Tagliatela College of Engineering

Ronald Harichandran, Ph.D., Dean
Stephanie M. Gillespie, Ph.D., Associate Dean
 

The Tagliatela College of Engineering (TCoE) offers a variety of programs in engineering and the applied sciences. These two areas encompass a number of dynamic professions in which practitioners use their knowledge, judgment, and creativity to address some of the most important and interesting challenges facing society. These challenges and the changing face of engineering will shape the world of the twenty-first century - a world of exotic materials, new sources of energy, staggering telecommunications and computing capabilities, cybernetic factories, and needed public works. In the coming years we anticipate exciting opportunities to emerge at the frontier between engineering and the life sciences.

Few professions can match engineering for its challenge and excitement or for its essential spirit of play. These qualities are true for each of the school's seven engineering programs - chemical, civil, computer, electrical, general, industrial and systems, and mechanical engineering - and also for its applied science programs in computer science and chemistry. The rewards of an engineering career include challenging tasks, social standing, and appealing working conditions and compensation. All of these are in addition to the great satisfaction of seeing your accomplishments in the real world of engineered components and systems. But a degree in engineering or the applied sciences can also lead to a wide variety of careers outside the realm of engineering and applied science. Engineers are problem solvers, and the ability to analyze a problem and find a viable solution is a highly sought-after attribute in many walks of life. Engineering skills provide an entry to business, law, medicine, politics, and entrepreneurship. Innovation will play a major role in the future, and individuals who are able to generate creative solutions to the myriad of problems that face society will be well rewarded.

Vision

Our graduates will lead innovation through collaboration.

Mission

To provide innovative, distinctive, and transformational learning opportunities that develop creative and responsible engineering and applied science leaders of the future.

Mission Realization

To achieve its mission, the Tagliatela College of Engineering will:

• Enhance the learning of diverse students through engaged classroom experiences involving hands-on projects and active learning methods
• Prepare students for modern workplaces by immersing them in multidisciplinary and team-based environments
• Educate students to solve tomorrow's problems by instilling an entrepreneurial mindset
• Benefit society by engaging students in research, scholarship and outreach
• Support long-term career growth by developing students' technical and interpersonal communication skills
• Develop students' global awareness by exploring the impact of engineering solutions on a world scale
• Expose students to real world experiences by partnering with industry, government, and community organizations
• Develop an international reputation by promoting an all-encompassing climate of excellence

Organizational Structure

The Tagliatela College of Engineering consists of five operational units as follows:

• The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (CCE)
• The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
• The Department of Engineering and Applied Science Education (EASE)
• The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science (ECECS)
• The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE)

Further information concerning each operational unit, its mission and goals, its faculty and its program offerings is given below.

Professional Accreditation

The bachelor's degree programs in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, industrial and systems, and mechanical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. The bachelor's degree program in computer science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

Professional Designations

The university is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) allowing students in computer science and cybersecurity & networks programs to earn an NSA Cyber Operations designation along with their bachelor's degree by fulfilling specific course requirements. Students earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry can obtain American Chemical Society certification by fulfilling specific course requirements.

Programs

Responsibility for the curricular content of academic programs resides with the faculty in each of the academic units. Each academic program is managed by a program coordinator who is the students' primary point of contact for programrelated inquiries. Each of the college's academic programs is listed under its departmental affiliation.

Choosing a Major

The University of New Haven is one of a small number of universities in which entering first year students are admitted directly to the engineering college. A student may be accepted into the Tagliatela College of Engineering without declaring a major in a specific engineering discipline. This is possible because a considerable part of the first year curriculum is common to all engineering programs. Students who have chosen a major should follow the recommended first-year program for the major. Students who are undecided about their choice of engineering major should choose the engineering degree program and follow the recommended first-year program.

Those students wishing to complete an engineering degree program other than engineering are strongly advised to decide on their new program by the beginning of the sophomore year. Students interested in chemistry, computer science or cybersecurity & networks are advised to choose that option in their first year.

Academic Advising

Faculty members within the Tagliatela College of Engineering take their responsibilities as academic advisers very seriously. Good academic advising helps a student make wise academic decisions and avoid course sequencing errors that can delay graduation. Each student is encouraged to meet with his or her academic adviser as soon as possible during the first semester of the first year and on a regular basis at least once per semester.

All newly admitted students, including transfer students, are assigned a faculty adviser in the department responsible for their chosen degree program.

Unique Features

Several of the programs share the following unique features:

• The Multidisciplinary Foundation for Engineering Programs: To operate effectively in today's workforce, engineers need to have a multidisciplinary perspective along with substantial disciplinary depth. The faculty of the Tagliatela College of Engineering have developed an innovative approach to achieve this perspective: The Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum . This curricular model enables the needed mix of breadth and depth, along with the desired professional skills, by providing carefully crafted, well-coordinated curricular experiences in the first two years.
• Project to Integrate Technical Communication Habits: The ability to communicate technical content in written, oral and visual forms is critical to the success of engineers in the workplace and is rated very highly by employers. The development of technical communication skills is integrated into courses spanning all four years in the engineering, computer science, and cybersecurity & networks programs. Students learn how to write a variety of documents, including short technical memos, lab or simulation reports, design proposals, and design reports, and deliver effective oral presentations assisted by well-structured visual aids.
• Development of an Entrepreneurial Mindset: An entrepreneurial mindset applies to all aspects of life, beginning with curiosity about our changing world, integrating information from various resources to gain insight, and identifying unexpected opportunities to create value. An engineer equipped with an entrepreneurial mindset is able to create extraordinary value within any type of organization. The development of an entrepreneurial mindset is integrated into coursework in all engineering, computer science and cybersecurity & networks programs.

Direct Entry/Accelerated BS+MS Programs

The Tagliatela of College of Engineering offers a number of 4+1 degree programs. Students in these programs can take graduate courses while completing their bachelor's degree, reducing the time required to complete their master's degree to one year. Students should check with their academic adviser regarding requirements of a specific 4+1 degree.

University Core Curriculum

In addition to college and department requirements, students must fulfill all requirements of the University Core Curriculum. (See University Curricula  section of the catalog.) Included within the core curriculum are requirements in the humanities and social sciences. For details, see the section Social Science and Humanities Electives below.

General Policies of the Tagliatela College of Engineering

The following information applies to all degree programs within the TCoE:

Transfer Credit

Transfer of credits for previous academic work is coordinated by the dean's office and assessed by program coordinators according to university policy.  All transferred courses are the result of a determination of equivalence of course content and level. Courses for transfer claiming engineering content normally are accepted only from ABET-accredited programs.

Transfer students whose previous academic work results in placement beyond the first year may be given the option of following the program worksheet in effect for upper-level students in the chosen major. Such a choice may shorten the time required to complete the degree program.

Technical Electives

Technical electives are upper-level courses directly pertinent to a student's major field of study. These electives must be approved by the student's academic adviser and are usually chosen from engineering college courses, although specific courses in other majors may be allowed. The adviser's approval is important to ensure that students meet the prerequisite requirements.

Internship Requirement

Students in engineering, computer science and cybersecurity & networks programs are required to complete an internship prior to graduation. Students should check with their academic adviser regarding the specific requirements (which differ by program).

Senior Capstone Design

Students in engineering, computer science and cybersecurity & networks programs are required to complete a two-semester long, team-based, client-sponsored project.

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