UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

  • Electrical Engineering class
  • 2016 Surveying AET
  • Field
  • CAD lab computer
  • Environmental Engineering student project

Engineering and Technology

Engineering and Technology

The Agricultural Engineering Technology Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences has a long standing, strong program in agricultural engineering technology, agricultural engineering, and our newest program beginning fall 2020 environmental engineering.

Both agricultural engineering and environmental engineering are part of the Northwest Wisconsin Engineering Consortium, a joint effort by UW-River Falls, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-Stout to bring a range of engineering programs to western and northern Wisconsin.

Many graduates of the department are employed in this region by small and mid-size companies or local operations of national corporations. These same companies need professional engineers and technologists, but have difficulty attracting and retaining graduates from outside the region.

For more information on each program:

Dear Prospective Student,

Joel PetersonWelcome to the Agricultural Engineering Technology Department at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Our curriculum is designed to enhance student learning by incorporating hands-on projects in most courses.

This hands-on approach fits well into our philosophy that students learn while doing. Our department consists of five dedicated faculty with a wide range of expertise and an open door policy. Class size is typically less than 20 students, allowing for personal instruction from the faculty. We stress working as part of a team on projects designed to enhance your critical thinking skills and develop sound engineering practices.

How can your graduates work in such a wide variety of careers?
The reason our graduates can be flexible is the curriculum consists of a core of engineering courses designed to enhance critical thinking skills and develop sound engineering practices, regardless of discipline. In other words, these skills are applicable whether constructing a retention pond or testing diesel engine performance. As a result, many of our students have secured employment prior to graduation, some with multiple job offers.

Take a moment to visit our careers page where you can view our alumni profiles and see what our graduates are doing today. If you can envision yourself working on these projects or employed with these companies, you may have found your academic home. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

Sincerely,
Joel Peterson
Agricultural Engineering Technology
163 Ag Engineering Addition
715-425-3985
joel.peterson@uwrf.edu

What's the difference between Engineering and Engineering Technology?

Professional engineering and engineering technology programs are separate but closely related programs. Professional engineering programs are more theoretical and focus on conceptual design requiring higher level math and calculus-based physics, while the engineering technology program is more practically-focused and spends more time on applied problem-solving and engineering. 

The career paths of professional engineering and engineering technology graduates often intersect in related but different capacities. Many engineering applications have both professional engineers and engineering technologists working on the same project.

For example, professional engineers may design a machine, waterway or food processing line, while engineering technologists would work with the engineers, skilled trades, and technicians to inspect, test, validate, and/or commission the new device.

Contact Us

Engineering and Technology
engineering@uwrf.edu
715-425-3985
171 Ag Engineering Annex
410 S. 3rd Street
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