Union University to launch civil and computer engineering concentrations

Union to launch civil and computer engineering concentrations

JACKSON, Tenn. — Union University’s Department of Engineering will add concentrations in civil engineering and computer engineering beginning in the fall 2026 semester.

The Bachelor of Science in Engineering currently offers concentrations in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. 

“Our vision for the department has always been to add more concentrations,” said Jeannette Russ, chair of the engineering department. “We just had to wait until the time was right, and we feel like that time is right now.”

Civil engineering encompasses the design and construction of structures that often serve the general public, such as bridges, highways and other infrastructure. Computer engineering involves the design, development and maintenance of computer hardware and systems.

“Each of these new engineering pathways is designed to prepare Union students to serve in the world as prepared professionals, in ways that are currently in demand,” said Fred Johnson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “What’s more, we’re launching at this perfect moment in Union University’s life, where the programs will have a home in our newest campus building.”

The newly opened Ethos Forum houses the Department of Engineering, the Department of Computer Science and the McAfee School of Business. The space was designed to encourage collaboration and innovation so students can participate in cross-disciplinary research and design.

“These new concentrations add even more opportunities for departments to work together, which is exactly what this space was designed to support,” Johnson said.

With demand coming from students and local and regional engineering firms, the new concentrations are set to meet a growing need and allow students to pursue well-defined career paths.

The technical courses and the foundational core curriculum that comprise the BSE degree are steeped in the Christian intellectual tradition, an approach that distinguishes Union’s program.

“The great new building will benefit the program and its students every day,” Johnson said, “but the best thing students will find inside is our faithful Christian faculty and their commitment to preparing capable, well-rounded engineers in the context of Union’s rich tradition of Christian liberal arts education.”

Russ said that civil engineering focuses on physical infrastructure and provides opportunities to shape the way communities function and grow. Computer engineering, meanwhile, focuses on a different type of infrastructure that is increasingly important to society and that has great potential for the spread of the gospel. 

Both concentrations will appeal to students interested in service and global missions, offering students a way to use engineering for a greater cause.

“We want our students to have a heart for missions,” Russ said, “and we want them to see that what they do in engineering can impact the world for Christ as well as making life better for the people they serve.”

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