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Undergraduate Courses
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ENGS 1.01
Mathematical Concepts in EngineeringDescription
This course introduces prospective engineering students to mathematical concepts relevant in engineering while emphasizing the solving of engineering problems rather than mathematical derivations and theory. All topics are driven by engineering applications taken directly from core engineering courses. The course includes hands-on laboratory exercises as well as a thorough introduction to Matlab.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 2
Integrated Design: Engineering, Architecture, and Building TechnologyDescription
An introduction to the integrated design of structures and the evolving role of architects and engineers. The course will investigate the idea that design excellence is very often the result of deep collaboration between engineers, architects, and builders and that it is only in relatively recent history that a distinction between these areas of expertise has existed. The historical, social, and architectural impact of structures will be explored and several structures and their designers will be studied in depth. Enrollment is limited to 50 students.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 3
Materials: The Substance of CivilizationDescription
With the exception of ideas and emotions, materials are the substance of civilization. From the "Iceman's" copper ax to indium phosphide gallium arsenide semiconductor lasers, materials have always defined our world. We even name our epochs of time based on the dominant material of the age: Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age and now Silicon Age. In addition to discussing the nature and processing of metals, polymers, ceramics, glass and electronic materials, this course will analyze the dramatic developments in civilization directly resulting from advances in such materials. The text Stephen Sass' The Substance of Civilization will be used in the course. Enrollment is limited to 50 students per section.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 4
Technology of CyberspaceDescription
This course will cover some basic concepts underlying the "information superhighway." The technologies of high-speed networking have stimulated much activity within the federal government, the telecommunications and computer industries, and even social science and popular fiction writing. The technical focus will be on communications technologies, information theory, and the communications requirements of video (standard and ATV), speech (and other audio), and text data. Social, economic, and policy issues will be an integral part of the course. Enrollment is limited to 30 students.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 5
Healthcare and Biotechnology in the 21st CenturyDescription
The course will explore technologies that will impact healthcare in the 21st century, including biology, robotics, and information. Included will be biotechnologies to be used for the treatment of diseases and the regeneration of missing organs and limbs. The course will also cover robotics that will replace human parts. Included will be artificial organs and joints, robots as replacement for human parts, the human genome project, gene therapy, biomaterials, genetic engineering, cloning, transplantation (auto, allo, and xeno), limb regeneration, man-machine interfaces, and prosthetic limbs. This section will also cover ethical issues related to the above topics and issues regarding the FDA and the approval of new medical treatments. We will discuss going beyond normal with respect to the senses, muscles, and creating wings. Enrollment is limited to 75 students.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 6
Technology and BiosecurityDescription
This course will introduce students to the technologies used to combat biological threats to security ranging from pandemic influenza to bioterrorism. In particular, this course will explore the dual role that technology plays in both enhancing and destabilizing security. Specific technologies covered include the use of nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and mass spectrometry. The course considers questions such as: Where can technological solutions have the greatest impact? When can defensive technologies have offensive applications? And, how can we balance the need to regulate potentially dangerous technologies against the need for academic freedom and high tech innovation? Enrollment is limited to 30 students.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGM 7.02
Climate ChangeDescription
Climate change has occurred naturally and frequently over the course of many time scales in the past. America today is engaged in a discussion of current climate change and its cause, ranging from calls for immediate action to denial. This course explores the published scientific literature on the nature and cause of climate change, potential impacts on us, and the implications for our nation's energy issues. Through readings, class discussion, and individual research, we will explore this complex problem; student writing will synthesize results from the literature to clarify the factual basis for their own understanding. Reading will include a number of published papers and selections from textbooks. Students will be required to actively participate in class by leading class discussions and actively engaging in small group activities. In addition students will write two short papers, develop an annotated bibliography, and write a research paper based on the research completed for the annotated bibliography. Enrollment is limited to 16 students.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 7.05
Contemporary and Historical Perspectives on Medical ImagingDescription
Medical imaging has evolved significantly over the last 100 years and has transformed modern medical practice to the extent that very few clinical decisions are made without relying on information obtained with contemporary imaging modalities. The future of medical imaging may be even more promising as new technologies are being developed to observe the structural, functional, and molecular characteristics of tissues at finer and finer spatial scales. This first-year seminar will review the historical development of modern radiographic imaging and discuss the basic physical principles behind common approaches such as CT, ultrasound, and MRI. Contemporary issues surrounding the use of imaging to screen for disease, the costs to the healthcare system of routine application of advanced imaging technology, and the benefits of the information provided by medical imaging in terms of evidence-based outcomes assessment will be explored. Students will be required to read, present, and discuss materials in class and write position papers articulating and/or defending particular perspectives on the historical development of medical imaging and its contemporary and/or future uses and benefits. Enrollment is limited to 16 students.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 7.06
Sustainability RevolutionDescription
Humanity has previously seen two major resource transitions that have had radical impacts on day-to-day life: the Neolithic revolution (from hunting and gathering to agrarian) and the industrial revolution (from agrarian to pre-sustainable industrial). This writing course will consider the hypothesis that the human enterprise now requires a third such resource revolution - the sustainability revolution (from pre-sustainable industrial to sustainable industrial) - and that future generations will judge those of us alive today by how well we responded to this imperative. Topics addressed include past resource revolutions, resource and environmental metrics, energy, food, water, and climate. Writing assignments will include a personal essay, a critique encompassing one or a few sources, and an integrated analysis.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 7.07
Science, Media & LiteratureDescription
Public communication is an increasingly important aspect of modern science and technology, and a wide array of information sources compete to serve and expand public interest in scientific advances. Social media and the popular press play a dominant role for many readers, but the filtering of scientific information through non-technical mediums can obscure important details, introduce inadvertent errors, and even result in manipulation with the intent to mislead. Accessing peer-reviewed literature or other trusted information sources can minimize inaccuracies in reports, but it comes at the cost of time and effort and does not guarantee an enlightened ground truth. This first-year seminar will help students build strategies and skills for reading, researching, and understanding science. The course will cover three modules related to contemporary issues in biomedical science. Students will read materials, search for related information, make presentations, and participate in class discussions of related ideas. Students will also draft written position papers articulating and defending a view on topics of discussion, and they will complete a written and oral research project at the end of the term.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 7.08
