Graduate Testimonials

There is strong communication between the Advisory Board, faculty and students. Students are encouraged to be active in organizations, understand their education and they receive real life working experience. The interaction that a student has with the Advisory Board, faculty, and organizations prepares them for what they will see in the engineering field. The end result is a student ready for their engineering career.

I emphatically recommend the Minnesota State University Civil Engineering program to interested students and encourage employers to seek out Minnesota State University Civil Engineering graduates. This program has consistently developed winners since its inaugural class in 2003.

“It’s shocking how even the best students out of the best schools are not ready for work when we hire them. The reason I’m doing this project with you is that if I can demonstrate that you can really provide us with project-ready new hires, then people here will be all over it. And if on top of that you can supply us with a diverse set of qualified candidates, then everyone here is going to want to know you.”
– Zalman Stern, Google

The Friday before the start of the 2025 Fall semester, computer science professor, Dr. Rushit Dave is found in a lecture hall preparing his students for the coming year. Dave spent the summer not on vacation, but rather was busy connecting with other companies from a variety of industries to provide his students with real world projects.

As students filter in the hall to meet with industry, Dave talks excitedly about the unique model and its rapid growth. “Students learn computer science by doing computer science. By graduation, each student will have completed the equivalent of four industry internships.” Dave says. Equally impressive is the exponential growth experienced by the program over the last few academic years since it was reintroduced as a major. “We had 23 students in the upper division class during Spring 2023, and now we have 84 upper division students during Fall 2025.We expect the program will see 25-26 projects every semester with 100-105 students max.” he says. Projects ranging from all industries such as healthcare, agriculture, tech, and education are all on the menu for students to select.

The project-based learning model is one of the ways the Minnesota State Computer Science program at is unique from other institutions. The connections built by faculty, such as Dave, have transformed student experiences from mere scenarios to working on actual projects for which industries, big and small are seeking solutions.

Starting as the only computer science program with a project-based model in the country, it has caught the attention of established authorities who are connecting to tap into computer scientists in training to help guide their work.

One such authority from industry is Dr. Jo Hueschele, a research agronomist from the USDA, and partner this year with the computer science program.  When she learned of the work being done by students in a project- based model, she immediately signed up for a partnership to gain and analyze data in her lab. A partnership that is an impressive way for students to make an impact on a national level. “The chance for this to be a teaching opportunity, as well as valuable to the American public, it’s an exciting thing.” said Hueschele. “The only way we’re going to move forward in any industry is---we start thinking outside the box, and the fact that this program is unique where they’re actually doing a project as part of their learning experience, is thinking outside.” she added.

The program has also gained an esteemed reputation and appeal for learners across the country and world. One such student is Meron Woldensenbet, an international student from Ethiopia who was drawn by the real-world impact possibilities. “When I first started in computer science in full honesty, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I was just open minded and wanted to explore. When I came here and talked with people who already graduated from the program. I heard about the impact they were making”. Woldensenbet said. Like fellow students she also shared, “I want to make an impact, and see the impact I’m making in real time.” Woldensenbet has found a niche major that combines her love of science with a meaningful technology aspect. “What got me to stay is the interesting loop of continuously learning new things, and gaining new tools. You’ll never be bored in computer science. You’re always learning. If I have a vision, I can create whatever comes to my mind. I can make it, I can create it, and that’s pretty cool.” she said. When asked about her desired pathway after graduation, Woldensenbet ambitiously shared, “The ultimate goal is to create a non-profit organization that is focused on technology and making education tools accessible for students that don’t have access to these resources.” One such example she gave for a demographic impacted was her home country of Ethiopia. “I want to give back to the community that helped me get to where I am right now. Whether it is in Africa or the United States…anyone that doesn’t feel supported or included in the tech industry, I want to be able to help." 

For information on the Computer Science Program and partnership opportunities, contact Dr. Dave at: Rushit.dave@mnsu.edu.