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Bachelor of Engineering (BE) Concentration Course Recommendations

With Dartmouth's cross-disciplinary, systems-based approach, you can pursue interests within a wide range of areas to form your BE concentration. Below are examples of course recommendations by common areas of study. 

The Dartmouth BE is flexible for you to create your own concentration. The examples provided show concentration electives and their corresponding prerequisites to fulfill possible concentration requirements. The list is not exhaustive and is meant as a general guide. Review the full BE degree requirements and the BE planning form before meeting with your advisor to discuss possibilities for your plan. 

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BE Program Plan

Biological Engineering

Biological engineering exists at the interface of engineering, biological, and chemical sciences. This interdisciplinary field brings to bear fundamental design principles to both elucidate and modulate the function of biological systems, ranging in scale from molecular to cellular to whole organisms. The bioengineer's toolbox may include skills such as modeling, big data analysis, genetics, process design, biochemistry, and molecular, micro, and cellular biology. By designing, engineering, and optimizing biological systems, bioengineers and biotechnologists are seeking to tackle key unmet needs in medicine, agriculture, industry, the environment, consumer markets, etc.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Biology
BIOL 12: Cell Structure and Function
BIOL 13: Gene Expression and Inheritance
BIOL 15: Genetic Variation and Evolution

Chemistry
CHEM 6: General Chemistry

Applied Math1 courseENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 35: Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

Biology
BIOL 45: Molecular Biology
BIOL 46: Microbiology, with Lab

Chemistry
CHEM 40: Physical Chemistry of Biochemical Processes

Computer Science
COSC 75: Introduction to Bioinformatics
COSC 86: Computational Structural Biology

Engineering
ENGS 30: Biological Physics
ENGS 58: Introduction to Protein Engineering
ENGS 59: Analog & Probabilistic Computers: From Quantum Atom to Living Body or ENGS 162: Analog and Probabilistic Computers: From Quantum Atom to Living Body
ENGS 157: Chemical Process Design
ENGS 158: Chemical Kinetics and Reactors
ENGS 161: Metabolic Engineering
ENGS 163: Advanced Protein Engineering
ENGS 165: Biomaterials

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is the broad area of study in which engineers use an interdisciplinary approach to solve problems in the medical field, oftentimes associated with the interaction between living and non-living systems. The breadth of solution methodologies requires biomedical engineers to take a quantitative approach to system analysis in "traditional" engineering fields, while simultaneously employing a fundamental understanding of the relevant life sciences. Biomedical engineers should be prepared to design, build, test, and/or analyze biological systems, diagnostics, devices, and treatment modalities. Examples of current areas of research and education include:

  • Biomechanics (scaling from systems to tissues, cells, and molecules)
  • Biomedical imaging
  • Biomaterials and tissue engineering
  • Cardiovascular engineering
  • Biophotonics
  • Neural engineering
  • Orthopedic engineering
  • Biomedical instrumentation and devices

A variety of logical, interdisciplinary course sequences allow thematic approaches to the above areas (eg. biology-based, physics-based, computer-based, mechanics/ materials-based, etc.).

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Biology
BIOL 12: Cell Structure and Function
BIOL 40: Biochemistry
BIOL 41: Cells into Organs: Assembly, Function and Disease

Chemistry
CHEM 6: General Chemistry
CHEM 51: Organic Chemistry
CHEM 52: Organic Chemistry

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Applied Math1 courseENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
Engineering Distributive Core2 courses

Choose 2 courses, from the following:

ENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 26: Control Theory
ENGS 28: Embedded Systems

Engineering Gateway2 courses

Choose 2 courses, from the following:

ENGS 31: Digital Electronics
ENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 35: Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
ENGS 36: Chemical Engineering

Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 56: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
ENGS 57: Intermediate Biomedical Engineering or ENGS 169: Intermediate Biomedical Engineering 
ENGS 59: Analog & Probabilistic Computers: From Quantum Atom to Living Body
ENGS 111: Digital Image Processing
ENGS 127: Bioelectronics
ENGS 129: Biomedical Circuits and Systems
ENGS 160: Introduction to Protein Modeling and Simulation
ENGS 164: Tissue Engineering
ENGS 165: Biomaterials
ENGS 166: Quantitative Human Physiology
ENGS 167: Medical Imaging
ENGG 168: Biomedical Radiation Transport
ENGS 170: Neuroengineering

Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering is a foundational field that is centered on designing and optimizing processes that involve the physical and chemical transformation of matter. The chemical engineer’s toolbox may include skills such as process design, heat and mass transfer, chemical transformations and kinetics, molecular and cellular biology, and others. By designing and optimizing processes, chemical engineers tackle broad problems in biological, chemical, energy, and environmental systems.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Chemistry
CHEM 6: General Chemistry
CHEM 40: Physical Chemistry of Biochemical Processes
CHEM 51: Organic Chemistry
CHEM 52: Organic Chemistry

Applied Math1 courseENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 36: Chemical Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

Chemistry
CHEM 75: Physical Chemistry I
CHEM 93: Physical Organic Chemistry
CHEM 96.02: Statistical Thermodynamics
CHEM 96.07: Introduction to Materials Chemistry

Engineering
ENGS 132: Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Condensed Phases
ENGS 150: Intermediate Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 155: Intermediate Thermodynamics
ENGS 156: Heat, Mass, and Momentum Transfer
ENGS 157: Chemical Process Design
ENGS 158: Chemical Kinetics and Reactors

Climate or Sustainability Engineering

Climate or sustainability engineering is a specialization within mechanical engineering that focuses on the design of systems, products, and processes to minimize environmental impacts and build resilience to climate change.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Mathematics
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 43: Statistical Physics

Earth Science
EARS 71: River Processes and Watershed Science

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
ENGS 100: Methods in Applied Mathematics I

Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 33: Solid Mechanics
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 41: Sustainability and Natural Resource Management
ENGS 44: Sustainable Design
ENGS 45: Sustainable Urban Systems
ENGS 63: Electric Energy
ENGS 71: Structural Analysis
ENGS 107: Bayesian Statistical Modeling and Computation
ENGS 151: Environmental Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 152: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
ENGS 172: Climate Change and Engineering
ENGS 173: Energy Utilization
ENGS 174: Energy Conversion
ENGS 175: Energy Systems

Computer Engineering

Computer engineering is a rapidly expanding field that is focused on designing, building, and analyzing computational and networked information processing systems. A computer engineer understands the hardware, software, and applications environment of computing systems. As a result, computer engineers must be familiar with computer architectures, networks, and application software as well as modeling and analysis techniques for such systems, including machine learning, complex systems, and artificial intelligence. Computer engineers are involved in modern systems ranging from mobile social networking applications to highly autonomous vehicles to smart sensor networks to biomedical and smart energy devices.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Computer Science
COSC 30: Discrete Mathematics in Computer Science
COSC 51: Computer Architecture
COSC 71: Numerical Methods in Computation

Engineering
ENGS 96: Math for Machine Learning

Mathematics
MATH 20: Probability
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications

Applied Math1 courseENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
ENGS 28: Embedded Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 31: Digital Electronics
ENGS 32: Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

Computer Science
COSC 57: Compilers
COSC 58: Operating Systems
COSC 60: Computer Networks

Engineering
ENGS 50: Software Design and Implementation
ENGS 62: Microprocessors in Engineered Systems
ENGS 65: Engineering Software Design
ENGS 102: Game-theoretic Design, Learning and Engineering
ENGS 106: Principles of Machine Learning
ENGS 108: Applied Machine Learning
ENGS 110: Signal Processing
ENGS 112: Modern Information Technologies
ENGS 129: Biomedical Circuits and Systems

Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering harnesses the phenomena of electricity to develop technologies ranging from semiconductor devices to advanced communication networks. There are numerous subfields within this very broad discipline, all built on the foundations of mathematics and computer science, physical and life sciences, electromagnetics, electronics, and systems. The sample BE course plan reflects this breadth and begins to cultivate depth in certain areas. Graduate study at the MS and PhD levels enables further specialization. 

