Multidisciplinary Engineering
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Our Program
Multidisciplinary Engineering (MDE) is an intersectional field, bringing together engineering and other areas of study (non-engineering knowledge), or combining multiple areas of engineering in a unique way that are currently not being served by a traditional field of engineering.
As a first-choice destination for those whose interests and abilities lie across academic disciplines, the program offers considerable flexibility and permits students to develop their own individual plan of study or choose from nine (9) established plans of study that combine several academic disciplines around a focused concentration. Also, be assured that while MDE students choose to concentrate in different areas, they benefit from a strong sense of community within the program and by participating in the Multidisciplinary Engineering Student Society (MDESS) and the School of Engineering Education's Undergraduate Participation in Research in STEM Education (UpRise) program.
MDE attracts a wide variety of talented students. We're home to a Marshall Scholar recipient and Purdue's second ever Harry S. Truman Scholar! Learn more about our history, program data, the wide variety of scholarships available, then find out how to change your degree and transfer into the program!
Accredited through ABET
The Bachelor of Science (BS) program in Multidisciplinary Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria with no applicable program criteria. Learn more about why ABET accreditation matters. Read about the program's mission, vision and goals, educational objectives, and outcomes.
Could you be the elusive Purple Squirrel sought by today's employers?
The proud mascot of the Purdue School of Engineering Education's undergraduate programs is a Purple Squirrel, which exemplifies the rare and highly sought-after job candidate who perfectly matches a specific role’s requirements...possessing the ideal combination of skills, experience, and qualifications to hit the ground running with minimal training.
The term highlights the difficulty employers have in finding such candidates, implying these graduates are as elusive as a purple squirrel in nature.
CAREER SNAPSHOT: Multidisciplinary Engineering and Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies
Salaries & Placement*
| Average Starting | $71,540 |
| Max Starting | $129,000 |
| Placement | 87.3% |
| In Industry | 80.2% |
| In Graduate School | 7.1% |
Employers**
| Acentech |
| Aerospace Corp |
| Agile Space Industries |
| Aisin, Seymour, IN |
| Aldrin Family Foundation |
| Amazon |
| American Structurepoint |
| Arup |
| Ball Aerospace |
| Belcan Global Engineering |
| Black & Veach |
| Bose |
| Bruns McDonnell |
| CISCO Systems |
| City engineer |
| Curtiss-Wright |
| Design Collaborative |
| Disney |
| Dometic |
| Drone Research |
| EPIC |
| Fisher-Price |
| Flexaseal |
| Ford |
| Ford AV |
| Gaylor Electric |
| General Motors |
| Graduate School |
| Granite Construction, Southern CA |
| Henkel Adhesive Technologies |
| Honeywell Intelligrated |
| IBM Infrastructure |
| Image Engineering |
| IMEG Corp |
| IMEG Corporation |
| John Deere |
| Klipsch |
| Los Alamos National Labs |
| Louis Vuitton |
| McLaren Engr |
| Medical school |
| Milwaukee Tool |
| Molex |
| Naval Nuclear Laboratory |
| OHM Advisors |
| Optum Technologies |
| Power Design |
| PwC |
| Ralph Lauren |
| RayzeBio, Indianapolis IN |
| Roush Entertainment |
| SMC Cor |
Internships/Co-op Positions**
| Aerotech |
| Amazon |
| Apple |
| Basin Electric Power Cooperative |
| Bose |
| Burns McDonnell |
| Butler America |
| Carrier |
| Columbia |
| Ethicon |
| Enesco |
| Ford |
| Genentech |
| General Electric |
| General Motors |
| Halliburton |
| Hasbro |
| John Deere |
| Klipsch |
| Kohl's |
| PNC |
| Ostergaard Acoustical Associates |
| Raytheon |
| Raw Science |
| Shure |
| The Palladium |
| The Walt Disney Company |
| United States Navy |
| Universal Destinations & Experiences |
| Valspar |
| Whirlpool |
*Numbers are self-report and collected up to one year after students' graduate. Numbers do not represent data from students who did not self-report. Last updated February 4, 2026
**Based on 2022-2025 placements.
MDE students are in demand by employers
Multidisciplinary Engineering students are recruited by all types of companies including large/small, public/private, not-for-profit, traditional/established, and startups just emerging onto the scene.
Companies want to hire our students because they've onboarded MDE students in past years and are coming back for more, or they are looking for that special candidate with a broad and flexible mindset toward engineering (e.g. general, visual design) or a very specific and refined skill set within a novel area of engineering (e.g. acoustical, theatre).
Explore careers & personal pathways.
Purdue engineers have an interest in changing the world, making an impact in their communities, and doing meaningful work. Strong leadership characteristics, ingenuity, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving skills, and technical proficiency are among the main competencies that our students gain. Purdue engineering is dedicated to helping students attain the skills and attributes needed to succeed in this rapidly-changing global economy.
ENE Undergraduate Office
You can find the Advising Office and the "Nest" community space for students on the first floor of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering (ARMS) building at the corner of Northwestern Ave. and W. Stadium Ave.
Address:
Purdue University School of Engineering Education
Undergraduate Programs
ARMS, Room 1337A
701 W Stadium Ave
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2035
Prospective students will find more information on MDE at Purdue's Office of Future Engineers.