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Download a photo-filled PDF version of the NACOE Viewbook highlighting the college's research, academic opportunities, student support resources and more.

Welcome

The Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering is at the core of MSU’s land- grant mission, providing an inclusive, hands-on learning environment that supports academic excellence, strives for innovation in research and serves the community in Montana and beyond.

Greetings from the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering at Montana State University.

I’m thrilled to share with you the exciting opportunities available to our students and faculty. In the pages that follow, you’ll find them making groundbreaking discoveries and building impressive technologies. And you’ll
find them giving back, whether it’s our students volunteering in their community or our college’s namesake and mechanical engineering alumnus, with a generous gift of $50 million, making possible the construction of Norm Asbjornson Hall, which opened in 2019.

I invite you to explore the opportunities that await you at MSU and to consider how you can be a part of our legacy of excellence and service.

- Brett Gunnink, Ph.D., P.E. M.Eng. Dean

Academic Programs

See a list of undergraduate majors, undergraduate minors and graduate programs.

Facts and Stats

  • Number of faculty: 81 tenure-track, 56 non-tenure-track (AY 2022).
  • Research expenditures: $22 million (FY 2022).
  • Top producer of Goldwater Scholars: 84 total Goldwater Scholarship winners as of 2022. 

    The Goldwater Scholarship is a competitive national award given to math, science and engineering students. MSU ranked 8th among U.S. institutions for Goldwater Scholars in 2022.

  • Mechanical and Industrial Engineering: 40% (1,243)
  • Civil Engineering: 21% (640)
  • Computer Science: 17% (527)
  • Chemical and Biological Engineering: 10% (331)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering: 10% (310)
  • General: 2% (69)

Norm Asbjornson Hall: A $50 million gift from Norm Asbjornson made possible the 110,000-square-foot building, which opened in 2019. Its 17 labs and nine classrooms foster dynamic interdisciplinary engagement and meaningful student-faculty interaction.

Cutting-edge building technologies helped Norm Asbjornson Hall become one of only 10 buildings in Montana to be certified as LEED Platinum, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest certification.

Named for a generous donor and 1959 MSU electrical engineering alumnus, theBill Wurst Makerspaceincludes specialty tools such as 3D printers for students and faculty to build, test and prototype their big ideas.

College Highlights

Our faculty and students are developing creative solutions, making groundbreaking discoveries and earning national recognition for academic and research excellence.

Student Success

The Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering is committed to ensuring the success of undergraduate and graduate students through academic support, networking opportunities and individual empowerment.

Engineering Excellence

ePALS

The student mentoring program pairs freshmen and sophomores with juniors and seniors who provide guidance about classes, activities, internships and more.

Empower

The Empower program supports historically underrepresented students in STEM fields. The Empower Student Center provides a study space and services that support inclusive community and academic success.

Women in Engineering

Offering professional development and networking opportunities, the Women in Engineering program works to build a community of successful women engineers and computer scientists.

Walk-in help centers

The engineering college offers walk-in help centers where students can get one-on-one help with challenging core courses.

Global horizons

The International Engineering Certificate is a step towards becoming a global computer scientist or engineer – someone who can live, work and perform anywhere. Students work closely with their advisors to turn their engineering study abroad experience or service trip into credit toward the certificate.

Dedicated faculty

One-on-one faculty advising is available to all students for discussing course load, degree planning and career preparation.

Online Advising Center

We provide easy access for current and prospective students to connect with academic pathways, support resources and engagement opportunities.

Visit coe.montana.edu/advising to learn more.

 

An Inclusive College

We remain committed to providing a place for all to realize their potential in engineering and computer science.

The Empower program aims to advance our population of students from diverse backgrounds by fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages their academic, professional and leadership development.

  • Women students: 255% increase in 15 years - 660 women students in Fall 2022

  • Women faculty:27% of total -22tenure-track female faculty in Fall 2022

Empowering Students

Community and connections

Engineering and computer science students can join any of 38 clubs and organizations within the college, including the Bridger Solar Team and Association for Women in Computing.

Engineers Without Borders

MSU students have completed more than 30 projects in the Khwisero region of Kenya, including water well projects, sanitation projects, a water pipeline and rainwater catchment systems.