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Engineering
ENGS 96: Math for Machine Learning

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 19: Relativistic and Quantum Physics

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 92: Fourier Transforms and Complex Variables
ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering

Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
ENGS 28: Embedded Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 31: Digital Electronics
ENGS 32: Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 60: Introduction to Solid-State Electronic Devices
ENGS 61: Intermediate Electrical Circuits
ENGS 62: Microprocessors in Engineered Systems
ENGS 64: Engineering Electromagnetics
ENGS 68: Introduction to Communication Systems
ENGS 96: Math for Machine Learning
ENGS 110: Signal Processing
ENGS 120: Electronic Waves: Analytical and Modeling Approaches
ENGS 123: Optics
ENGS 124: Optical Devices and Systems
ENGS 125: Power Electronics and Electromechanical Energy Conservation
ENGS 128: Advanced Digital System Design

Energy Engineering

Energy is a major determinant of world events and quality of life. Energy engineering brings to bear the spectrum of engineering disciplines on challenges and opportunities involving energy, recognizing social, political, and economic contexts. This area of study aims to increase the efficiency of energy conversion, storage, transmission, and utilization, to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy sources, and to improve access to and management of energy systems. Students are encouraged to develop depth in one or more technical areas along with a broad understanding of energy technologies, systems, challenges, and opportunities.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 43: Statistical Physics

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 91: Numerical Methods in Computation
ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering

Engineering Distributive Core2 courses

Choose 2 courses, from the following:

ENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
ENGS 28: Embedded Systems

Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 36: Chemical Engineering
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 44: Sustainable Design
ENGS 63: Electric Energy
ENGS 151: Environmental Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 171: Sustainable Product Design
ENGS 172: Climate Change and Engineering
ENGS 172.2: Techno-economic Analysis in a Developing Country Context
ENGS 173: Energy Utilization
ENGS 174: Energy Conversion
ENGS 175: Energy Systems

Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineering is the application of fundamental knowledge in mathematics, natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology), and various disciplines of engineering (mostly civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering) to solve problems and address challenges at the intersection of technology with nature. The overarching objective is to protect the environment and ensure sustainability. Problems and challenges are typically of two types: (1) post-technology remediation or treatment, and (2) prevention or reduction of impacts by environmentally conscious design. A systems approach prevails in both types. The environmental engineer is quintessentially an interdisciplinary engineer.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Earth Science
EARS 71: River Processes and Watershed Science

Mathematics
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 43: Statistical Physics

Applied Math1 courseENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
Engineering Distributive Core2 courses

Choose 2 courses, from the following:

ENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
ENGS 28: Embedded Systems

Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 36: Chemical Engineering
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 41: Sustainability and Natural Resource Management
ENGS 43: Environmental Transport and Fate
ENGS 44: Sustainable Design
ENGS 46: Advanced Hydrology
ENGS 63: Electric Energy
ENGS 151: Environmental Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 152: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
ENGS 171: Sustainable Product Design
ENGS 172: Climate Change and Engineering
ENGS 172.2: Techno-economic Analysis in a Developing Country Context

Industrial & Systems Engineering

Systems engineers focus on designing, integrating, and managing complex systems. Systems engineers use a holistic approach to plan across the full life cycle of the device or process. 

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2—3 courses

Choose 2—3 courses, from the following:

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 22: Applied Mathematical Methods for Physicists

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
ENGS 100: Methods in Applied Mathematics I

Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 33: Solid Mechanics
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 29: Computer-Aided Design & Kinematics
ENGS 45: Sustainable Urban Systems 
ENGS 75: Product Design
ENGS 85.13: Fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing from Processing to Design
ENGS 85.14: Principles of Causality
ENGS 102: Game-theoretic Design, Learning and Engineering
ENGS 149: Introduction to Systems Identification
ENGS 171: Sustainable Product Design
ENGS 172.2: Techno-economic Analysis in a Developing Country Context
ENGS 175: Energy Systems

Materials Science & Engineering

The study of materials science and engineering relates the properties of materials—chemical, electrical, magnetic, mechanical, optical—to their internal architecture or microstructure. In turn, the structure is related to processing—solidification, thermal/mechanical treatment, vapor deposition, etc.—and to the underlying thermodynamic "driving forces" and kinetics that underlie changes in structure and hence in properties and behavior. Fundamental to the study are both qualitative and quantitative methods of microstructural analysis.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 19: Relativistic and Quantum Physics
PHYS 43: Statistical Physics

Applied Math1 courseENGS 92: Fourier Transforms and Complex Variables
Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 32: Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits or ENGS 36: Chemical Engineering
ENGS 33: Solid Mechanics
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Students must take this course:

