price ranges.

The campus has more than 40 student groups and organisations, and new students are welcome to join any one of their liking. Jonsson School student organisations host technical workshops presented by top employers to develop “Hackathons”. They function as the leading networking agencies for students keen to connect with others and develop their skills on the social and professional fronts.

Student-led groups are the best medium to build connections and get involved in school activities at the Jonsson School. There is a place for everyone, no matter their academic programmes or what they are interested in. Some groups, such as the UT Dallas battlebot team and the IEEE student chapter, have also won national awards.

UTDesign is a programme that exposes senior engineering and computer science students to capstone projects through industry partnerships to resolve real engineering problems. Students can work on an actual company project while understanding the workings of a corporate environment.

Through make-a-thon events, students are encouraged to create prototypes to address real-world problems through team collaboration. The Comets Create programme engages students in 26-hour challenges to design and build prototypes along a given theme.

Additional benefits of studying at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science

Students of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science can access research centres such as the Centre for Applied AI & Machine Learning (CAIML), the Centre for Applied AI at The Richardson Innovation Quarter with UT Dallas Expertise (CAIQUE), the Wind Energy Centre at UTD, the Texas Biomedical Device Centre (TxBDC), and more. Students can use these research centres to get better at different technologies for the welfare of society. The University's Multicultural Centre is famous for hosting various cultural and heritage-rich events frequently. Since the university has more than 6,000 international students from more than 100 countries, there are many opportunities to learn about other cultures, which can be helpful later in their careers.

Admissions criteria

The school's graduate programme requires the following details to be submitted as part of the application process: - A GPA of 2.5 is required - Resume - 3 letters of recommendation - Previous college transcripts - Application essay - Proof of proficiency in English -TOEFL minimum acceptable score: 80 - IELTS minimum acceptable score: 6.5 - SAT- 560/ ACT-21 (if available) Please consult the school’s website for detailed information and any updates to this information.

Job placements

Many Jonsson School graduates take advantage of challenging, lucrative career opportunities in Texas. In recent years, there has been a rise in alumni taking jobs in the business, financial, and legal sectors as analysts, consultants, and patent specialists rather than in typical high-tech fields.

Graduate students can participate in internships and curricular practical training through Jonsson Career Services. The JCS staff can help students with everything, from making a resume to contacting possible companies and kick starting their careers.

Hundreds of companies hire college graduates as workers or co-op students every year. As part of these tasks, graduate students often work on research projects for their master's and doctoral degrees, and their business mentors often serve on their dissertation committees. Additionally, businesses get a sneak peek at students on the verge of graduation. They frequently hire interns as full-time employees because they know how the company works and its goals.

The Jonsson School programme is one of the biggest, employing around 1,000 interns and cooperative education students annually from the Dallas area and beyond.