Liberal Arts and Engineering

BA in Liberal Arts and Engineering Program Chart (PDF)

Liberal Arts & Engineering website

Directors: John Orr (ECE), Lance Schachterle (HU) Associated Faculty and Program Committee: David DiBiasio (ChE), James Doyle (SSPS), Peter Hansen (HU), Rob Krueger (IGSD), Kent Rissmiller (IGSD and SSPS), D. Samson (HU), Gretar Tryggvason (ME), Richard Vaz (IGSD and ECE)

Mission Statement

The goal of the Liberal Arts and Engineering Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is to provide an opportunity for students who want a broad background in engineering and other disciplines, as preparation for further studies in engineering or in other fields such as medicine, law, public policy, international studies, business, or wherever a solid technical background would give them a unique edge. The program is also designed to allow students to transfer to an engineering BS program with minimum loss of time.

For more information, visit Liberal Arts & Engineering.

Program Educational Objectives

The Liberal Arts and Engineering degree recognizes that societal and technological issues are becoming more and more interdependent. Leaders of government, non-profit and for-profit organizations are typically educated in non-engineering disciplines yet increasingly would benefit from a more technological grounding. The Liberal Arts and Engineering major, with its emphasis on problem solving, will prepare students not only for engineering but also for many other high-level careers, such as:

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the BA in Liberal Arts and Engineering major will have:

  1. an ability to formulate and solve problems requiring knowledge of both technological and societal/humanistic needs and constraints
  2. an ability to apply, as needed, the relevant fundamentals of mathematics, science, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities to solve such problems
  3. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern tools necessary for professional practice
  4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
  5. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
  6. an ability to communicate effectively in oral, written and visual modes
  7. a recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in, lifelong learning, in response to the ever-increasing pace of change affecting societal needs and opportunities
  8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of professional solutions in a societal context, both locally and globally.

Minimum Distribution Requirements

REQUIREMENTSMinimum Units

1.

Mathematics and Basic Sciences (Notes 1, 2)

3

2.

Engineering Science and Design (Notes 3, 4, 5)

3

3.

Humanities and Arts, Social Science, and Management Topics (Notes 6, 7)

3

4.

MQP (Note 8)

1

Notes:

  1. Mathematics must include differential and integral calculus and either probability or statistics.
  2. All courses with prefixes BB, CH, PH, or GE count toward this requirement. Must include at least 1/3 Unit each of BB, CH, and PH.
  3. Courses with prefixes BME, CE, CHE, CS, ECE, ES, and ME are eligible to count toward this requirement. These courses should be thematically related; students must gain approval of their program of study in this area from the Liberal Arts and Engineering Program Committee.
  4. Must include either CS 1101 or CS 1102.
  5. Must include at least one course in engineering design (such as ECE 2799 or ME 2300), plus at least two other courses with a significant laboratory component (a list of such courses will be maintained by the Liberal Arts and Engineering Program Committee).
  6. Must include 2 Units of Humanities and Arts and Social Science. Courses with prefixes AR, HI, PY, RH, WR, IMGD, ECON, GOV, PSY, STS, and SD may be eligible to count toward this requirement. Courses must be selected from areas that strongly complement the practice of engineering, such as the history of technology, ethics, writing and visual rhetoric, economics, society- technology studies, and environmental studies. A list of such courses will be maintained by the Liberal Arts and Engineering Program Committee.
  7. May include up to 1 Unit of Management. All courses with prefixes ACC, BUS, ETR, FIN, MKT, MIS, OIE, and OBC are eligible to count toward this requirement.
  8. The MQP provides a capstone experience that builds on both the technical (Engineering Science and Design) and nontechnical (Humanities and Arts, Social Science, and Management Topics) components of the student’s particular program. At least one advisor to the MQP must be a member of the Liberal Arts and Engineering Associated Faculty.

Programs of Study and Relevant Courses

Programs of Study and Relevant Courses The Liberal Arts and Engineering program will offer considerable curricular flexibility to accommodate a wide range of student interests, but at the same time will require students to be intentional about developing a coherent program of study consistent with the program’s objectives. Academic advising will play an important role in helping students plan their programs.

For more information and advice about the program, contact Prof. Lance Schachterle.

The Engineering Science and Design component of the major (Distribution Requirement 2) must be approved by the Liberal Arts and Engineering Program Committee to ensure that it provides students with a focus in some area of engineering. Guidance and examples will be provided so that students know in advance what types of programs will be approved. The intent is to accommodate creative programs while avoiding programs that lack a coherent theme.

The Social and Humanistic Factors component (see Distribution Requirement 3 and Note 6) should consist of courses that complement engineering and technology to support the educational objectives of the program. The Program Committee will maintain and make available to students and advisors lists of current courses that are acceptable for credit toward this requirement.

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Last modified: February 05, 2009 15:40:21