Though many engineering schools are organised along traditional disciplinary lines (mechanical, electrical, civil) the problems engineers have to solve today rarely fall within a single engineering discipline. Hence, Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering has chosen to concentrate on three areas that include engineering in medicine, energy and complex systems. These areas represent complex, interdisciplinary and technology-based challenges facing today's world.

According to Joseph Helble, dean, Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, "The area of engineering in medicine is a partnership with Dartmouth Medical School to help develop the technology and systems needed for advancing healthcare. In the area of energy, our focus is on taking a 'systems' approach towards developing higher efficiency devices and more sustainable energy supplies for the 21century. Our effort in complex systems focusses on networked communications, control and coordination of teams of robots pursuing complex tasks, artificial intelligence, inference of intent and related areas."