Energy Sustainability: Technologies and ImpactDescription
We hear about energy sustainability, but what does this mean? What will the impact of climate change be? What energy sources are considered sustainable and why? What fraction of our energy needs is likely to come from sustainable energy in the future? Are these estimates reasonable and what are the technological and societal challenges to broader use of sustainable energy? This seminar will explore these and other questions as we learn about energy resources, technologies and solutions that affect our lives and our planet today and in the future. We will evaluate the trade-offs and uncertainties of various energy systems and explore a framework for assessing solutions. Topics and writing assignments will examine resource estimation, environmental effects, and a survey of resources and technologies such as oil and gas, nuclear power, hydropower, solar energy, wind energy and more. Writing assignments will explore and present arguments for different approaches that may be taken to avoid a future climate disaster.Offered
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ENGS 8
Materials in Sports EquipmentDescription
Sports equipment uses almost every type of material imaginable, as athletes and designers leverage state-of-the-art materials to maximize human efficiency, performance, comfort and safety. As something most people have some familiarity with, active Dartmouth students in particular, it is an excellent subject for an exploration of material characteristics, selection, design, and failure. This course will introduce materials science concepts in a way that is accessible and useful for the non-major. It will exercise student's critical thinking, quantitative and communication skills. In-class demonstrations will allow students to explore material behavior and differences between materials 'hands-on' and possible field trips or lab visits will introduce them to some engineering test methods. Finally, this course will demystify terms used by manufacturers and salespeople, and help students, as athletes and consumers, make informed equipment choices. Enrollment is limited to 40 students.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 9
Everyday TechnologyDescription
This course is intended to take the mystery out of the technology that we have grown to depend on in our everyday lives. Both the principles behind and examples of devices utilizing electricity, solid and fluid properties, chemical effects, mechanical attributes, and other topics will be discussed. In the associated lab project, students will dissect and analyze (and possibly revive!) a broken gadget or appliance of their choosing. Enrollment is limited to 50 students.Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 10
The Science and Engineering of Digital ImagingDescription
Recent advances in electrical and computer engineering, computer science and applied mathematics have made remarkable digital imaging systems possible. Such systems are affecting everyone today — from eyewitness documentation of social and political events to health care to entertainment to scientific discovery. This course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts underlying a diverse and representative collection of modern digital imaging systems including cell phone cameras, medical imaging systems, space telescopes, computer games and animated movies. Specific attention will be paid to the scientific principles and engineering challenges underlying optics, computer processing chips, image processing software and algorithms, data compression and communication, and digital sensors as well as the basic principles of human vision and cognition. Students will explore and learn the basic science and technology through a combination of in-class lectures and active hands-on experimentation with digital cameras, image processing software and digital video systems. Students will participate in a course-long group project that demonstrates their understanding of and ability to harness these new technologies. Students will be expected to have access to an entry-level digital camera, either standalone or attached to a cell phone or tablet computer. Enrollment limited to 75 students.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 11
The Way Things Work - A Visual Introduction to EngineeringDescription
Students will explore and compare engineered solutions to challenges or problems in the world around them. They will sketch and build models to help them understand and communicate. After being exposed to some basic engineering principles they will be asked to further investigate specific challenges and possible engineering solutions. What is the problem or need? What are some possible engineered solutions? What are the pros and cons of the different solutions? How could these solutions be improved? They will communicate their findings visually to the class, to the Thayer community, and beyond.Distribution Code
ARTOffered
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ENGS 12
Design ThinkingDescription
A foundation course on the cognitive strategies and methodologies that form the basis of creative design practice. Design thinking applies to innovation across the built environment, including the design of products, services, interactive technology, environments, and experiences. Topics include design principles, human need-finding, formal methodologies, brainstorming, heuristics, thinking by analogy, scenario building, visual thinking, and study of experienced thinkers. Weekly projects and exercises in a variety of media provide practice and development of students' personal creative abilities. Enrollment is limited to 20 students.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 13
Virtual Medicine and CybercareDescription
There is a revolution in technology that is occurring in healthcare. This new technology will dramatically change how healthcare is delivered in the future. This course will cover topics related to the virtual human, created from bits. This will include virtual reality, augmented reality and datafusion, computer simulation, advanced 3D and 4D imaging techniques, the operating room of the future, minimally invasive surgery, space medicine, tele-operations, tele-medicine and tele-surgery, Internet 2 and cyberspace, artificial intelligence and intelligent agents applied to medicine, and the National Library of Medicine virtual human project. We will also discuss the FDA approval of computer simulators, robotic surgeons, and the ethics of robots doing surgery. In addition, we will discuss the medical library of the future, teleconferencing, and the use of interactive media in healthcare education. We will also discuss computerized patient records (CPR) and clinical information systems. Enrollment is limited to 48 students.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 15
Undergraduate Investigations in EngineeringDescription
An original investigation in a phase of science or engineering under the supervision of a member of the staff. Students electing the course will be expected to have a proposal approved by the department chair and to meet weekly with the staff member supervising the investigation. The course is open to undergraduates who are not majoring in engineering. It may be elected only once, or taken as a one-third course credit for each of three consecutive terms. A report describing the details of the investigation must be filed with the department chair and approved at the completion of the course.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 15.01
Senior Design Challenge IDescription
The Senior Design Challenge is a two-term course designed to serve as a senior capstone experience for Dartmouth students across all majors. Students in this project-based course will practice human-centered design, developing not only the skills, but also the creative confidence to apply their liberal arts education to make a positive difference in the world beyond Dartmouth. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams on projects that will be determined in partnership with organizations in the Upper Valley. The project topics will be designed to give students some flexibility in determining the specific problem on which to focus, while ensuring client responsiveness and substantial fieldwork opportunities.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 15.02
Senior Design Challenge IIDescription
The Senior Design Challenge is a two-term course designed to serve as a senior capstone experience for Dartmouth students across all majors. Students in this project-based course will practice human-centered design, developing not only the skills, but also the creative confidence to apply their liberal arts education to make a positive difference in the world beyond Dartmouth. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams on projects that will be determined in partnership with organizations in the Upper Valley. The project topics will be designed to give students some flexibility in determining the specific problem on which to focus, while ensuring client responsiveness and substantial fieldwork opportunities.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 15.04
Computing Before ElectronicsDescription
