multidisciplinary-engineering-science-program-at-trinity-university

The mission of the Engineering Science Department at Trinity University is to provide talented students with a broadly based undergraduate engineering education by offering a design orie

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING SCIENCE PROGRAM

AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY

Mahbub Uddin Department of Engineering Science Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas

1 Introduction

Trinity University is an independent, coeducational university in the tradition of the liberal arts and

sciences Trinity’s principal focus is on undergraduate education Academic programs in the liberal

arts and sciences and preprofessional and professional fields are consciously intertwined to provide

mutually reinforcing intellectual experiences for students and faculty

The mission of the Engineering Science Department at Trinity University is to provide talented

students with a broadly based undergraduate engineering education by offering a design oriented,

multidisciplinary engineering science curriculum in the context of the University’s tradition of the

liberal arts and sciences

The curriculum emphasizes an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of the physical sciences,

mathematics, and engineering science that form the foundation for technical work in all fields in

engineering Some specialization is available through elective courses in Chemical, Electrical, and

Mechanical Engineering, taken during the junior and senior years The program provides significant

hands-on experience in engineering laboratories and participation in engineering design projects

throughout the eight-semester engineering design course sequence The emphasis on fundamentals is

intended to prepare students for dealing with the rapid pace technological change and the

interdisciplinary demands of today’s and tomorrow’s, engineering practice The laboratory and design

portions of the program provide the student with a balanced perspective of the realities and limitations

required for practical problem solving

The professional practice of engineering requires skill and resourcefulness in applying science and

technology to the solution of problems in our complex technological society The successful engineer

must possess a thorough understanding of social and economic forces and have an appreciation of

cultural and humanistic traditions The Trinity Engineering Science Program encourages the

development of this kind of graduate by providing a broad technical background and a significant

liberal education in the humanities and social sciences

The first engineering students entered Trinity in 1961 The program has been continuously accredited

by ABET since 1969 It is the first accredited engineering program in San Antonio, Texas

Our engineering science students come to Trinity with fine credentials They are bright, inquisitive,

and success oriented The average SAT score of entering engineering students is about 1280 About

60 students enroll in the first year engineering design course

Students apply for the engineering major in the second semester of their sophomore year A high

percentage of the students who are accepted as engineering majors graduate with engineering degrees

We graduate about 20-25 students per year Typically, 25% of our engineering graduates are female

and 10-15% are minorities

The Engineering Science program requires a minimum of 129 hours consisting of a 51-semester hour

engineering core, 33 hours in math and science, 33 hours in the common curriculum, and 12 hours of

elective, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science degree Engineering students are also awarded mathematics minor A summary of engineering science program requirements is given in

Table 1

The multidisciplinary core engineering science courses emphasize critical and creative thinking and the development of student’s communication skills An eight-semester multidisciplinary engineering

design course sequence is the centerpiece of the engineering science program

Engineering students are strongly recommended to take at least 12 credit hours of engineering electives

to acquire some specialization in the areas of Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical engineering

Engineering elective courses are listed in Table 2 Students are encouraged to take elective engineering elective courses during the junior and senior years Student’s can also take elective courses necessary

to pursuit graduate studies in law and medicine

All engineering students are required to take 33 hours of courses in the areas of Liberal Arts,

Humanities and Social Sciences to satisfy university’s common curriculum requirement The Common

Curriculum reflects Trinity’s commitment to the liberal arts and sciences and is meant to establish for

each Trinity student a basis for understanding the varied domains of human knowledge and experience The Common Curriculum also includes skills necessary for active, critical and creative participation in

the academic life of the University Paramount among those skills are the abilities to think creatively

and critically, and to express such thinking effectively both orally and in writing The Common

Curriculum includes six fundamental understandings: Understanding the Intellectual Heritage of

Western Culture, Understanding World Cultures, Understanding the Role of Values, Understanding the World Through Science, Understanding the Human Social Context and Understanding Aesthetic

Experience and Artistic Creativity (Engineering students satisfy the Understanding the World

