4+1 Bachelor of Science Degree with Wellesley College
The Olin 4+1 Program offers Wellesley College students an opportunity to obtain a second bachelor’s degree in engineering by completing a fifth year of study at Olin. Students enrolled in the 4+1 program begin their engineering study while enrolled at Wellesley; by the time they complete their Wellesley degrees, 4+1 students must have completed all math and science prerequisites as well as five foundation courses, listed below. In their fifth year, 4+1 students enroll at Olin and spend both semesters in residence, completing major requirements as well as the engineering capstone.
The Engineering Certificate is not intended to serve as a pathway to the 4+1 Program. While there are some overlapping requirements between these two programs, the 4+1 Program requires an extensive set of course and credit requirements not only in engineering, but also in math and science. Students intending to apply for admission to the 4+1 Program will need to plan their schedules carefully and often take courses at different times compared to Engineering Certificate students.
Admission to the 4+1 program takes place in the student's junior year at Wellesley. Students admitted to the 4+1 program receive the Olin Tuition Scholarship for their year as Olin students, and may apply for additional need-based financial aid. Wellesley students who are admitted to the 4+1 Program must spend two full-time semesters in residence at Olin (living on campus).
4+1 Degree Requirements
All students wishing to complete the 4+1 program must fully satisfy Wellesley’s degree requirements prior to matriculating at Olin, and must also satisfy specific science, math and engineering requirements. The minimum distribution requirements for the 4+1 Degree are shown in the table below.
| Area |
Minimum Credits Required |
| Engineering |
46 |
| Math and Science |
30 |
| Arts Humanities and Social Science |
28 |
| Total credits in all areas |
120 |
Olin Foundation Courses
Must complete prior to the fifth year (the Olin year)
courses not hyperlinked are Wellesley College equivalent options
| ENGR1125 | Introduction to Sensors, Instrumentation and Measurement | 4 ENGR |
| | |
| ENGR1200 | Design Nature | 4 ENGR |
| OR | |
| ENGR160 | Fundamentals of Engineering at Wellesley College | |
| | |
| ENGR2110 | Principles of Engineering | 4 ENGR |
| ENGR2250 | User-Oriented Collaborative Design | 4 ENGR |
One of:
credits from foundation courses listed above total a minimum of 20; also if AHSE2515 Iterate is selected, it must be taken twice for a total of 4 credits
Math and Science Prerequisites
Must complete prior to fifth year (Olin year)
courses not hyperlinked are Wellesley College equivalent options
| MTH1111 | Modeling and Simulation of the Physical World | 2 MTH |
| AND | |
| SCI1111 | Modeling and Simulation of the Physical World | 2 SCI |
| | |
| Biology Foundation | |
| Chemistry or Materials Science Foundation | |
| Physics Foundation | |
One of:
| MTH2210 | Linearity I | 4 MTH |
| MATH215 | Mathematics for the Sciences I at Wellesley College | |
| | |
| MATH205 | Multivariate Calculus at Wellesley College | |
| AND | |
| MATH206 | Linear Algebra at Wellesley College | |
One of:
| MTH2220 | Linearity II | 4 MTH |
| PHYS216 | Mathematics for the Sciences II at Wellesley College | |
| MATH210 | Differential Equations at Wellesley College | |
One of:
| MTH2130 | Probability and Statistics | 2 MTH |
| MTH2131 | Data Science | 2 MTH |
| MTH2133 | Computational Bayesian Statistics | 2 MTH |
| MTH2135 | Neurotechnology, Brains and Machines | 2 MTH |
| | |
| MATH220 | Probability and Elementary Statistics at Wellesley College | |
| BISC198 | Statistics in the Biosciences at Wellesley College | |
| PHYS305 | Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics at Wellesley College | |
credits from courses listed above in the math and science prerequisite section must total a minimum of 26
Design Depth and Engineering Capstone Requirements
| Design Depth Option | |
| Capstone Option 1 | |
| Capstone Option 2 | |
Major Requirements
Choose one of the three Olin majors, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering or Mechanical Engineering and follow the degree requirements as outlined.
No more than two courses (maximum of eight credits) in a major may be transferred from another institution.
Notes regarding equivalences and terms
- Credit Equivalences between Wellesley and Olin: 1 or 1.25 Wellesley Units = 4 Olin Credits
- See the College Catalog for the list of courses that satisfy the probability and statistics requirement, typically in the MTH2130 through MTH2136 sequence; alternatively Wellesley equivalents may be substituted by petition
- See the College Catalog for the list of options of biology foundation courses, typically in the SCI1210 through SCI1299 sequence; alternatively an applicant may petition for a Wellesley equivalent
- See the College Catalog for the list of options of chemistry and materials science foundation courses; alternatively an applicant may petition for a Wellesley equivalent
- See the College Catalog for the list of options of physics foundation courses; alternatively an applicant may petition for a Wellesley equivalent
- See the College Catalog for the list of options for design depth course offerings
- Capstone Options at Olin are a sequence of two consecutive courses. Students may satisfy the capstone requirement with either ENGR4190: Senior Capstone Program in Engineering (SCOPE) OR ENGR4290: Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship (ADE)
For more information on the admission process for the 4+1 Program, see the Olin College Admission page.