In this course we explore the computational techniques by which society survived and thrived before the advent of the integrated circuit and the electronic calculator. From the commerce of early civilizations until the last third of the 20th century, there was a progression of mechanical calculating gadgets, some simple – some quite ingenious and complex. Among these we will study slide rules, planimeters, integrators, digital adding machines, nomographs, and other special charts and graphical techniques. We will also cover celestial navigation, which in its day was a particularly important application of calculation; technical drawing and perspective, the precursors to computer graphics; and cryptography, whose computational requirements helped propel us into the electronic age. Laboratory sessions will give students direct experience using antique and period calculating instruments, plus the opportunity to create their own calculating devices.Prerequisites
Introductory Calculus (Math 3, or equivalent, or permission)Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 16
Biomedical Engineering for Global HealthDescription
The past 20 years have seen an incredible amount of high-tech medical advances, but to what degree have these impacted the health of those living in the developing world? The potential for years of life gained through biomedical technology is tremendous in some of the world’s poorest regions, but appropriate design requires an understanding of the clinical, political, and cultural landscape, and a clean-slate approach to developing low-cost, effective tech. This course offers an exciting opportunity to understand how to design solutions for the most important health challenges of the developing world. Learning goals will be achieved through hands-on experience, including: a laboratory component where we deconstruct, design and build a low-cost medical device, case study discussions on successful global health innovations, and several “teardowns” of common medical devices. Lecturers from Thayer, Tuck School of Business, the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science, and Geisel School of Medicine will cover complimentary topics in clinical medicine, healthcare delivery, innovation and medical imaging. A final project will bring everything together by addressing a real health problem with a prototype of a low-cost tech solution. Enrollment is limited to 40 students.Distribution Code
TAS -
ENGS 17
Making Music: The Art, Science, and Symbolism of Musical InstrumentsDescription
A hands-on course in which students working in groups build and assemble simple musical instruments with the aim of understanding how materials, technologies, craftsmanship, and cultural knowledge interact in the conception, design, and production of diverse instruments around the world. Merging the methodologies of materials science and engineering with the approaches of arts and humanities, the course explores from an interdisciplinary perspective the social meanings and powers ascribed to musical instruments, and the way that instruments have come to function as potent symbols of personal, cultural, and political identity.Cross Listed Courses
MUS 17.04/COCO 20 -
ENGS 18
System Dynamics in Policy Design and AnalysisDescription
This course introduces systems dynamics, an approach to policy design and analysis based upon feedback principles and computer simulation. The approach is useful for gaining an understanding of the underlying structural causes of problem behavior in social, economic, political, environmental, technological, and biological systems. Goals of this approach are to gain better understanding of such problem behaviors and to design policies aimed at improving them. Lectures and exercises illustrate applications of the approach to real, current problems such as urban decay, resource depletion, environmental pollution, product marketing and distribution, and agricultural planning in an expanding population. The similarity and transferability of underlying feedback characteristics among various applications is emphasized. No prior engineering or computer science experience is necessary.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 19.01
Future of Energy SystemsDescription
Energy production, distribution, and use is central to human activity. In many quarters, there is growing appreciation for the nexus among energy, climate change, the environment, and economic development. This course will focus on futures of energy as they impact, and are impacted by, these drivers. The course uses model-based approaches to develop global-scale energy scenarios and to explore the potential evolution of current and potential energy options in both localized and global settings.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 20
Introduction to Scientific ComputingDescription
May not be taken under the Non-Recording Option This course introduces concepts and techniques for creating computational solutions to problems in engineering and science. The essentials of computer programming are developed using the C and Matlab languages, with the goal of enabling the student to use the computer effectively in subsequent courses. Programming topics include problem decomposition, control structures, recursion, arrays and other data structures, file I/O, graphics, and code libraries. Applications will be drawn from numerical solution of ordinary differential equations, root finding, matrix operations, searching and sorting, simulation, and data analysis. Good programming style and computational efficiency are emphasized. Although no previous programming experience is assumed, a significant time commitment is required. Students planning to pursue the engineering sciences major are advised to take ENGS 20. Students considering the computer science major or majors modified with computer science should take COSC 1 and COSC 10. Enrollment is limited to 50 students.Prerequisites
MATH 3 and prior or concurrent enrollment in MATH 8Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 21
Introduction to EngineeringDescription
The student is introduced to engineering through participation, as a member of a team, in a complete design project. The synthesis of many fields involving the laws of nature, mathematics, economics, management, and communication is required in the project. Engineering principles of analysis, experimentation, and design are applied to a real problem, from initial concept to final recommendations. The project results are evaluated in terms of technical and economic feasibility and social significance. Lectures are directed toward the problem, with experiments designed by students as the need develops. Enrollment is limited to 64 students. Priority will be given to sophomores.Prerequisites
MATH 3 or equivalentDistribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 22
SystemsDescription
The student is introduced to the techniques of modeling and analyzing lumped systems of a variety of types, including electrical, mechanical, reacting, fluid, and thermal systems. System input will be related to output through ordinary differential equations, which will be solved by analytical and numerical techniques. Systems concepts such as time constant, natural frequency, and damping factor are introduced. The course includes computer and laboratory exercises to enhance the students’ understanding of the principles of lumped systems. Students will develop the ability to write MATLAB code. Enrollment is limited to 50 students.Prerequisites
MATH 13, PHYS 14, and ENGS 20Distribution Code
TLAOffered
Term: Summer 2022Time: 10Location:ECSC 008
Instructors:Peng P. Yu
Term: Spring 2023Time: 9LLocation: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
Term: Summer 2023Time: 10Location: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
Term: Winter 2024Time: 9LLocation: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
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ENGS 23
Distributed Systems and FieldsDescription
A study of the fundamental properties of distributed systems and their description in terms of scalar and vector fields. After a summary of vector-field theory, the formulation of conservation laws, source laws, and constitutive equations is discussed. Energy and force relations are developed and the nature of potential fields, wave fields, and diffusion fields is examined. A survey of elementary transport processes is given. Particular attention is given to the relation between the description of systems in terms of discrete and distributed parameters. Applications are chosen primarily from fluid mechanics, electromagnetic theory, and heat transfer. Includes a set of laboratories.Prerequisites
ENGS 22, or equivalentDistribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Spring 2024Time: 9LLocation: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
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ENGS 24
Science of MaterialsDescription
An introduction to the structure/property relationships, which govern the mechanical, the thermal, and the electrical behavior of solids (ceramics, metals, and polymers). Topics include atomic, crystalline, and amorphous structures; X-ray diffraction; imperfections in crystals; phase diagrams; phase transformations; elastic and plastic deformation; free electron theory and band theory of solids; electrical conduction in metals and semi-conductors. The laboratory consists of an experimental project selected by the student and approved by the instructor.Prerequisites
