Engineering
Engineering at RWU is unique in its structure: a broad, liberal arts-infused foundation of math, science and engineering layered with an in-depth specialization in civil, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering or a customized study. Through this accredited program, you’ll develop the creativity and flexibility to solve practical problems that benefit humanity in our complex and rapidly changing world.
The Engineering Major
Click to Open- Civil Engineering Specialization
- Computer Engineering Specialization
- Electrical Engineering Specialization
- Mechanical Engineering Specialization
- Custom Program Specialization
The purpose of the Engineering major is to develop in students the necessary knowledge and analytical skills for professional engineering practice or for successful graduate studies. The Engineering program is characterized by breadth but permits study in depth, to include attaining a specialization in civil, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering. The Engineering major also provides for flexibility to address the unknown challenges of the 21st century. In consultation with an academic advisor, students may design a Custom Specialization to prepare for emerging fields not immediately definable with traditional specializations.
Engineers apply the principles of mathematics and the laws of natural science to analyze, design, develop and devise improvements that benefit humanity. The Engineering program consists of a course of study in mathematics, science, and engineering fundamentals during the first two years of study. Students then tailor their program to their own specific needs by selection, with the assistance of their advisor, of appropriate elective courses constituting a specialization. The resulting curriculum is designed to achieve a balance between science and engineering, to provide an understanding of the economic and social implications of engineering activity, and to develop creative talents. This program includes the necessary topics found on the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
The Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Specific program educational objectives and outcomes include:
Program Educational Objectives
During the first few years after graduation, we expect our graduates to:
- Possess an inquisitive mind, demonstrate excellence in technical knowledge and skills, achieve success as a practicing engineer or graduate student, and apply the highest ethical standards in all pursuits.
- Value the concept of, and demonstrate through practice, activities and actions that contribute to continual intellectual growth.
- Advance the engineering profession by becoming actively involved in professional associations and societies, serving in professional and community volunteer positions, acting as a role model for the future generation of engineers, and assisting the SECCM Engineering Program in achieving its mission and goals.
Program Outcomes
We expect our graduating students to possess:
- an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
- an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
- an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability
- an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
- an ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems
- an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
- an ability to communicate effectively
- an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
- a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in lifelong learning
- a knowledge of contemporary issues
- an ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
Degree Requirements
The major in Engineering leads to the Bachelor of Science degree. Students normally complete a minimum of 124 credits, including satisfaction of all University Core Curriculum requirements and meeting the requirements of one of the available Engineering Specializations. The approved outline is as follows:
First Year (16 credits) Fall
| COMM | 210 | Introduction to Public Speaking | (3 credits) |
| CORE | 102 | Challenges of Democracy | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 110 | Engineering Graphics and Design | (3 credits) |
| MATH | 213 | Calculus I & Lab | (4 credits) |
| CORE | 102 | Expository Writing | (3 credits) |
First Year (17 credits) – Spring
| CORE | 103 | Human Behavior in Perspective | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 115 | Computer Applications for Engineering | (3 credits) |
| MATH | 214 | Calculus II & Lab | (4 credits) |
| PHYS | 201 | Physics I & Lab | (4 credits) |
| WTNG | 220 | Critical Writing for the Professions | (3 credits) |
Second Year (17 credits) – Fall
| CHEM | 191 | Chemistry I & Lab | (4 credits) |
| CORE | 104 | Literature, Philosophy, and the Examined Life | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 210 | Engineering Statics | (3 credits) |
| MATH | 317 | Differential Equations | (3 credits) |
| PHYS | 202 | Physics II & Lab | (4 credits) |
Second Year (17 credits) – Spring
| CHEM | 192 | Chemistry II & Lab | (4 credits) |
| CORE | 105 | Aesthetics in Context: The Artistic Impulse | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 220 | Engineering Dynamics | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 300 | Mechanics of Materials & Lab | (4 credits) |
| MATH | 315 | Probability & Statistics | (3 credits) |
Third Year (16 - 17 credits) - Fall
| ENGR | 240 | Circuit Theory & Lab | (4 credits) |
| ENGR | 320 | Environmental Engineering | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 330 | Thermodynamics | (3 credits) |
| MATH Elective (200 Level of above) | (3 credits) | ||
| ENGR Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
Third Year (13-16 credits) - Spring
| ENGR | 305 | Fluid Mechanics & Lab | (4 credits) |
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
Fourth Year (13-14 credits) - Fall
| CORE | Core Interdisciplinary Senior Seminar | (3 credits) | |
| ENGR | 401 | Engineering Senior Seminar | (1 credit) |
| ENGR | 335 | Engineering Economic Analysis | (3 credits) |
| ENGR | 490 | Engineering Design I | (3 credits) |
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
Fourth Year (15-19 credits) - Spring
| ENGR | 492 | Engineering Design II | (3 credits) |
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
| Engineering Elective | (3/4 credits) | ||
Total: 124-133 Semester Credits
Engineering electives must be selected to meet the requirements of one of the available Engineering Specializations.
