(JACKSON, Miss.) – Jackson State University and Mississippi State University are teaming up to teach a pre-engineering course at a Jackson high school.
The pre-engineering course will be offered at Jackson Academy beginning in the fall. It came about after informal discussions with high school administrators in Jackson about providing students with pre-engineering and science classes.
Kenneth Hughey of Clinton, an MSU engineering alumnus who recently retired from Entergy Mississippi, will lead the course with JSU professors as guest lecturers.
“We also hope to have at least one field trip each to the MSU and JSU campuses,” Gilbert said.
Aug. 1 is the admission application deadline for both institutions.
Gilbert said the fundamental pre-engineering course will be nearly identical to an MSU freshman engineering course offered on the Starkville campus. Content will be adapted only slightly to give students an introduction to the various engineering disciplines.
Students can earn college-level credit that may be applied at JSU or MSU — or transferred to any other institution.
A minimum of 10 students are required for the class. Participants must be juniors or seniors, have a 3.0 or higher grade-point average and meet other prerequisites.
“This course gives us an opportunity to help students in Jackson,” said Gilbert, a native of the city. “We are treating this as a pilot course and will make our plans with JSU one semester at a time.”