PHYS 14 and CHEM 5Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 25
Introduction to ThermodynamicsDescription
The fundamental concepts and methods of thermodynamics are developed around the first and second laws. The distinctions between heat, work, and energy are emphasized. Common processes for generating work, heat, or refrigeration or changing the physical or chemical state of materials are analyzed. The use of thermodynamic data and auxiliary functions such as entropy, enthalpy, and free energy are integrated into the analysis. The numerous problems show how theoretical energy requirements and the limitations on feasible processes can be estimated. Enrollment is limited to 60 students.Prerequisites
MATH 13, PHYS 13, ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10Distribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Spring 2023Time: 2Location: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
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ENGS 26
Control TheoryDescription
The course treats the design of analog, lumped parameter systems for the regulation or control of a plant or process to meet specified criteria of stability, transient response, and frequency response. The basic theory of control system analysis and design is considered from a general point of view. Mathematical models for electrical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal systems are developed. Feedback-control system design procedures are established, using root-locus and frequency response methods.Prerequisites
ENGS 22Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 27
Discrete and Probabilistic SystemsDescription
This course is an introduction to probabilistic methods for modeling, analyzing, and designing systems. Mathematical topics include the fundamentals of probability, random variables and common probability distributions, basic queueing theory, and stochastic simulation. Applications, drawn from a variety of engineering settings, may include measurement and noise, information theory and coding, computer networks, diffusion, fatigue and failure, reliability, statistical mechanics, ecology, decision making, and robust design.Prerequisites
MATH 8 and either ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10. PHYS 13 or CHEM 5 recommended.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 28
Embedded SystemsDescription
A vast number of everyday products, from home appliances to automobiles, are controlled by small embedded computers, invisible to the user. This course introduces, at an elementary level, the three basic components of all such embedded systems: sensors to measure the physical environment, actuators to produce the system behavior, and a microcontroller that processes the sensor data and controls the actuators. Topics: microcontroller architecture and programming, writing embedded software, analog- to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, interfacing sensors and actuators, and data communication. There are daily in-class design exercises and weekly labs. Enrollment is limited.Prerequisites
ENGS 20 or COSC 10; and PHYS 14 (may be taken concurrently)Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 30
Biological PhysicsDescription
Introduction to the principles of physics and engineering applied to biological problems. Topics include the architecture of biological cells, molecular motion, entropic forces, enzymes and molecular machines, and nerve impulses. Enrollment is limited to 20 students.Prerequisites
CHEM 5, PHYS 13 and PHYS 14 (or equivalent). PHYS 14 (or equivalent) may be taken concurrently. Students with strong quantitative skills who have taken PHYS 3 and PHYS 4 can enroll with permission of the instructor.Cross Listed Courses
PHYS 30Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 31
Digital ElectronicsDescription
This course teaches classical switching theory, including Boolean algebra, logic minimization, algorithmic state machine abstractions, and synchronous system design. This theory is then applied to digital electronic design. Techniques of logic implementation, from small scale integration (SSI) through application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), are encountered. There are weekly laboratory exercises for the first part of the course, followed by a digital design project in which the student designs and builds a large system of his or her choice. In the process, computer-aided design (CAD) and construction techniques for digital systems are learned. Enrollment is limited to 60 students.Prerequisites
ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10Cross Listed Courses
COSC 56Distribution Code
TLAOffered
Term: Summer 2022Time: 12Location:ECSC 008
Instructors:Benjamin Livingston Dobbins
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ENGS 32
Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital CircuitsDescription
Principles of operation of semiconductor diodes, bipolar and field-effect transistors, and their application in rectifier, amplifier, waveshaping, and logic circuits. Basic active-circuit theory. Introduction to integrated circuits: the operational amplifier and comparator, to include practical considerations for designing circuits with off-the shelf components. Emphasis on breadth of coverage of low-frequency linear and digital networks, as well as on high order passive and active filter design. Laboratory exercises permit "hands-on" experience in the analysis and design of simple electronic circuits. The course is designed for two populations: a) those desiring a single course in basic electronics, and b) those that need the fundamentals necessary for further study of active circuits and systems.Prerequisites
ENGS 22, or equivalent background in basic circuit theoryCross Listed Courses
PHYS 048Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 33
Solid MechanicsDescription
After a brief review of the concepts of rigid body statics, the field equations describing the static behavior of deformable elastic solids are developed. The stress and strain tensors are introduced and utilized in the development. Exact and approximate solutions of the field equations are used in the study of common loading cases, including tension/compression, bending, torsion, pressure, and combinations of these. In the laboratory phase of the course, various methods of experimental solid mechanics are introduced. Some of these methods are used in a project in which the deformation and stress in an actual load system are determined and compared with theoretical predictions. The course includes a series of computer exercises designed to enhance the student's understanding of the principles of solid mechanics.Prerequisites
MATH 13 and PHYS 13Distribution Code
TLAOffered
Term: Summer 2022Time: cancelledLocation: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
Term: Summer 2023Time: 12Location: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
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ENGS 34
Fluid MechanicsDescription
We interact with fluids every day. From complex systems such as cars, airplanes, and chemical plants, to simple devices like a bike pump, our world is filled with engineering applications that make use of the principles of fluid mechanics. This course surveys the fundamental concepts, phenomena, and methods in fluid mechanics, as well as their application in engineered systems and in nature. Emphasis is placed on the development and use of conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy, as well as on the empirical knowledge essential to the understanding of many fluid dynamic phenomena. Examples are drawn from mechanical, chemical, civil, environmental, biomedical, and aerospace engineering.Prerequisites
ENGS 23 or equivalentDistribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 35
Biotechnology and Biochemical EngineeringDescription
A consideration of the engineering and scientific basis for using cells or their components in engineered systems. Central topics addressed include kinetics and reactor design for enzyme and cellular systems; fundamentals, techniques, and applications of recombinant DNA technology; and bioseparations. Additional lectures will provide an introduction to metabolic modeling as well as special topics. The course is designed to be accessible to students with both engineering and life-science backgrounds. This course has a graduate section, ENGS 160. Enrollment is limited to 20 students.Prerequisites
MATH 3, CHEM 5, BIOL 12 or BIOL 13 or permissionDistribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 36
Chemical EngineeringDescription
This course will expose students to the fundamental principles of chemical engineering and the application of these principles to a broad range of systems. In the first part of the course, aspects of chemical thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and transport phenomena will be addressed. These principles will then be applied to a variety of systems including industrial, environmental, and biological examplesPrerequisites
ENGS 22, ENGS 25 and CHEM 5Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 37