Construction competition

MSU civil engineering students regularly place among the top teams at a regional competition where they create mock construction bids on real-world projects such as bridges.

Faculty Support

MSU faculty and staff enjoy professional development, extensive support and recognition programing and cross-discipline collaboration in the heart of the beautiful Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

  • Guided by faculty interests and goals, and the values of innovation, collaboration, and partnerships, the Center for Faculty Excellence develops and provides experiences, opportunities, and resources that support the growth of faculty across all career stages in achieving excellence in teaching, including academic advising, research/ scholarship and service.
  • MSU’s Research Cyberinfrastructure program aims to provide researchers with the cyber-infrastructure and support they need to remain on the cutting edge of their fields. Computing resources include the NSF-funded Bridger High Performance Research Network and the 22-teraflop Hyalite Research Computing Cluster, which is the largest super computer in Montana.
  • TheOffice of Sponsored Programshelps faculty connect with state, federal and private funding sources for research, and also provides general research guidance through principal investigator trainings and more.
  • MSU’s Academic Technology and Outreach helps faculty access online teaching tools and other educational technologies, supports outreach activities such as MSU Family Science Day and provides opportunities for faculty to teach outside of the university.
  • The annualProvost’s Distinguished Lecturer Seriesrecognizes outstanding MSU faculty for their scholarship and leadership. Faculty reflect on the inspirations for their work in lectures attended by the MSU community and the public.
  • At a ceremony each spring, the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering honors exceptional faculty and staff for their contributions in research, teaching, mentorship, outreach and more.
  • The Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering supports faculty research and teaching with two grant programs.
  • The Thorson Excellence in Engineering Research program, made possible by a $2.7 million endowment, awards multiple grants each year up to $25,000. The Bryan Innovation Instructional Grant program provides up to $9,500 for curriculum development.
  • Our college has a culture ofwork-life balance in which faculty are supported while pursuing both their academic and personal goals.

Centers, Labs and other Affiliated Entities

Center for Biofilm Engineering
A world leader in microbial biofilm research since 1990. Multidisciplinary teams develop uses for biofilms and find solutions to industrially relevant biofilm problems, with applications in medicine, food safety, energy and more.Matthew Fields, Co-director,406-994-4770, cbeinfo@biofilm.montana.edu.

Magnetic Resonance Laboratory
Offers a variety of tools for researching biofilms, gels, ice and more using MRI.Sarah Codd and Joe Seymour, co-directors,406-994 1944,scodd@coe.montana.edu.

Montana Engineering Education Research Center
Positions Montana as a national leader in engineering education research and transforming engineering education through collaborative, empirical research.Brock LaMeres, Director, 406-994-2505, lameres@montana.edu.

Subzero Research Laboratory
A unique, internationally recognized, state-of-the-art suite of laboratories used to study snow, ice and the effects of the cold on projects across a range of scientific disciplines.Kevin Hammonds, Director,406-994-2167 kevin.hammonds@montana.edu.

Western Transportation Institute
A national leader in rural transportation research, the institute houses eight research centers with specialties in wildlife passage, infrastructure sustainability, public lands and more. Steve Albert, Director, 406-994-6114 wtioffice@montana.edu.

Energy Research Institute
Enables the advancement of biofuels, wind energy, carbon sequestration, fuel cells and other energy technologies.Lee Spangler, Director, 406-994-1658, energy@montana.edu.

Montana Nanotechnology Facility
One of only 16 centers that are part of the NSF’s National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure framework providing access to nanotech research facilities and expertise. David Dickensheets, Director, 406-994-7874 davidd@ece.montana.edu.

Optical Technology Center
A multidisciplinary center offering opportunities to find practical solutions to optics-related problems and discover new applications for optical technology.Joseph Shaw, Director, 406-994-7261, joseph.shaw@montana.edu.

Thermal Biology Institute
Conducts and promotes research and education focused on the biology and interrelated physical and chemical processes of geothermal environments in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Brent Peyton, Director, bpeyton@coe.montana.edu, 406-994-7419.

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center
Provides state-wide outreach and assistance to Montana’s manufacturers, helping their businesses grow and innovate. Paddy Fleming, Director, 406-994-3812,pfleming@montana.edu.