Mathematics elective requirement excludes the following courses: MATH 335, MATH 340, MATH 450, and MATH 451.
Civil Engineering Specialization
The Civil Engineering Specialization (including focused study in Structural Engineering and Environmental engineering) is only for students majoring in Engineering.
Required Course:
| ENGR | 313 | Structural Analysis |
| ENGR | 409 | Structural Design |
| ENGR | 412 | Water Resources Engineering & Lab |
| ENGR | 414 | Geotechnical Engineering & Lab |
| ENGR | 415 | Water and Wastewater Treatment |
| ENGR | 418 | Construction Engineering |
| ENGR | 420 | Transportation Engineering |
And two courses from the following list:
| ENGR | 405 | Air Pollution and Control |
| ENGR | 407 | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management |
| ENGR | 413 | Advanced Structural Analysis |
| ENGR | 430 | Special Topics (with permission of advisor) |
| CHEM | 201 | Environmental Chemistry & Lab |
| CNST | 302 | Surveying & Lab |
Computer Engineering Specialization
The Computer Engineering Specialization is only for students majoring in Engineering.
Required Courses:
| COMSC | 110 | Introduction to Computer Science & Lab |
| COMSC | 111 | Data Structures & Lab |
| ENGR | 260 | Engineering Electronics & Lab |
| ENGR | 270 | Digital Systems Design & Lab |
| ENGR | 424 | Digital Signal Processing |
| ENGR | 430 | Sp Tp: Microprocessors |
| ENGR | 430 | Sp Tp: VLSI |
And two courses from the following list:
| COMSC | 210 | Principles of Computer Organization & Lab |
| COMSC | 230 | Principles of Programming Languages |
| COMSC | 340 | Analysis of Algorithms |
| COMSC | 420 | Principles of Operating Systems |
| ENGR | 430 | Special Topics (with permission of advisor) |
| ENGR | 450 | Mechatronics |
| PHYS | 350 | Computational Physics |
Electrical Engineering Specialization
The Electrical Engineering Specialization is only for students majoring in Engineering.
Required Courses:
| ENGR | 260 | Engineering Electronics & Lab |
| ENGR | 270 | Digital System Design & Lab |
| ENGR | 360 | Signals and Systems |
| ENGR | 370 | Microprocessors |
| ENGR | 424 | Digital Signal Processing |
| ENGR | 445 | Dynamic Modeling and Control |
| ENGR | 460 | Electromagnetic Theory |
And two courses from the following list:
| ENGR | 340 | Sustainable Energy systems | |
| ENGR | 430 | Sp Tp: VLSI | |
| ENGR | 430 | Special Topics (with permission of advisor) | |
| ENGR | 433 | Heat Transfer | |
| ENGR | 450 | Machatronics | |
| PHYS | 320 | Modern Physics | |
| or | |||
| PHYS | 350 | Computational Physics | |
Mechanical Engineering Specialization
The Mechanical Engineering Specialization is only for students majoring in Engineering.