Introduction to Environmental EngineeringDescription
A survey of the sources, measurement techniques, and treatment technologies relating to environmental pollution resulting from the activities of humans. The course will be technology-focused, but will also touch on topics related to the implementation of technology in the real world such as public perception, policy and legislation, and choosing between technological alternatives. Technological and other issues will be addressed relating to water pollution, air pollution, solid wastes, and the fate and transport of pollutants in the environment. Consideration of each area will include general background and key concepts, detailed design examples of importance in the area, and case studies/current topics. The course will include guest lecturers.Prerequisites
MATH 3 and CHEM 5, or equivalent, or permissionDistribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 41
Sustainability and Natural Resource ManagementDescription
Natural resources sustain human productivity. Principles of scientific resource management are established, including mathematical model development based on material balances and decision making based on dynamical and stochastic systems. Three generic categories of resource are analyzed: exhaustible, living, and renewable. In the first category, we emphasize the life-cycle of exploitation including exhaustion, exploration and substitution. In the living category, we explore population dynamics under natural and harvested regimes, for fisheries, fowl and forests. The renewable case of water is treated in terms of quantity and quality. Finally, air quality management is considered through the lens of assimilative capacity. Throughout, the intersection of natural processes and economic incentives is explored with dynamical systems theory, computer simulations, and optimization techniques. Case studies illustrate contemporary management problems and practices.Prerequisites
MATH 23 or ENGS 22, and ENGS 37Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 43
Environmental Transport and FateDescription
Introduction to the movement and transformation of contaminants released in soils, rivers, and the atmosphere. Fundamentals of advective-dispersive reactive transport, including approaches for assessing and parameterizing the complex heterogeneity and anisotropy of natural media. Analysis of mixing processes that lead to dispersion at larger spatial and temporal scales. Basic principles are illustrated by application to real world examples of groundwater, river, and atmospheric pollution.Prerequisites
MATH 8 or equivalent and either ENGS 37 or EARS 16Cross Listed Courses
EARS 66.01Distribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Winter 2024Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
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ENGS 44
Sustainable DesignDescription
This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the principles of design for sustainability, with emphasis on the built environment. Through lectures, readings, discussions, and a major design project, students learn to design buildings and other infrastructure with low to no impact on the environment. Emphasis is on creative thinking, strategies for managing the complexity of the product life cycle of the infrastructure, and the thorough integration of human and economic aspects in the design. Homework and project activities provide practice in relevant engineering analysis. Enrollment is limited to 20 students.Prerequisites
ENGS 21 and ENGS 22 or SART 65Distribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Spring 2022Time: 10ALocation: –Instructors:Karolina Kawiaka
Term: Spring 2023Time: 2Location: –Instructors:Karolina Kawiaka
Term: Spring 2024Time: 2Location: –Instructors:Karolina Kawiaka
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ENGS 45
Sustainable Urban SystemsDescription
Today, more than 50% of the world population lives in cities on less than 2% of the planetary surface. This urbanization is expected to remain a megatrend for the next decades. The resulting concentration of infrastructure and activities has created human ecosystems distinct from natural ecosystems, and their future depends not only on their internal sustainability but also on symbiotic interactions with the natural ecosystems on which they ultimately depend. This engineering course addresses the technological aspects of urban sustainability, including energy procurement, energy consumption and green energy, air quality, water supply, use and treatment, building infrastructure, transportation, resource conservation, decarbonization, city planning and the role of automation and information technology in modern sustainable cities. In the context of the triple bottom line (the framework that considers financial, social and environmental impacts), the course further addresses, but to a lesser extent, the aspects of sustainable economics and urban social wellbeing and cities as a hub for innovation. Berlin - as a rapidly growing dynamic urban space - has experimented with several solutions and has made significant progress toward sustainability. In Berlin, sustainability is a lived practice where green living deeply permeates everyday life. As such, Berlin presents a unique and unparalleled opportunity to study and understand the green system that is given by this environmentally friendly city. Berlin will be used extensively as an example and site for field work throughout the course. Institutions and political decisions which facilitated advancement of urban sustainability in Berlin will be addressed and their impact will be made visible during the field trips. The course is geared toward engineering majors who have previously taken the course ENGS 37, an introduction to environmental engineering, and develops the students’ proficiency, solution design and quantification abilities across a wide range of issues regarding sustainable cities.Prerequisites
ENGS 37 (may be taken concurrently)Offered
Term: Winter 2022Time: –Location: ––
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ENGS 46
Advanced HydrologyDescription
A survey of advanced methods used to analyze the occurrence and movement of water in the natural environment. The watershed processes controlling the generation of runoff and streamflow are highlighted and used to explore the transport and fate of sediment and contaminants in watersheds. Throughout the course the ideas and concepts are explored through the primary literature, with emphasis given to methods of observation, measurement, data analysis, and prediction.Prerequisites
MATH 3 and EARS 16 or 33 or BIO 53 or ENGS 43 or permission of instructorCross Listed Courses
EARS 76Distribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Fall 2024Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
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ENGS 50
Software Design and ImplementationDescription
Techniques for building large, reliable, maintainable, and understandable software systems. Topics include UNIX tools and filters, programming in C, software testing, debugging, and teamwork in software development. Concepts are reinforced through a small number of medium-scale programs and one team programming project.Prerequisites
COSC 10 or equivalentCross Listed Courses
COSC 050Distribution Code
TLAOffered
Term: Fall 2022Time: 11Location:ECSC116
Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Winter 2023Time: 9LLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
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ENGS 52
Introduction to Operations ResearchDescription
Basic concepts of optimization are introduced as aids in systematic decision making in engineering contexts. Deterministic optimization is developed in the form of linear and integer programming and their extensions. Probabilistic models are introduced in terms of Markov chains, queuing and inventory theory, and stochastic simulation. The course emphasizes the application of these methods to the design, planning, and operation of complex industrial and public systems.Prerequisites
MATH 8 and MATH 22 or equivalentDistribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Winter 2023Time: 2ALocation: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
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ENGS 56
Introduction to Biomedical EngineeringDescription
This course will survey applications of engineering principles to medical diagnosis/treatment of disease, monitoring/measurement of physiological function, and rehabilitation/replacement of body dysfunction. Case studies will be used to highlight how engineering has advanced medical practice and understanding. Examples will be drawn from bioinstrumentation, bioelectricity, biotransport, biomaterials, and biomechanics. While investigations will focus primarily on the engineering aspects of related topics, issues surrounding patient safety, public policy and regulation, animal experimentation, etc., will be discussed as appropriate.Prerequisites
ENGS 22, PHYS 13 and PHYS 14 (PHYS 14 may be taken concurrently)Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 57
Intermediate Biomedical EngineeringDescription
