• Academic Environment
• ACT vs. Admittance Chart
• ACT/SAT Equivalency Chart
• Admissions Averages/Statistics
• Admissions Criteria
• Admission Deadlines
• Admissions FAQs
• Admissions Forms
• Affidavit of Support (Int'l)
• AP/IB Credit Charts
• College & Student Profiles
• Concurrent Credit Transfer Policy
• Concurrent Enrollment
• Concurrent Enrollment Voucher Form
• Continuing Student Deferment Forms
• Continuing Student Deferment Info
• Cultural Environment
• Early Admission
• Ecclesiastical Endorsement Form
• English Proficiency Requirements (Int'l)
• Faculty & Staff Reference Guide
• FAQ
• Find Your Local Contact
• Former Student Admissions Criteria
• GPA vs. Admittance Chart
• High School Information Form
• Home School
• Instructions for Int'l Students
• International Students
• Int'l Visiting Student Finances Form
• Local Information Meetings
• Missionary Deferment Forms
• Missionary Deferment Info
• New Concurrent Enrollment Policy
• Official Notice of Admissions
• Post-Baccalaureate Studies
• Recreational Environment
• Religious Environment
• Seminary/Institute Recommendation Form
• Spring/Summer Visiting Students
• Transfer Students

BYU Home Route Y Admissions Services College & Student Profiles Kirk Larson

College & Student Profiles

Meet Kirk Larson

Engineering and Technology

Kirk Larson

HOMETOWN: Salt Lake City, Utah
MAJOR: Industrial Design
WHEN HE WAS THE HAPPIEST: At the finish line
ANIMAL HE'D LIKE TO BE: Lorax

Take one look at Kirk Larson's svelte F5 Project and you quickly see that he's a man who knows where he's going and how he's going to get there. Not that the road's been easy. "There were numerous 14- to 16-hour days, especially toward the end." But Kirk recognizes a real opportunity when he sees one. And partnering with industries like General Motors is simply too good to pass up. BYU is one among a select number of schools that GM sponsors to work on prototype automotive designs.

From the computer model, Kirk actually made a precise one-fifth-scale foam model of the car using the university's state-of-the-art milling equipment. "Once we had a rough cut out of foam, we had to surface it, sand it, prime it, paint it—all the details. It's a pretty intense process." But it's also an ideal combination of theory, design, technology, and unsurpassed hands-on experience.

At the close of the semester, the finished cars, complete with show-quality paint jobs, are proudly displayed for all to see, including executives from GM and Ford. Internships and interviews for seniors are the net result, which is a real opportunity.

What drew Kirk to this discipline besides a love for cars? His philosophy of design answers the question:

Function is as important as beauty. There should be a purpose for every design element. When something is designed, it should be designed better, or it should be designed to be more convenient, or to be a better product. It should not only be beautiful but also function well. That's my goal, to create a product that is emotionally aesthetic, that draws out emotion in somebody, just by sight or maybe even by feel, but also that is able to perform a function in somebody's life that aids them or gives them satisfaction.

College of Engineering and Technology

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS

• CHEMICAL ENGINEERING*


• CIVIL ENGINEERING*


• COMPUTER ENGINEERING*


• CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT*


• ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING*


• FACILITIES MANAGEMENT


• INDUSTRIAL DESIGN*


• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY*


• MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY*


• MECHANICAL ENGINEERING*


• TECHNOLOGY TEACHER EDUCATION

* Limited enrollment major. Students who select these majors must make application and/or complete prerequisite courses to be admitted into the specific major program.

The College of Engineering and Technology is composed of four departments and the School of Technology:

• Chemical Engineering


• Civil and Environmental Engineering


• Electrical and Computer Engineering


• Mechanical Engineering


• School of Technology

Solutions to many of society's present and future problems will require people trained as craftsmen, technicians, technologists, and engineers working together as a team. Each of the departments in the College of Engineering and Technology has a faculty with advanced education, special training, and years of work experience, qualifying them to prepare students for these technical careers. Each department also has modern, well-equipped laboratories that provide exciting and valuable hands-on experience.

ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS

The value of on-the-job work experience during the learning process cannot be overemphasized. It adds materially to understanding and also assists with educational expenses.

Several kinds of work experiences are available to students. Perhaps the simplest arrangement is technical employment during the summer. Departments and the college cooperative education office work together to help students find suitable employment. BYU also has arrangements with several companies for co-op placement, wherein students work in industry for a period of time and then return to school for a period, sometimes alternating work and learning experiences several times. In addition to cooperative education internships within the United States, internships in international settings are available for students who are pursuing majors that focus on international curricula.

BYU engineering graduates find acceptance in the best graduate schools and in top industrial organizations. Many are in key positions in leading industries or have important assignments with government agencies. With the evident need extending well into the future for those skilled in solving technological problems, an engineering degree from BYU is a valuable professional accomplishment.

The alignment of engineering with technology, technology education, and construction management makes it possible to offer, in a single college, a broad spectrum of educational opportunities whereby students can prepare for a career in our challenging technological world.