Yangtze University has cooperated with St. Cloud State University in the United States to offer the undergraduate Sino-foreign cooperative education program in Electrical Engineering and Automation. The college has carefully created an innovative international learning ecosystem, comprehensively and deeply introduced high-quality teaching resources and cutting-edge educational concepts from the United States, and carried out teaching activities in strict accordance with international engineering education certification standards. Here, students can not only listen to the diverse academic perspectives brought by joint teaching of Chinese and American teachers but also receive professional guidance from international senior teachers, immersing themselves in the strong atmosphere of international talent cultivation. After graduation, students can engage in work such as planning and design related to electrical engineering, manufacturing of electrical equipment, construction of power grids, operation and maintenance, etc., and become high-quality electrical talents with global perspectives and competitiveness.
This project adopts the cultivation mode of "3+1" dual student status and dual degree, with a school system of 4 years. A total of 43 courses are set, and 15 professional core courses from the United States are introduced, accounting for 34.88%. The teaching in the United States is conducted in English. Without going abroad, students can enjoy the equivalent of studying abroad. Students can choose the "3+1" mode and go to St. Cloud State University for one year of overseas study to obtain undergraduate diplomas from both China and the United States; they can also choose the "4+0" mode to obtain the undergraduate diploma of Yangtze University.
With the concept of "student-centered" running through the four-year undergraduate cultivation, segmented teaching is adapted to the needs of each stage, small classes with foreign teachers ensure in-depth interaction, and English intensive courses help students break through the language barrier. Academic and life tutors provide personalized guidance for four years to help students grow comprehensively.
St. Cloud State University in the United States was founded in 1869 and is the second largest state university in Minnesota. In 2024, it ranked 76th among universities in the Midwest region in the Best Universities in the United States ranking, and 50th in the ranking of the most cost-effective universities in the United States. The undergraduate program of the Department of Electrical Engineering ranks 107th in the United States. The Electrical Engineering major is an advantageous major of St. Cloud State University in the United States, which has cultivated a large number of high-end technical talents for the field of electrical technology in the United States. This major has obtained the certification of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in the United States and is also one of the six initiating engineering organizations of the Washington Accord. It is known as the cradle of "professional electrical engineers in Minnesota, the United States," and two-thirds of the electrical engineers in Minnesota graduated from this university.
This project takes Chinese citizens as the enrollment target and will be included in the national enrollment plan of ordinary higher education institutions. Students need to participate in the national unified entrance examination for ordinary higher education institutions and strictly implement the national unified enrollment policy. The professional courses taught by American teachers are conducted entirely in English and run through the four years of university. To obtain the diploma from the United States, students need to meet the English requirements (currently, the language requirement is an IELTS score of 5.5 or a TOEFL score of 61). It is recommended that candidates whose college entrance examination language is English and who have a certain English proficiency apply for this project.
This project has introduced high-quality courses, cutting-edge textbooks, and advanced experimental equipment from American universities. Students can be exposed to the latest theories and technologies in the field of international electrical engineering, broaden their professional horizons, and obtain top overseas educational resources without leaving the country, enhancing the depth and breadth of their majors. Chinese and foreign teachers teach jointly, creating a multicultural learning atmosphere, enabling students to cultivate cross-cultural communication and collaboration abilities, which is like having an "admission ticket" to the international job market, laying a solid foundation for future participation in international projects and working in multinational enterprises. Students have the opportunity to obtain dual degrees from China and abroad, making them more competitive when applying for further study at overseas prestigious universities. At the same time, they can master foreign language skills and international professional knowledge, standing out in the job market and enjoying a broader range of career choices.