Through Science and the Understanding Aesthetic Experience and Artistic Creativity by taking

required Science courses and Engineering Design VII respectively.) The Common Curriculum

requirements for engineering students are listed in Table 1

3 Niche

Trinity’s Engineering Science Program has several special features that are rare; some are unique

among the hundreds of engineering programs in the country

Teaching – engineering education and advising are given the highest priority among the department’s

endeavors

Design – the essence of engineering, is the central thrust of the program The curriculum includes eight design courses, one each semester for four years Emphasis is placed on creative and critical thinking

and the development of decision-making skills

The Multidisciplinary Engineering Science Curriculum – supports interdisciplinary design,

Knowledge and understanding of how engineered products, processes, and systems work are used to

develop students’ prediction, judgment, and design optimizing skills

Common Curriculum – Engineering students complete the University’s common curriculum in concert with all Trinity students, interacting with students from all disciplines in the humanities and social

sciences

Table 1 Engineering Science Program Requirements [1]

Engineering Science and Design

Engineering Science

1313 Mechanics I: Statistics

Balances

2314 Mechanics II: Dynamics

2120 Network Analysis Lab

2164 Electronics I Lab

3123 Fluid Mechanics Lab

3155 Control Systems Lab

4126 Heat Transfer Lab

4341 Engineering Materials

Engineering Design

1381 Analysis and Design I

1382 Analysis and Design II

2181 Engineering Design III

2182 Engineering Design IV

3182 Engineering Design VI

4381 Engineering Design VII

4382 Engineering Design VIII

Total = 51 hours

Mathematics and Sciences

Mathematics

Course Number Course Name

1311 Calculus I

1312 Calculus II

2321 Calculus III

3336 Differential Equations & Linear Algebra

3320 Probability & Statistics

3357 Partial Differential Equations

Physics

1311 Introductory Physics

1111 Intro Physics & Lab

1312 Intro to Electricity &

Magnetism

1112 Intermediate Physics Laboratory

Chemistry

1318 Chemistry in the Modern World

1118 Intro To Analytical Methods Laboratory Plus, a science or math elective of no less than three (3) semester hours is required

Total = 33 hours

Required Electives = 12 hours

Common Curriculum Requirements

Name Hours

Total = 33 hours

Total semester hours required for graduation: 129 hours

Mathematics Minor – Engineering students are required to take six mathematics courses

leading to a minor in mathematics

Communication, Interpersonal, and Leadership Skills – Special attention is given to the

development of students’ communication, interpersonal and leadership skills Writing and

presentations skills are practiced and developed in many courses, as are discussion, speaking,

and teamwork skills

Undergraduate Research – Engineering students have the opportunity to participate in

undergraduate research projects supervised by individual faculty members

Life Long Learning – Engineering graduates are educated to become self-learners, life long

learners, critical and creative thinkers, creative problem solvers, effective communicators and

wise decision-makers

Table 2 Engineering Elective Courses [1]

4 The Eight Semester Multidisciplinary Engineering Design Experience [2,3]

Engineering design, specifically creative design, is the central focus of our program An

eight-semester engineering design course sequence that begins in the first semester of the

freshman year and terminates with a two-semester senior capstone design project from the

backbone of our curriculum

The first design course introduces students to the engineering design process utilizing a

competitive design project The second semester freshman design course continues the

introduction to engineering design concepts with another interactive team-oriented design

project Examples of freshman design projects: design, build , test and analyze the

performance of a wooden truss; design, build and test a water balloon launcher, etc

Design

Engineering

Systems

Engineering

Freshman design courses are followed by one credit hour mini capstone design projects in the

sophomore and junior years The first sophomore design project builds on the students’

background in solid mechanics with the introduction of competitive mechanical engineering

design projects The second semester sophomore design course continues the development

of students’ prediction, decision-making, and optimization skills with a project oriented to

the statistical design of multivariable industrial systems Examples of sophomore design

projects: design, build and test a solar powered vehicle; catapult design, etc

The first mini capstone design course in the junior year builds on the students’ background in

electrical engineering while second junior mini capstone course involves a thermal/fluids

competitive design project Examples of junior design projects: design build and test a traffic

light control system; product redesign such as toaster oven, electric heaters, etc