ENGS 132: Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Condensed Phases

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 130: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
ENGS 131: Science of Solid State Materials
ENGS 133: Methods of Materials Characterization

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

ENGS 85.13: Fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing from Processing to Design
ENGS 134: Nanotechnology
ENGS 135: Thin Films and Microfabrication Technology
ENGS 136: Electrochemical Energy Materials
ENGS 137: Molecular and Materials Design using Density Functional Theory
ENGS 138: Corrosion and Degradation of Materials
ENGS 139.1: Polar Science & Engineering: Solidification, Sea Ice, Strength & Fracture of Ice or ENGS 139.2: Polar Science & Engineering: Physics & Chemistry of Ice, Polar Glaciology, Remote Sensing
ENGS 165: Biomaterials

 

 

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineers apply principles of engineering to the design, analysis, and manufacture of machines ranging from power systems, industrial equipment, and vehicles to athletic equipment and medical devices. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, and as such, mechanical engineering programs should include mechanics, materials, thermal and fluid systems, and systems and controls. 

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 22: Applied Mathematical Methods for Physicists

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
ENGS 100: Methods in Applied Mathematics I

Engineering Distributive Core2 courses

Choose 2 courses, from the following:

ENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics

Engineering Gateway2 courses

Choose 2 courses, from the following:

ENGS 33: Solid Mechanics or ENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 29: Computer-Aided Design & Kinematics
ENGS 33: Solid Mechanics or ENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
ENGS 44: Sustainable Design
ENGS 71: Structural Analysis
ENGS 72: Applied Mechanics: Dynamics
ENGS 75: Product Design
ENGS 85.13: Fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing from Processing to Design
ENGS 142: Intermediate Solid Mechanics
ENGS 146: Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering Design
ENGS 147: Mechatronics
ENGS 148: Structural Mechanics
ENGS 150: Intermediate Fluid Mechanics

Mechatronics/ Robotics

Engineers who focus on mechatronics or robotics combine mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, as well as computer science and control theory to create robotic or automated systems.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 43: Statistical Physics

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 91: Numerical Methods in Computation
ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering

Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 26: Control Theory
ENGS 28: Embedded Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 32: Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits
ENGS 33: Solid Mechanics
Electives/ Concentration Courses5-6 courses

Choose 5-6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 50: Software Design and Implementation
ENGS 61: Intermediate Electrical Circuits
ENGS 62: Microprocessors in Engineered Systems
ENGS 72: Applied Mechanics: Dynamics
ENGS 75: Product Design
ENGS 76: Machine Engineering
ENGS 144: Engineering Simulation for Mechanical Design and Analysis
ENGS 145: Modern Control Theory
ENGS 146: Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering Design
ENGS 147: Mechatronics

Operations Research and Data Analytics

Operations researchers and data analysts use mathematics, statistics, and optimization to gain insights from data for better decision-making. Operations researchers tend to focus more on the mathematical models, while data analysts may focus more on identifying patterns in the data.

COURSE TYPENUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSESCOURSES
Mathematics and Basic Science2–3 courses

Choose 2–3 courses, from the following:

Engineering
ENGS 96: Math for Machine Learning

Mathematics
MATH 22: Linear Algebra with Applications
MATH 23: Differential Equations

Physics
PHYS 22: Applied Mathematical Methods for Physicists

Applied Math1 course

Choose at least 1 course, from the following:

ENGS 93: Statistical Methods in Engineering
ENGS 100: Methods in Applied Mathematics I

Engineering Distributive Core2 coursesENGS 26: Control Theory
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems
Engineering Gateway2 coursesENGS 33: Solid Mechanics
ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Electives/ Concentration Courses5–6 courses

Choose 5–6 courses, from the following:

ENGS 52: Introduction to Operations Research
ENGS 66: Discrete Mathematics in Computer Science
ENGS 102: Game-theoretic Design, Learning and Engineering
ENGS 103: Operations Research
ENGS 106: Principles of Machine Learning
ENGS 108: Applied Machine Learning
ENGS 145: Modern Control Theory
ENGS 177: Decision-Making under Uncertainty

Questions?

For more information about BE courses, contact Undergraduate Engineering at Undergraduate.Engineering@dartmouth.edu.