The basic biomedical engineering concepts introduced in ENGS 56 will serve as the foundation for exploring technology in a clinical environment. The specific clinical setting to be explored will be the operating room (OR). This course will introduce a variety of surgical procedures and technologies from an engineering perspective. Areas of focus will include patient monitoring, biophysical tissue properties, general surgical instrumentation, tissue cutting and binding technologies, and optical visualization technologies. In addition, state-of-the-art procedures employing image-guided, minimally invasive, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted surgical technologies will be discussed. The first half of the term will include weekly seminars presented by surgeons describing a particular surgical procedure, the technologies currently used and a surgeon’s “wish-list”. During the second half of the term, students will undertake a design project aimed at developing a technology that addresses a specific need within the OR. Enrollment is limited to 18 students.Prerequisites
ENGS 23 and ENGS 56 or equivalentDistribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 58
Introduction to Protein EngineeringDescription
Engineered biomolecules are powering an array of innovations in biotechnology, and this course will familiarize students with key developments in the field. An overview of foundational principles will cover concepts such as the central dogma of biology, atomic scale forces in protein structures, and protein structure-function relationships. Strategies for modifying protein structures will be surveyed, with a particular emphasis on genetic techniques. The development of proteins with practical utility will be highlighted using case studies.Prerequisites
ENGS 35 or CHEM 41Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 59
Basic Biological Circuit EngineeringDescription
This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the design, modeling, and experimental implementation of synthetic bio-molecular circuits in living cells at an undergraduate level. Simple but sophisticated synthetic biological circuits will be implemented and tested in microbial cells in the laboratory including those involving molecular amplification, regulatory feedback loops with biological nonlinearities, and robust analog circuits. Computer aided design, modeling, and simulation will use CADENCE, an industry standard electronic circuit design laboratory tool. It will show them how to design, model, and fit actual experimental biological data such that engineering circuit theory and biological experiment agree.Prerequisites
ENGS 22 or Permission of Instructor. Experience in Molecular Biology is useful (e.g. ENGS 35, BIOL 45, & BIOL 46 or equivalent) but not necessary.Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 60
Introduction to Solid-State Electronic DevicesDescription
In this course the physical and operational principles behind important electronic devices such as the solar cell and transistor are introduced. Semiconductor electron and hole concentrations and carrier transport are discussed. Carrier generation and recombination including optical absorption and light emission are covered. P-N junction operation and its application to diodes, solar cells, LEDs, and photodiodes is developed. The field-effect transistor (FET) and bipolar junction transistor (BJT) are then discussed and their terminal operation developed. Application of transistors to bipolar and CMOS analog and digital circuits is introduced. The course is primarily intended for students interested in electronics, including digital, analog, power and energy, both at component and integrated circuit levels. The course may also be useful to students interested in electronic materials, device microfabrication and communications.Prerequisites
ENGS 23Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 61
Intermediate Electrical CircuitsDescription
This course will build on ENGS 32, providing a foundation for transistor- level analog and digital circuit design. The course will start with an introduction to the Semiconductor Industry and how it has dramatically altered the modern way of life, resulting in diverse technologies from the iPhone and Facebook to LED lighting and electric transportation. This will lead into basic semiconductor theory and CMOS device models, two-port linearized models, and finally single- and multi-stage amplifiers with applications motivated by wireless communications and biomedical instrumentation. The second half of the class will focus on digital circuits. Topics will include designing and optimizing complex static CMOS in terms of energy, delay, and area for computational blocks and memory arrays (SRAM, DRAM, and FLASH). The class will have weekly labs and a final project that will utilize modern computeraided design tools (Cadence). The course will prepare the student for advanced study of highly integrated electrical circuits.Prerequisites
ENGS 32Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 62
Microprocessors in Engineered SystemsDescription
Microprocessors and microcomputers are central components in an ever-increasing number of consumer, industrial, and scientific products. This course extends the experimental design methodology developed in ENGS 50 to state-of-the-art System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures and explores the principles behind advanced embedded systems. SoC devices are highly-integrated components that combine high-performance multi-core processors, with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and a broad selection of industry standard peripheral interfaces -- all within a single chip. Students are introduced to concepts of event-driven finites state machines, peripheral interfacing via the processor and the FPGA fabric, and advanced hardware-software co-design tools that speed the design process. The course is based on a sequence of laboratory projects that incorporate SoC programming practices and debugging strategies, interrupt handling, FPGA and bus interfaces, and attached peripheral devices.Prerequisites
ENGS 50Distribution Code
TLAOffered
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ENGS 64
Engineering ElectromagneticsDescription
Conceptual development, techniques and engineering applications in electrostatics, magnetostatics and magnetic induction; displacement current and Maxwell’s equations; transmission line analysis; propagation, reflection, refraction and dispersion of electromagnetic waves.Prerequisites
ENGS 23Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 65
Engineering Software DesignDescription
As a successor to ENGS 20, this course covers intermediate topics in programming and software design with an emphasis on engineering applications. Students will learn software design principles and basic data structures. Topics covered will include object-oriented design, user interface design, lists, stacks, queues, binary trees, hash tables, and simulation. Students will learn techniques for developing maintainable, extensible, and understandable software.Prerequisites
ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10Distribution Code
TASOffered
-
ENGS 66
Discrete Mathematics in Computer ScienceDescription
This course integrates discrete mathematics with algorithms and data structures, using computer science applications to motivate the mathematics. It covers logic and proof techniques, induction, set theory, counting, asymptotics, discrete probability, graphs, and trees.Prerequisites
ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10 or advanced placementCross Listed Courses
COSC 030Distribution Code
QDSOffered
Term: Winter 2022Time: 2Location: –Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Summer 2022Time: 10Location:MacLean MB01
Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Fall 2022Time: 11Location:ROCKFL003
Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Fall 2022Time: 12Location:ROCKFL003
Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Winter 2023Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Fall 2023Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
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ENGS 67
Programming Parallel SystemsDescription
Multi-core processors are now ubiquitous in most personal computers. These are the fundamental computer-engineering building blocks for high-performance servers, blade farms, and cloud computing. In order to utilize these devices in large systems they must be interconnected through networking and collectively programmed. This hands-on system-engineering course offers students the opportunity to explore problem-solving techniques on a high-performance multi-computer containing multi-core processors. The course involves weekly programming laboratories that teach POSIX thread, UDP and TCP network, and MPI style programming techniques. These techniques are explored in the context of scalable problem solving methods applied to typical problems in science and engineering ranging from client-server sensing and data repositories, to numerical methods, gaming and decision support. All laboratories will be conducted in the C programming language and proficiency in C is required. Enrollment is limited to 30 students.Prerequisites
Prerequisite: ENGS 20 or COSC 50Cross Listed Courses
COSC 063Distribution Code
TLANotes
Not offered 2021-2023Offered