The senior year capstone engineering design experience includes two three credit hour design

courses in which year long comprehensive projects are undertaken by groups of three or four

students By the time students reach senior year, they have experienced mini capstone

projects in electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering In the development of senior

design projects, industry/university partnerships are heavily emphasized

Examples of senior design projects completed in the academic year 2002-2003 are as

follows:

Fire Fighting Robot: This project involves in design, build and testing a robot that can move through a model floor plan structure of a house, find a fire (lit

by a candle) and then extinguish it in the shortest time

Measurement of Longitudinal Wave Speed through Solids: This project involves in design, build and testing a system to measure the speed of sound and energy dissipation through solid materials

Development of an Active Tether: This project involves in design, construction and testing of an active tether capable of assisting a search and rescue robot

Model Aircraft: This project involves in design, construction and testing of a high-lift radio-controlled, model aircraft according to the SAE design

competition specification

Renewable Energy Efficiency Demonstration Unit: This project involves in design, construction and testing of a solar and wind powered modules that display the operation of renewable energy

Soil Venting Remediation: This project involves in design, build and testing

of a system to optimize the soil venting remediation process contaminated with organic compounds

A summary of the eight-semester engineering design sequence is included in Table 3 P

Table 3 Summary of Engineering Design Course Sequence [1]

ENGR 1381 – Engineering Analysis and Design I Introduces students to the engineering design process utilizing a competitive design

project Small groups of students conceive, design, build and test a structure or device to

best achieve specified performance criteria Emphasis is placed on Computer Aided

Design (CAD) Supporting topics include sketching, construction and testing techniques,

measurement concepts, data analysis and communication

ENGR 1382 - Engineering Analysis and Design II Continues the introduction to engineering design with another interactive team-oriented

design project Emphasis is placed on numerical analysis using computational software

Supporting topics include programming mathematical models of physical systems, and

data gathering, analysis and presentation

ENGR 2181 - Engineering Design III Builds on the students' background in solid mechanics with the introduction of a

competitive mechanical design project Engineering economics is introduced in support

of the project Other supporting topics include mathematical modeling, sensitivity and

uncertainty analysis and statistical concepts Oral and written reports are required

ENGR 2182 - Engineering Design IV Continues the development of student's prediction, decision-making and optimization

skills with a project oriented to the statistical design of multivariable industrial systems

Supporting topics include engineering modeling, problem solving and industrial design of

experiments with related mathematical statistics Oral and written reports are required

ENGR 3181 - Engineering Design V Builds on the students' background in electrical engineering with emphasis on the design

of a system that may employ circuits, electronics, electromagnetics, component

tolerances, specification and performance standards Oral and written reports are

required

ENGR 3182 - Engineering Design VI Builds on the students' background in thermodynamics/fluids with the introduction of a

competitive thermal-fluids design project Supporting topics include thermal-fluids

measurements and computerized data acquisition, analysis and visualization Oral and

written reports are required

ENGR 4381 - Engineering Design VII

A capstone design experience with small groups of students, each group advised by a

designated engineering faculty member The establishment of objectives and criteria,

synthesis, analysis, safety, aesthetics and preliminary design of a different project for

each group Robust product design considerations Formal written and oral presentations

ENGR 4382 - Engineering Design VIII The capstone experience continued covering final design, construction, testing and

evaluation of the projects started in ENGR 4381 Life cycle testing and reliability Formal

final written report and presentations open to the public

5 Facilities

The Engineering Science Department is housed in the William L Moody Engineering

Science Building Major facilities include: the W.M Keck Design Center, the Control

Systems Laboratory, the Electronics Laboratory, the Thermal/Fluids Laboratory, the

Chemical Engineering Laboratory, well-equipped machine and electronics shops, and

additional laboratory space for student design projects Technicians are available in both the

shops and the electronics laboratories to assist in the construction phase of student projects

