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Engineering with Public Policy

Students interested in technology and public policy may pursue the engineering sciences major modified with public policy. Students who plan to pursue additional coursework beyond the AB to earn the Bachelor of Engineering (BE) should consult early with their faculty advisors to plan their program of study.

For additional information about majors, courses, and degree requirements:

Guide to Programs & Courses


For advice about the major, contact Dean and Professor Alexis R. Abramson.

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Prerequisites

Modified majors are expected to have a basic understanding of calculus, physics, chemistry, and computer science. First-year students interested in the major should take the placement test in mathematics.

Unless otherwise prohibited, prerequisites may be taken under the non-recording option. Any course being used to satisfy major or minor requirements beyond the prerequisites, may not be taken under the non-recording option.

COURSE TYPE NUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSES COURSES

Mathematics

3 courses

MATH 3: Calculus
MATH 8: Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables
MATH 13: Calculus of Vector-Valued Functions

Physics

2 courses

PHYS 13: Introductory Physics I
PHYS 14: Introductory Physics II

Chemistry*

1 course

Students will be placed in one of the following:

CHEM 5: General Chemistry
CHEM 10: First-Year Honors Chemistry
CHEM 11: General Chemistry

Computer Science

1 or 2 courses

Choose one option:

Option 1 (1 course):
ENGS 20: Introduction to Scientific Computing (May not be taken under the non-recording option.)

Option 2 (1 course):
COSC 1: Introduction to Programming and Computation
COSC 10: Problem Solving via Object-Oriented Programming

Statistical Data Analysis

1 course

ECON 10: Introduction to Statistical Methods
GOVT 10: Quantitative Political Analysis
SOCY 10: Quantitative Analysis of Social Data
MATH 10: Introductory Statistics

* Students with no prior experience with chemistry will be placed in CHEM 5. CHEM 10 is not scheduled to be offered during the 2022–2023 academic year. Starting in the Fall of 2022, students with prior experience with chemistry (as demonstrated through AP or IB exams, A-level credit, or placement exam) will be placed in CHEM 11. Students who complete CHEM 11 will also automatically receive credit for CHEM 5 toward the BE degree requirements.

Required Courses

COURSE TYPE NUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSES COURSES

Engineering Core

2 courses

ENGS 21: Introduction to Engineering (Should be taken sophomore year.)
ENGS 22: Systems

Engineering Electives

4 courses

Choose four courses, one from each group:

Group 1
ENGS 23: Distributed Systems and Fields
ENGS 24: Science of Materials
ENGS 25: Introduction to Thermodynamics
ENGS 26: Control Theory
ENGS 27: Discrete and Probabilistic Systems

    Group 2
    ENGS 30: Biological Physics
    ENGS 31: Digital Electronics
    ENGS 32: Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits
    ENGS 33: Solid Mechanics
    ENGS 34: Fluid Mechanics
    ENGS 35: Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
    ENGS 36: Chemical Engineering
    ENGS 37: Introduction to Environmental Engineering

      Group 3
      ENGS 41: Sustainability and Natural Resources Management
      ENGS 43: Environmental Transport and Fate
      ENGS 44: Sustainable Design
      ENGS 52: Introduction to Operations Research
      ENGS 56: Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

        Group 4
        Any ENGS course numbered above 20, excluding ENGS 80 and ENGS 87

        Public Policy

        4 courses

        Choose four courses, with at least one from each group:

        Group 1
        PBPL 5: Introduction to Public Policy

        Group 2
        PBPL 40: Economics of Public Policymaking
        PBPL 41: Writing and Speaking Public Policy
        PBPL 42: Ethics and Public Policy
        PBPL 43: Social Entrepreneurship
        PBPL 45: Introduction to Public Policy Research
        ECON 20: Econometrics

        Group 3
        Any course (excluding Engineering Sciences) from a policy track, such as Environment and Public Policy, Health and Public Policy, Natural Resources and Public Policy, Science/Technology, and Public Policy

        Culminating Experience

        In addition to coursework, all engineering sciences majors and modified majors are required to complete a culminating experience, which may include a thesis, a design project, or an advanced engineering sciences course with a significant design or research project, chosen from an approved list. Normally taken during the senior year, the course is chosen from the following options below, and for modified majors, must be justified as part of a larger unified coherent program of study.

        CULMINATING EXPERIENCE (CHOOSE ONE OPTION) NUMBER OF REQUIRED COURSES COURSES

        Thesis

        1 course

        Choose one course, from the following:

        ENGS 86: Independent Project
        ENGS 88        : Honors Thesis

        Design Project

        2 courses

        ENGS 89: Engineering Design Methodology and Project Initiation
        ENGS 90: Engineering Design Methodology and Project Completion

        • Taken as a two-course design sequence.
        • May count toward both AB and BE degrees.
        • Prior to enrollment in ENGS 89, at least 6 engineering sciences courses must be completed: ENGS 21 plus 5 additional courses numbered 22 to 76 (excluding 75), and 91 and above.

        Advanced Course (with significant design or research project)

        1 course

        Choose one course from approved list below or consult with Chair of the Department of Engineering Sciences:

        ENGS 58: Introduction to Protein Engineering
        ENGS 61        : Intermediate Electrical Circuits
        ENGS 62: Microprocessors in Engineered Systems
        ENGS 67: Programming Parallel Systems
        ENGS 71: Structural Analysis
        ENGS 73: Materials Processing and Selection
        ENGS 75: Product Design
        ENGS 76: Machine Engineering
        ENGS 112: Modern Information Technologies
        ENGS 115: Parallel Computing
        ENGS 122: Advanced Topics in Semiconductor Devices
        ENGS 124: Optical Devices and Systems
        ENGS 125: Power Electronics and Electromechanical Energy Conversion
        ENGS 126: Analog Integrated Circuit Design
        ENGS 128: Advanced Digital System Design
        ENGG 129: Biomedical Circuits and Systems
        ENGS 130: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
        ENGS 132        : Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Condensed Phases
        ENGS 133: Methods of Materials Characterization
        ENGS 134: Nanotechnology
        ENGS 135: Thin Films and Microfabrication Technology
        ENGS 145: Modern Control Theory
        ENGS 146: Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering Design
        ENGS 147: Mechatronics
        ENGS 150: Intermediate Fluid Mechanics
        ENGS 157: Chemical Process Design
        ENGS 158: Chemical Kinetics and Reactors
        ENGS 160: Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering
        ENGS 161: Metabolic Engineering
        ENGS 163: Advanced Protein Engineering
        ENGS 165: Biomaterials
        ENGS 167: Medical Imaging
        ENGS 169: Intermediate Biomedical Engineering
        ENGS 171: Industrial Ecology
        ENGS 172: Climate Change and Engineering
        ENGS 174: Energy Conversion
        ENGS 175: Energy Systems
        ENGS 262: Advanced Biological Circuit Engineering