Term: – 2023Time: –Location: –Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: – 2024Time: –Location: –Instructors:A&S Staff
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ENGS 68
Introduction to Communication SystemsDescription
This course provides an introduction to communication systems. The focus is on the deterministic aspects of analog and digital systems. The student is introduced to modeling and analyzing signals in the time and frequency domains. Modulation techniques are addressed as well as sampling, multiplexing, line coding, and pulse shaping. Recent developments in communication systems are briefly discussed.Prerequisites
ENGS 22, ENGS 27 and ENGS 92.Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 69
Smartphone ProgrammingDescription
This course teaches students how to design, implement, test, debug and publish smartphone applications. Topics include development environment, phone emulator, key programming paradigms, UI design including views and activities, data persistence, messaging and networking, embedded sensors, location based services (e.g., Google Maps), cloud programming, and publishing applications. Concepts are reinforced through a set of weekly programming assignments and group projects. Enrollment is limited to 50 students.Prerequisites
COSC 10Cross Listed Courses
COSC 065Distribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Winter 2022Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Fall 2022Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Fall 2023Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
Term: Winter 2024Time: ArrangeLocation: –Instructors:A&S Staff
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ENGS 71
Structural AnalysisDescription
An introduction to the behavior of structural systems (including examples of buildings, space structures, and mechanical systems), with an emphasis on modeling and approximating behavior. Classical and computational analysis methods for structural load flow through basic three-dimensional structures; methods of approximating the response of planar structures; methods of determining deformations in planar, statically determinate structure; actions and deformations in statically indeterminate structures, using both flexibility/compatibility methods and stiffness/equilibrium methods (including an introduction to matrix methods). A structural system of choice will be redesigned to improve performance.Prerequisites
ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10 and ENGS 33Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 72
Applied Mechanics: DynamicsDescription
The fundamentals of dynamics with emphasis on their application to engineering problems. Newtonian mechanics including kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies, work, energy, impulse, and momentum. Intermediate topics will include Lagrange's equations, energy methods, Euler's equations, rigid body dynamics, and the theory of small oscillations.Prerequisites
ENGS 22Distribution Code
TASOffered
Term: Winter 2022Time: 9LLocation:Cummings 118
Instructors:Michael A. Kokko
Term: Winter 2023Time: 9LLocation: –Instructors:Michael A. Kokko
Term: Winter 2024Time: 9LLocation: –Instructors:Michael A. Kokko
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ENGS 73
Materials Processing and SelectionDescription
In this course the basic concepts of materials science introduced in ENGS 24 are applied to a variety of materials problems and processes. The course will treat processes and principles relevant to both mechanical and electrical engineering applications. Topics include solidification and crystal growth, joining and bonding techniques, deformation processing, surface coatings and thin film deposition, polymer processing, composite materials, magnetic and dielectric materials, powder metallurgy and ceramics processing, materials selection, failure processes, and quality control. The course will involve laboratory exercises and field trips to local industry. Materials applications will be considered on a case study basis, including aerospace and automotive structures, consumer goods, high performance sports equipment, electric components, VLSI circuit fabrication and packaging.Prerequisites
ENGS 24 and ENGS 33 or equivalentDistribution Code
TLA -
ENGS 75
Product DesignDescription
A laboratory course on human-centered product design. A series of design projects form the vehicle for exploring creative strategies for optimizing product design for human use. The course focus includes need-finding, concept development, iterative modeling, prototyping and testing. The goal is synthesis of technical requirements with aesthetic and human concerns. Includes presentations by visiting professional designers. Enrollment is limited to 20 students.Prerequisites
ENGS 21 or ENGS 89Distribution Code
TASOffered
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ENGS 76
Machine EngineeringDescription
An introduction to the analysis and synthesis of mechanical components and systems. Lecture topics focus on design and analysis of mechanical components subject to static and fatigue loading conditions, deformation, and buckling. Power transmission shafting, bearings, and gears will be studied in detail. A survey of design requirements for other components — springs, screws, belts, clutches, brakes, roller chains, and welded and riveted connections — will be provided. The class includes laboratory sessions for developing practical skills in design fabrication. A term project emphasizes the synthesis of a working machine to complete a specified task. The project involves the design or selection of components studied, and includes fabrication and demonstration of the machine. Solid modeling software is used as a design tool. Enrollment is limited to 25 students.Prerequisites
ENGS 21, ENGS 33, and proficiency with solid modeling softwareDistribution Code
TASOffered
-
ENGS 84
Reading CourseDescription
Advanced undergraduates occasionally arrange with a Thayer faculty member a reading course in a subject not occurring in the regularly scheduled curriculum. This course can only be elected once and either ENGS 84 or ENGS 85 may be used toward the Engineering Sciences major, but not both.Prerequisites
Permission of the department chair.Notes
(Proposed courses should include a full syllabus, resources and student evaluation methods and must be submitted for approval prior to the end of the term preceding the term in which the course will be taken.)Offered
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ENGS 85
Special Topics in Engineering SciencesDescription
From time to time a section of ENGS 85 may be offered in order to provide an advanced course in a topic which would not otherwise appear in the curriculum. This course can only be elected once and either ENGS 84 or 85 may be used toward the Engineering Sciences major, but not both.Prerequisites
Permission of the department chair -
ENGS 85.09
Introduction to Computational Materials Science and EngineeringDescription
Computational modeling in materials science is a powerful tool that allows discovery of new materials and exploration of materials theory. This course introduces the use of computational modeling to understand and predict materials behavior, properties and processes. The course will introduce a series of common materials modeling approaches from molecular dynamics to Monte-Carlo simulations and Density Functional Theory. All methods will be illustrated using use cases from various fields of materials science (e.g., Li-ion batteries, structural alloys, …). The students will learn to apply these methods hands-on on specific problems writing code and using open-source codes. A strong emphasis will be on the critical assessment of the limits of the models.Prerequisites
ENGS 24, ENGS 20, and working knowledge of ordinary and partial differential equations. Students not meeting the prerequisites and non-engineering majors may seek instructor permission.Offered
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ENGS 85.1
Mathematical Foundations for Machine LearningDescription
Mathematics for Machine Learning aims to lay the mathematical foundation that are key to understanding the motivations and the implementation ML algorithms. This course will cover the following four broad topics; namely, vector calculus, probability theory, matrix algebra and optimization, in so far as they are used in ML algorithms. The course will conclude with application of these topics to four prototypical ML tasks/algorithms – two in supervised learning (regression using linear models and classification using support vector machine), and two in unsupervised learning (clustering using expectation maximization (EM) and dimensionality reduction using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Programming at the level of Python and ML software packages (PyTorch, Tensorflow, etc.) will be used to supplement the understanding of the mathematics and algorithms, though the focus of the course will be on developing mathematical foundations and intuitions for the ML algorithms, rather than on developing large-scale applications of ML algorithms.Prerequisites
(MATH 8 or 9) or (MATH 22 or 24); MATH 20 not mandatory; ENGS 20 or COSC 10 preferredOffered
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ENGS 86
Independent ProjectDescription
