The Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum

The Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral Curriculum is a four-semester sequence of engineering courses (EAS prefix) matched closely with the development of students’ mathematical sophistication and analytical capabilities and integrated with course work in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in a series of courses that stresses practical applications of these principles. Topics in these courses include electrical circuits, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, material balances, properties of materials, structural mechanics, and thermodynamics. Unlike the more traditional approach, each of the foundation courses includes a mix of these topics presented in a variety of disciplinary contexts. A solid background is developed by touching key concepts at several points along the spiral in different courses, adding depth and sophistication at each pass. Each foundation course also stresses the development of several essential skills, such as problem solving, oral and written communication, organizational skills, the design process, teamwork, project management, computer analysis methods, laboratory investigation, data analysis, and model development. Students will build substantial depth in some of the foundation areas in subsequent courses, while other topics may not be further developed, depending on their chosen discipline. Thus, the foundation courses serve both as the basis for depth in disciplinary study and as part of a broad multidisciplinary background.