Required Courses:
| ENGR | 310 | Material Science |
| ENGR | 332 | Machine Design |
| ENGR | 350 | Theory and Design of Mechanical Measurements |
| ENGR | 433 | Heat Transfer |
| ENGR | 445 | Dynamic Modeling and Control |
And four courses from the following list:
| ENGR | 260 | Engineering Electronics & Lab |
| ENGR | 340 | Sustainable Energy Systems |
| ENGR | 430 | Sp Tp: Finite Element Analysis |
| ENGR | 430 | Special Topics (with permission of advisor) |
| ENGR | 431 | Mechanical Vibrations |
| ENGR | 432 | Manufacturing and Assembly |
| ENGR | 437 | Acoustics |
| ENGR | 442 | Biomechanics |
| ENGR | 450 | Mechatronics |
The Custom Program Specialization
The Custom Program Specialization is only for students majoring in Engineering.
Nine courses are required, at least five of which are at the ENGR 300/400-level. A student must form a committee of three engineering faculty who will review and approve of the program plan no later than first semester of the student’s third year.
The Engineering Minor
Click to OpenThe Engineering Biomechanics Focus Minor
The Engineering Biomechanics Focus minor provides an introduction to solid and fluid mechanics, materials science, and data acquisition theory and practice, and then applies these topics to bio-mechanical problems such as human and animal movement, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and the design and analysis of prosthetics. The minor is well-suited for Biology and Marine Biology majors who wish to understand the physical origins of anatomy and physiology, for pre-med students interested in orthopedics, or for anyone seeking an engineering perspective on biology.
The Biomechanics Focus minor consists of six courses and is for non-engineering majors only:
Required Courses*
| ENGR | 210 | Engineering Statics | |
| ENGR | 300 | Mechanics of Materials and Lab | |
| ENGR | 305 | Fluid Mechanics and Lab | |
| ENGR | 310 | Materials Science | |
| ENGR | 350 | Theory and Design of Mechanical Measurements | |
| ENGR | 442 | Biomechanics |
*Some of these courses have additional prerequisites
The Engineering Environmental Focus Minor
The Engineering Environmental Focus minor exposes students to most areas of environmental engineering, including water and wastewater treatment, hydrology, and air pollution. This minor supplements the learning in other related majors, such as environmental science, biology, marine biology, and sustainability. It provides the student with an engineering background to enhance their career options.
The Environmental Engineering Focus minor consists of six courses and is for non-engineering majors only:
Required Courses*
| ENGR | 210 | Engineering Statics | |
| ENGR | 305 | Fluid Mechanics and Lab | |
| ENGR | 320 | Environmental Engineering | |
| ENGR | 405 | Air Pollution and Control | |
| ENGR | 412 | Water Resources and Lab | |
| ENGR | 415 | Water and Wastewater Treatment |
*Some of these courses have additional prerequisites
The Engineering Robotics Focus Minor
The Engineering Robotics Focus minor consists of six courses and is intended for non-engineering students desiring some technical experience in the area of robotics. The minor builds prerequisite skills in mechanical design, electronics and computer programming and culminates in a senior-level Mechatronics course where students design, build and program a robot to perform an assigned task autonomously.
Required Courses*:
| ENGR | 110 | Engineering Graphics and Design | |
| ENGR | 115 | Computer Applications for Engineering | |
| COMSC | 110 | Introduction to Computer Science & Lab | |
| ENGR | 240 | Circuit Theory & Lab | |
| ENGR | 260 | Engineering Electronics & Lab | |
| ENGR | 450 | Mechatronics |
*Some of these courses may require additional prerequisites
The Structural Engineering Minor
The structural engineering minor consists of five courses emphasizing engineering principles and their applications in buildings. This minor is especially well suited for students majoring in architecture who desire a stronger technical understanding of structural design. Engineering majors are not permitted to pursue this minor.
Required Courses:
| ENGR | 210 | Engineering Statistics | |
| ENGR | 300 | Mechanics of Materials & Lab | |
| ENGR | 313 | Structural Analysis | |
| ENGR | 409 | Structural Design I |
Select one:
| ENGR | 413 | Advanced Structural Analysis | |
| ENGR | 414 | Geotechnical Engineering & Lab |
Beyond Theory
Alexia Byusa, RWU Class of 2017 EngineeringChoosing a college major couldn’t have been simpler for Alexia Byusa. Now she's an RWU alumni with the knowledge and experience to design the cities of tomorrow as a civil engineer.
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