An individual research or design project carried out under the supervision of a member of Thayer School faculty member. Students electing this course will be expected to carry out preliminary reading during the preceding term. A major written report and oral presentation will be submitted at the completion of the course. ENGS 86 may be counted as an elective in the major if ENGS 89 is taken as the culminating experience. Only one of either ENGS 86 or ENGS 88 may be used in satisfaction of the combined A.B. major and B.E. degree requirements.Prerequisites
Senior standing in the Engineering Sciences major or Bachelor of Engineering standing and permission of the department chair is required.Notes
(One-page proposal submission required and must be submitted for approval prior to the end of the term preceding the term in which the course will be taken.)Offered
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ENGS 87
Undergraduate InvestigationsDescription
An original investigation in a phase of science or engineering under the supervision of a member of Thayer School faculty member. Students electing the course will be expected to carry out preliminary reading during the preceding term and to meet weekly with the staff member supervising the investigation. The course is open to qualified undergraduates with the consent of the department chair, and it may be elected more than once. A report describing the details of the investigation must be filed with the department chair and approved at the completion of the course.Prerequisites
Permission of the department chair.Notes
(One-page proposal submission required and must be submitted for approval prior to the end of the term preceding the term in which the course will be taken.)Offered
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ENGS 88
Honors ThesisDescription
Honors version of ENGS 86. A course normally elected by honors students in one term of the senior year. The student will conduct a creative investigation suitable to the major subject under the supervision and guidance of a member of Thayer School faculty member. Students electing this course will be expected to begin the project work at least one term prior to electing ENGS 88 and may choose to conduct the preliminary investigation under ENGS 87. A major written report and oral presentation will be submitted at the completion of the course. Only one of either ENGS 86 or ENGS 88 may be used in satisfaction of the combined A.B. major and B.E. degree requirements.Prerequisites
Permission of the chair of the Honors program.Offered
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ENGS 89
Engineering Design Methodology and Project InitiationDescription
This course explores elements of the engineering design process as a means of enhancing student ability in problem definition, development and evaluation of creative alternatives, application and methods of technical and economic analysis, identification and application of ethical and legal constraints, and effective presentation of technical information. Design projects are developed from specifications submitted by industry and other organizations and are pursued over the course of two quarters as a team project (ENGS 89/90). Written and oral proposals and progress reports are required for the design project during the term. A project advisor is required for each design team to serve as a consultant to the team's efforts. ENGS 89 is the first unit of a two-term course sequence (ENGS 89/90) that must be taken consecutively.Prerequisites
Prior to enrollment in ENGS 89, at least six engineering courses must be completed. These include ENGS 21 plus five additional courses numbered 22 to 76 (excluding 75) and 91 and above.Offered
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ENGS 90
Engineering Design Methodology and Project CompletionDescription
This course is the second unit in the two-course team engineering design sequence ENGS 89/90. The objective of the course is to develop the students' professional abilities by providing a realistic project experience in engineering analysis, design, and development. Students continue with the design teams formed in ENGS 89 to complete their projects. Design teams are responsible for all aspects of their respective projects: science, innovation, analysis, experimentation, economic decisions and business operations, planning of projects, patents, and relationships with clients. Mid-term and final oral presentations and written reports are required. A faculty member is assigned to each design team to serve as consultant to the team's efforts.Prerequisites
ENGS 89Offered
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ENGS 91
Numerical Methods in ComputationDescription
A study and analysis of important numerical and computational methods for solving engineering and scientific problems. The course will include methods for solving linear and nonlinear equations, doing polynomial interpolation, evaluating integrals, solving ordinary differential equations, and determining eigenvalues and eigenvectors of matrices. The student will be required to write and run computer programs. ENGS 91 may not be used by mathematics or computer science majors in partial satisfaction of the distributive requirement.Prerequisites
ENGS 20 or COSC 1 and COSC 10; ENGS 22 or MATH 23, or equivalentCross Listed Courses
COSC 071Distribution Code
QDSOffered
Term: Winter 2023Time: –Location: –Instructors:Thayer Faculty
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ENGS 92
Fourier Transforms and Complex VariablesDescription
Survey of a number of mathematical methods of importance in engineering and physics with particular emphasis on the Fourier transform as a tool for modeling and analysis. Orthogonal function expansions, Fourier series, discrete and continuous Fourier transforms, generalized functions and sampling theory, complex functions and complex integration, Laplace, Z, and Hilbert transforms. Computational Fourier analysis, applications to linear systems, waves, and signal processing.Prerequisites
MATH 46 or ENGS 22 and ENGS 23 or the equivalentCross Listed Courses
PHYS 070Distribution Code
QDSOffered
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ENGS 93
Statistical Methods in EngineeringDescription
The application of statistical techniques and concepts to maximize the amount and quality of information resulting from experiments. After a brief introductory summary of fundamental concepts in probability and statistics, topics considered will include probability distributions, sampling distributions, estimation and confidence intervals for parameters of statistical distributions, hypothesis testing, design and analysis of variance for single and multiple-factor experiments, regression analysis, estimation and confidence intervals for parameters of non-statistical models, and statistical quality control.Prerequisites
MATH 13 or equivalentDistribution Code
QDSOffered
-
ENGS 136
Electrochemical Energy MaterialsDescription
Electrochemical energy materials and devices are playing a vital role in our technology driven society, and are in massive and rapidly growing demand for applications ranging from portable electronics to electric cars, from grid-scale energy storage to defense purposes. This course will give an introduction to the materials developments and characterizations in diverse electrochemical devices, with a focus on various electrode materials and technologies. Topics include, for example, basic principles of electrochemistry; introduction of a series of electrochemical energy storage devices; materials in emerging new battery technologies; photoelectrochemistry and photovoltaic devices. This course focuses on understanding materials science and challenges in modern electrochemical devices. For example, how to engineer the structures and properties of materials to maximize their electrochemical performances? How to characterize structures and compositions of electrochemical materials? The course also includes guest lectures to introduce a variety of energy materials for broad applications, such as solar cells and electrochemical sensing. (It is assumed that students do not have background in electrochemistry)Prerequisites
ENGS 024 or Permission of InstructorOffered
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ENGS 161
Metabolic EngineeringDescription
Metabolic engineering combines aspects of chemical engineering, systems biology and synthetic biology. This course focuses on developing a quantitative understanding of metabolic processes within the cell. Although metabolism is a complex process, it is determined by a small number of physical constraints, including enzyme activity, mass balance and thermodynamics. In this course you will learn to perform a mass balance, construct and analyze a stoichiometric network, simulate a series of kinetic reactions, and analyze isotope tracer experiments. Key genetic techniques, including CRISPR, will be presented. Computational analysis will be performed using COBRA and Equilibrator via Python and associated tools in the Python Data Science stack. These tools will be applied first to several canonical examples from the metabolic engineering literature and then to a project of your choosing.Prerequisites
Engineering Sciences 35/160 and a non-introductory course in biochemistry or molecular biology, or permission.Offered