When the University of Dayton School of Engineering launched its new co-major programs this summer, faculty expected curiosity. What they didn’t expect was just how quickly that curiosity would turn into excitement—especially among prospective students exploring their options for fall 2026.
The co-majors, which include Bioengineering, Materials Engineering, Mechatronics Systems Automation and Semiconductor Manufacturing Engineering, were introduced to provide students with broader context and flexibility as they prepare for careers that require both technical expertise and cross-disciplinary problem-solving.
The University of Dayton is the first Ohio university to offer co-majors in engineering.
The new offerings were intentionally created by faculty this summer to help boost offerings in areas of interest to students. Although no new courses were created for the programs, courses were purposefully selected to provide students with foundational knowledge in the co-major areas.
When a student chooses a co-major, they select a primary engineering major based on majors that are eligible for each co-major. Their primary major provides foundational technical knowledge, before transitioning to deeper upper-level courses. A co-major provides more depth than a minor, less than a double major, but adds targeted credit hours in addition to a student’s primary major.
This year, students who apply to UD for a co-major are placed in Discover Engineering until they choose their primary major, with guidance from their holistic academic advisor. While Discover Engineering is usually for students who are undecided in engineering at the time of their application, SOE is seeing an increase in applicants. More than 50% of those applicants are selecting a co-major.
With appropriate academic planning and due to curriculum updates implemented last year, students can complete a co-major within the standard eight semesters — even with the additional credits it requires. More engineering students are matriculating with transfer credit through AP and college courses.
“We anticipated interest, but the response from prospective students has exceeded expectations,” said Dr. Kristen Krupa, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering department chair and bioengineering co-major director. “Students are looking for engineering programs that allow them to make an impact beyond traditional boundaries. These co-majors give them that opportunity.”
The surge in interest reflects a broader national trend: students increasingly seek academic pathways that prepare them for multi-dimensional careers. UD’s co-major programs were created in response to industry feedback and student demand for more integrated learning experiences.
“With these programs, students can tailor their education to match their passions and career goals,” Krupa said. “It’s clear the next generation of engineers is eager for that flexibility.”
The School of Engineering has future plans to introduce additional co-majors in Aerospace Engineering and AI Engineering to launch in Fall 2026.