Multidisciplinary Engineering (BSE)
The Multidisciplinary Engineering Degree is overseen by faculty from the College of Engineering as well as the Engineering Undergraduate Programs Office, who strive to continuously improve our undergraduate program in Multidisciplinary Engineering. The program’s educational objectives (PEOs) are that our graduates: will be gainfully employed in Engineering or related career paths including industrial, academic, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and will continue their professional development by engaging in professional activities and/or training to enhance their careers and/or pursue post-graduate studies.
Modality
- In Person
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
The Multidisciplinary Engineering major requires a total of 128 credits. Multidisciplinary Engineering majors are required to complete the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CHEG 2103 | Introduction to Chemical Engineering | 3 |
| CHEM 1128Q | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| or CHEM 1148Q | Honors General Chemistry II | |
| CE 2110 | Applied Mechanics I | 3 |
| CE 3110 | Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| CE 3120 | Fluid Mechanics | 4 |
| ECE 2001 | Electrical Circuits | 4 |
| ENGR 1166 | Foundations of Engineering | 3 |
| ENGR 4001 | Multidisciplinary Engineering Design I | 3 |
| ENGR 4002W | Multidisciplinary Engineering Design II | 3 |
| MATH 2110Q & MATH 2410Q | Multivariable Calculus and Elementary Differential Equations | 7 |
| MSE 2001 | Introduction to Structure, Properties, and Processing of Materials I | 3 |
| or MSE 2101 | Materials Science and Engineering I | |
| MSE 2002 | Introduction to Structure, Properties, and Processing of Materials II | 3 |
| or MSE 2102 | Materials Science and Engineering II | |
| STAT 3025Q | Statistical Methods 1 | 3 |
| or ENGR 3400 | Engineering Data Analysis Techniques | |
| or MATH 3160 | Probability | |
| Thermal Science Elective | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Applied Thermodynamics of Materials | ||
| Engineering Thermodynamics | ||
or ME 2233 | Thermodynamic Principles | |
| Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I | ||
| Engineering Electives | ||
| Engineering Electives | 9 | |
| Area Elective Credits | ||
| Area Elective Credits | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 82-83 | |
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Or an equivalent approved statistics course (advisor approval required).
All multidisciplinary engineering students are required to have at least nine credits of work in engineering beyond those courses specifically required in the program. Three credits may be met by courses offered in the College of Engineering at the 2000 level or higher, and six credits must be met by courses in the College of Engineering at the 3000 level or higher.
Area Elective Credits can be used to pair the Multidisciplinary Engineering degree with other partner programs at the university. For students not seeking a paired program, consult with your academic advisor and the Guide for Multidisciplinary Engineering Majors for guidance on selecting courses based on your interests.
Multidisciplinary Engineering with an Individualized Specialization
Students choosing the Individualized Specialization will work with their Academic Advisor to select 24+ credits of coursework that integrate a coherent theme and represent a student’s unique interests. The individualized specialization requires dedication and forethought, and can be focused in engineering or in a related field of student interest.
Multidisciplinary Engineering with an Individualized Specialization for Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental
This individualized specialization covers all the necessary classes to obtain a well-rounded education in engineering, such as chemistry, calculus, physics, and multiple engineering disciplines, while integrating 24+ credits of preparatory coursework for professional programs such as medical or dental school. Students will be well positioned to apply for medical or dental school, as well as complete the MCATs.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1107 | Principles of Biology I | 4 |
| CHEM 2443 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2444 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2445 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 3 |
| MCB 2000 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| MCB 2210 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| MCB 2400 | Human Genetics | 3 |
| or MCB 2410 | Genetics | |
| MCB 2610 | Fundamentals of Microbiology | 4 |
| or PNB 2264 | Human Physiology and Anatomy | |
The following additional courses are strongly recommended to align with medical or dental school admission requirements:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1108 | Principles of Biology II | 4 |
| Additional English Course 1 | 3 | |
| PSYC 1100 | General Psychology I | 3 |
| PSYC 1101 | General Psychology II | 3 |
| Sociology/Anthropology Course 2 | 3 | |
| PHIL 1104 | Philosophy and Social Ethics 3 | 3 |
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ENGL Elective/TOI
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Sociology/Anthropology Elective/TOI
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Social Ethics/TOI 1
Students are strongly encouraged to work closely with the Office of Pre-Professional Advising and College of Engineering Undergraduate Program to align the individualized specialization requirements with current professional school expectations.
