Examples of MQPs
The LA&E MQP should be substantially different from an IQP. As the sample curricula indicate, in the BA program students would have three-unit cornerstones in both engineering and liberal studies. Thus they will have formal course backgrounds for both the engineering and the humanistic, social, and management components of their MQPs, and can take on topics of greater complexity than may be the case for a similar IQP. The BA MQP would also be, by definition, in the student’s major, whereas the IQP does not have to draw upon the students’ major for the technological component. This distinction means that for the MQP the student has to build significantly on the base of prior study in two fields they have selected; for the IQP they must often function effectively in areas new to them. These two project experiences can be different and complementary. At least one MQP advisor must be a member of the LA&E Program Committee; we recommend that LA&E MQPs be co-advised by faculty teams offering suitable sets of engineering and liberal disciplinary expertise.
The MQP topics below are given as example to correspond with the three example programs.
ECE Design with Social, Humanistic, and Business Factors of Design
- "Design of a Low-Cost Lighting System Suitable for the Developing World"
- "Baseline Design and Business Plan for Integrated Household Information Systems"
- "Social Impact and Economic History of the Microprocessor"
Energy with Environment and Policy
- "A Brownfields Remediation Plan for a Site in Worcester"
- "Low-cost, Energy Efficient Housing Design"
- "A Windmill Design to Counter the NIMBY Argument"
Engineering Science and Design with Pre-law
- "Intellectual Property Issues in Machine Design"
- "Design and Patent Search for a Better Mousetrap"
- "The Chainsaw: A Technical, Ethical, and Legal Case Study"
Last modified: July 23, 2007 15:43:33