Professional Development

Professional-Level Courses

The courses listed below may be taken by first- and second-year students. Some departments require one of these courses; please consult with departmental charts for more information.

Each course serves as an introduction to the area of study in addition to teaching the subject matter and is taught by department faculty.

The courses are:

BMEN E1001x Engineering in medicine                                                                                                                                 Not offered in 2023–2024.

The present and historical role of engineering in medicine and health care delivery. Engineering approaches to understanding organismic and cellular function in living systems. Engineering in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Medical imaging, medical devices: diagnostic and surgical instruments, drug delivery systems, prostheses, artificial organs. Medical informatics and organization of the health care system. Current trends in biomedical engineering research.

CHEN E2100x Introduction to chemical engineering

This course serves as an introduction to the chemical engineering profession. Students are exposed to concepts used in the analysis of chemical engineering problems. Rigorous analysis of material and energy balances on open and closed systems is emphasized. An introduction to important processes in the chemical and biochemical industries is provided.

CIEN E3000y The art of structural design

Basic scientific and engineering principles used for the design of buildings, bridges, and other parts of the built infrastructure. Application of these principles to the analysis and design of a number of actual large-scale structures. History of major structural design innovations and the engineers who introduced them. Critical examination of the unique aesthetic/artistic perspectives inherent in structural design. Management, socioeconomic, and ethical issues involved in the design and construction of large-scale structures. Recent developments in sustainable engineering, including green building design and adaptable structural systems.

EAEE E2100x A better planet by design

Introduction to design for a sustainable planet. Scientific understanding of the challenges. Innovative technologies for water, energy, food, materials provision. Multiscale modeling and conceptual framework for understanding environmental, resource, human ecological, and economic impacts and design performance, evaluation. Focus on linkages between planetary, regional, and urban waste, energy, mineral, food, climate, economic, and ecological cycles. Solution strategies for developed and developing country settings.

ELEN E1201x and y Introduction to electrical engineering

Basic concepts of electrical engineering. Exploration of selected topics and their application. Electrical variables, circuit laws, nonlinear and linear elements, ideal and real sources, transducers, operational amplifiers in simple circuits, external behavior of diodes and transistors, first order RC and RL circuits. Digital representation of a signal, digital logic gates, flip-flops. A lab is an integral part of the course.

MECE E1001x Mechanical engineering: micro-machines to jumbo jets                                                                             Not offered in 2023–2024.

Corequisite(s): MATH UN1101. The role of mechanical engineering in developing many of the fundamental technological advances on which today’s society depends. Topics include airplanes, automobiles, robots, and modern manufacturing methods, as well as the emerging fields of micro-electro-mechanical machines (MEMS) and nanotechnology. The physical concepts that govern the operation of these technologies will be developed from basic principles and then applied in simple design problems. Students will also be exposed to state-of-the art innovations in each case study.

Professional-Development and Leadership Program

The Professional Development and Leadership (PDL) program educates students to maximize performance and achieve their full potential to become engineering leaders. Core sessions focus on development of skills and perspectives needed to compete and succeed in a fast-changing technical climate. Topics include professional portfolio (resume, cover letter, business writing, social media presence), communication skills, leadership, ethics, life management (stress, sleep, and time management) and more. Elective sessions include effective presentations, emotional intelligence, data visualization, and interview preparation.