Multidisciplinary Engineering with a Specialization in Entertainment Engineering
Students choosing the Entertainment Engineering specialization will take coursework in the School of Fine Arts focused on stagecraft and technical theater, with a focus on hands-on and experiential learning in SFA dramatic productions. Students with this specialization will be well positioned to work in the theater and entertainment industries with a strong engineering background that intersects with the performing arts.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| DRAM 1219 | 3 | |
| DRAM 3201 | Scene Construction | 3 |
| DRAM 3202 | Rigging | 3 |
| DRAM 3203 | 3 | |
| DRAM 3204 | 3 | |
| DRAM 3199 | Independent Study (three credits each, six credits total) | 6 |
| Any three credit DRAM 3000 level course not used in fulfillment of another requirement | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Multidisciplinary Engineering with a Specialization in Human Rights and Sustainability
The specialization in Human Rights and Sustainability is a joint program between the College of Engineering, the Human Rights Institute, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Multidisciplinary Engineering (MDE) major with Specialization in Human Rights and Sustainability requires a student to be enrolled in the College of Engineering. In addition to providing students with a broad background in numerous engineering fields, this specialization aims to emphasize a human rights-based approach to engineering. Students will complete a minimum of 24 Human Rights credits, chosen from the courses outlined below, and will design a capstone project that follows a human-rights based approach to engineering.
Students will select 24 credits of specialization coursework according to the distribution below:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR/HRTS 2300E | Engineering for Human Rights | 3 |
| Three Core Courses, one from each of the following areas: | 9 | |
Institutions and Laws (Area A) | ||
History, Philosophy, and Theory (Area B) | ||
Applications and Methods (Area C) | ||
| Two Sustainability Courses (Area D) | 6 | |
| Two additional courses that may be taken from any of the Core or Elective courses (A-E) on the list below. | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
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Ideally taken during the second semester of first year in the program.
Note: Courses solely or cross listed between ENGR and other disciplines listed below may be used to fulfill either ENGR elective credits or be counted as part of the 24 HRTS credits, but not both.
Students are encouraged, but not required, to take a W course in Human Rights as part of the 24 credits.
A capstone engineering design project (ENGR 4001 Multidisciplinary Engineering Design I and ENGR 4002W Multidisciplinary Engineering Design II) with strong Human Rights (HR) content as approved by the MDE faculty advisory board and Human Rights Institute Director, or Internship in HR (HRTS 4291 Service Learning Seminar/Internship) for students whose capstone design project does not have a significant HR theme. HRTS 4291 Service Learning Seminar/Internship would count as one for the two “additional courses” above.
- Note: Students can elect to do both an HR-themed capstone and an HR internship if desired but must have at least one HR-themed experiential learning experience.
The MDE advising team will be responsible for ensuring that students successfully navigate the program requirements. The Human Rights undergraduate advising team will work with the students to identify experiential learning opportunities for students in the major.
Core Courses
A. Institutions and Laws
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH/HRTS 3230 | Propaganda, Disinformation, and Hate Speech | 3 |
| HIST/HRTS 3202 | International Human Rights | 3 |
| HRTS 3050 | Approaches to Human Rights Advocacy | 3 |
| HRTS 3055 | Theory and Practice of International Criminal Justice | 3 |
| HRTS 3200W | International Human Rights Law | 3 |
| HRTS 3420 | Being International: Geopolitics and Human Rights | 3 |
| POLS/HRTS 3212 | Comparative Perspectives on Human Rights | 3 |
| POLS 3428 | The Politics of Torture | 3 |
| SOCI/HRTS 2800 | Human Rights in the United States | 3 |
| SOCI/HRTS 2845 | Sociology of Global Human Rights | 3 |
B. History, Philosophy, and Theory
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH/HRTS 3326 | Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| ANTH/HRTS/LLAS 3327 | Power and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| ENGL/HRTS 3631 | Literature, Culture, and Humanitarianism | 3 |
| HIST/HRTS 3201 | The History of Human Rights | 3 |
| HIST/HRTS 3207 | Genocide after the Second World War | 3 |
| HIST/HRTS 3232 | History of Refugees, Migration, and Statelessness | 3 |
| HRTS 2100W | Human Rights and Social Change | 3 |
| HRTS 3460 | Human Rights and Armed Conflict | 3 |
| HRTS/LLAS 2450 | Human Rights in Latin America | 3 |
| HRTS/POLS 3042 | Theories of Human Rights | 3 |
| HRTS/PHIL 3220W | Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights | 3 |
C. Applications and Methods
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BLAW/HRTS 3252 | Business and Human Rights | 3 |
| BLAW/HRTS 3254 | Social Responsibility and Accountability in Business | 3 |
| DRAM/HRTS 3139 | Theatre and Human Rights | 3 |
| HRTS 3149/3149W | Human Rights Through Film | 3 |
| HRTS 3250W | Human Rights and New Technologies | 3 |
| HRTS 3475 | Economic Development and Human Rights | 3 |
| HRTS 3540 | Topics in Human Rights Practice | 3 |
| POLS/HRTS 3256/POLS 3256W/HRTS 3256W | Politics and Human Rights in Global Supply Chains | 3 |
| POLS/HRTS 3430 | Evaluating Human Rights Practices of Countries | 3 |
D. Sustainability
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR/HRTS 3257 | Assessment for Human Rights and Sustainability 1 | 3 |
| ENVE/ENVS/EVST 3100 | Climate Resilience and Adaptation: Municipal Policy and Planning 1 | 3 |
| ENVE 3110E | Brownfield Redevelopment 1 | 3 |
| GSCU 2800E | Introduction to Sustainable Cities | 3 |
| NRE 2600E | Global Sustainable Natural Resources | 3 |
| POLS/ENGR/HRTS 3209E | Sustainable Energy in the 21st Century 1 | 3 |
| POLS 3203 | Environmental Policy and Institutions | 3 |
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Courses that can also count as ENGR credits.