A network of modern computers is centered around a cluster of UNIX/Linux workstations in

the Keck Design Center The workstations are used extensively throughout the curriculum

for analysis, simulation, and design, and run a wide range of state-of-the-art engineering

applications including Matlab, Simulink, Pro/ENGINEER, SPICE, MACSYMA, ANASYS,

FIDAP, HYSIS and many others In various laboratories, networked computers running

Labview software are used for data acquisition, control and system design Engineering

students have direct internet connections in their dormitory rooms, which allow them access

to the Department’s computers, and wireless connections are common on campus

Overall, our facilities provide pleasant and effective means to accomplish our educational

objectives They create an atmosphere conducive to faculty-student interactions, cooperation

among student, and promulgate a sense of family in the department

6 Opportunities After Graduation

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science degree, approximately 50% of our graduates

go directly into industry and business Trinity’s Counseling and Career Services Department

helps to facilitate job placement Networking among the Engineering Science Board of

Advisors, faculty and alumni also plays a valuable role in securing jobs for students

Employers include IBM, Boeing, Dow Chemical, SAIC, Advanced Micro Devices, United

States Alliance, Texas Instruments, McDonnell Douglas, Southwest Research Institute,

Columbia Industries, etc The remaining 50% of engineering science graduates enter top

rated graduate schools such as Stanford, Georgia Tech, the University of Minnesota, the

University of Texas at Austin, the University of California, Berkeley, etc., in the electrical,

chemical or mechanical engineering disciplines Some graduates have opted to continue

their studies at medical school or law school, including the University of Texas Southwest

Medical Center at Dallas and the University of Texas Law School

7 Conclusions

The Department of Engineering Science at Trinity University offers a design-oriented

multidisciplinary engineering curriculum leading to an ABET accredited Bachelor of Science

Degree in Engineering Science The primary mission of the engineering science program is

to provide talented students with a broad-based engineering education in the context of the

University’s traditions of the liberal arts and sciences The Engineering Science program is P

directed toward developing students’ creative and critical thinking skills for innovative

design and problem solving within the context of society’s heritage and value systems

The engineering courses emphasize critical and creative thinking and the development of

students’ communication skills The eight-semester design experience allows students to

apply knowledge of science, mathematics and engineering design projects This experience

reinforces their knowledge of core engineering disciplines and offers opportunities to extend

it with advanced engineering practice It develops students’ professional, interpersonal,

teamwork, and leadership skills Students practice their oral and written communication

skills through design presentation and project report writing in engineering design courses

and continuously improve these skills by incorporating feedback from faculty and student

colleagues

Through courses in the liberal arts, humanities and social sciences, engineering students form

a basis for understanding the varied domains of human knowledge and experience and

develop understanding and appreciation of their cultures and religions Liberal arts and

engineering design courses have a synergistic effect of the development of creative and

critical thinking skills, oral, and written communication skills, interpersonal and leadership

skills, and a quest for life-long learning Our design sequence provides our students with a

wonderful opportunity to consider the moral, ethical, economical, environmental, societal,

and geo-political impact of engineering design decisions

Engineering Science graduates are well prepared for challenging positions in engineering

practice, graduate study and for lives as innovative thinkers and problem solvers in today’s

rapidly changing society Feedback from our alumni, employers of our graduates, graduate

school personnel and members of the industry confirm that our graduates are well prepared

for graduate school, engineering professional practice and a broad challenging range of

careers

References:

1 Trinity University Courses Bulletin for the 135th Academic Year, 2003-2004

2 Doderer, E.S and R.D Swope, “Eight Semesters of Progressive Design Courses at

Trinity University”, Proceeding of the ASEE 1987 Gulf-Southwest Section Annual

Conference, March 1987

3 Uddin, Mahbub, “Eight-Semester Multidisciplinary Engineering Design Experiences

at Trinity University”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering

Education, Manchester, U.K., August 2002

MAHBUB UDDIN

Mahbub Uddin is a professor and the Chair of the Engineering Science Department at Trinity

University in San Antonio, Texas He received a Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from

Oklahoma State University Dr Uddin’s research interests stochastic modeling, pollution

control, two-phase flow and engineering education Dr Uddin is a fellow of the American