TWU's first engineering program gets green light from regents

Pioneers are already in the cockpit. Now, the Texas Woman’s University Board of Regents wants to put them on the path to careers in STEM fields like robotics, thermodynamics and material science.

Pending approval from accreditors, TWU will offer an inaugural bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering as soon as the fall of 2027.

TWU leadership said its new program would meet the growing demand for skilled workers in North Texas. Mechanical engineers can fetch a handsome paycheck, too.

TWU officials said employers are looking for more than a few good women as they hire talent. Industry leaders estimate that women make up just 16% of mechanical engineers.

“Employers are actively seeking women engineers, and we sit in a region rich with industry partners,” said Angela Bauer, the university’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“A woman-focused learning environment, combined with natural synergies across our existing academic programs, gives TWU an opportunity no other institution in Texas can claim.”

TWU expects to get the green light from two agencies that have to approve the move: the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

TWU officials said a curriculum is already developed, and it’s prepared for a 21st-century student.

The curriculum includes some unique elements. Literacy in artificial intelligence is a core component, with an eye toward careers in which AI is central. But the prospective curriculum also emphasizes development of leadership skills and hand-on laboratory activities.

The university intends for engineering students to study applied engineering as soon as they start their classes.

“Most programs immerse students in math and science courses for two years before they touch real engineering problems,” Bauer said. “Ours would put them in the lab in their first semester — because students who build things early stay in the program, and they graduate as engineers who are comfortable making things work.”

The degree program could draw interest from area high school students, too. Some North Texas school districts have engineering programs offered through their career and technology education programs. Denton ISD offers engineering classes through the LaGrone Academy, and mechanical instruction is part of the curriculum. Argyle ISD offers foundational engineering studies through its vocational and certification program. Krum ISD has an engineering cluster in its career and technical education program.