E. Elective Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Any HRTS course numbered 2000 level or above not already taken | 3 | |
| ANTH/HRTS 3028/ANTH 3028W/HRTS 3028W | Indigenous Rights and Aboriginal Australia | 3 |
| ANTH 3150W | Migration | 3 |
| ARTH/HRTS 3575 | Human Rights, Digital Media, Visual Culture | 3 |
| ECON 3473/3473W | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 2445/HRTS 3445/WGSS 3445 | Economic Foundations of Gender Inequality | 3 |
| EDCI 2100 | Power, Privilege, and Public Education | 3 |
| GSCU 4840 | Disaster Risk, Vulnerability, and Resilience | 3 |
| HIST 2570 | American Indian History | 3 |
| HIST 3418 | The Holocaust | 3 |
| HIST/AAAS 3531 | Japanese Americans and World War II | 3 |
| HRTS 3293 | International Study (with advisor approval) | 3 |
| HRTS 3295 | Special Topics (with advisor approval) | 3 |
| HRTS 3298 | Variable Topics (with advisor approval) | 3 |
| HRTS 3299 | Independent Study (with advisor approval) | 3 |
| PHIL/HRTS 2170W | Bioethics and Human Rights in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 3 |
| PHIL 2215/2215W | Ethics | 3 |
| POLS/HRTS 3418/POLS 3418W | International Organizations and Law | 3 |
| POLS/HRTS 3807 | Constitutional Rights and Liberties | 3 |
| AAAS 2220/2220/HRTS 2220 | Asian Indian Women: Activism and Social Change in India and the United States | 3 |
| SOCI 2220 | Asian Indian Women: Activism and Social Change in India and the United States | 3 |
| SOCI/HRTS 2830 | Class, Power, and Inequality | 3 |
| SOCI/HRTS 2898 | Topics in Sociology and Human Rights | 3 |
| SOCI/HRTS/AFRA 2520 | White Racism | 3 |
| SOCI/HRTS/AFRA 2530 | African Americans and Social Protest | 3 |
| WGSS/HRTS 2263 | Women, Gender, and Violence | 3 |
| WGSS 2255 | LGBTQ Sexualities, Activism, and Globalization | 3 |
| WGSS 3105 | The Politics of Reproduction | 3 |
| WGSS 3257 | Feminist Disability Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 3269 | Gender, Sexuality, and Social Movements | 3 |
Capstone Course
HRTS 4291 Service Learning Seminar/Internship
This course is only required for students whose Senior Design sequence does not have a strong human rights component. Any student can complete an HRI internship and have it count for elective credit.
Multidisciplinary Engineering with a Specialization in Industrial Design
This specialization covers all the necessary classes to obtain a well-rounded education in engineering, such as chemistry, calculus, physics, and materials science, but leaves a significant number of courses for a solid framework in industrial design. This approach gives students a strong foundation of industrial design studio practices, and a unique understanding of fabrication methods, presentation skills, human factors, and concept development methods that will make them uniquely qualified to address new challenges in the field of engineering and design.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ART 3701 | Industrial Design: Materials and Techniques | 3 |
| ART 3705 | Industrial Design: Form, Structure, and Space | 3 |
| ART 3710 | Industrial Design: Drawing and Modeling for Design | 3 |
| ART 3720 | Industrial Design: Process and Practice | 3 |
| ART/ID 3735 | SolidWorks for Industrial Design | 3 |
| ID 3725 | Industrial Design: Process and Practice II | 3 |
| Select two Industrial Design electives from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Industrial Design: Digital Fabrication | ||
| Packaging Design and Graphics | ||
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Industrial Design | ||
| Human Factors in Design | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
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Taken during Fall and Spring; not all courses are available all semesters.
Learning Objectives
- Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.