The New Engineering-Science Curriculum


In 1999 the Physics Department of Community College of Philadelphia received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to revise the Engineering-Science curriculum. One purpose of the revision is to incoroporate, in a systematic way, the use of computers and technology into the teaching of engineering. To help achieve this goal two new courses were developed: Engineering 102 (Engineering and Design Laboratory I) and Engineering 202 (Engineering and Design Laboratory II). These courses, modeled after Drexel University's Freshman Engineering Design Labs, utilize professional engineering workstations for programming, project design, data acquisition and instrumentation control. Course credits for ENGR 102 and ENGR 202 are readily transferrable to universities that teach engineering, such as Drexel, Temple and Widener universities. ENGR 102 and ENGR 202 are required for all engineering-science majors. Click here to see a list of all the Engineering-Science required courses in the revised curriculum.

Click here for more information about the Physics Department's NSF grant.


The following are descriptions of the two new engineering design courses.

ENGR 102 Engineering Design and Laboratory I                                                                                         2-4-4
Engineering 102 provides for the development of analytical and communication skills by problem solving, teamwork and project presentation. The course gives instruction on how to use computers in engineering: how to utilize engineering software, problem solving, data acquisition and analysis. Included is how to use a computer algebra system to solve math and engineering problems. Students learn the elements of the engineering design process through execution of actual design projects. Other topics include an introduction to patents and patent law and the interaction between the engineer and physical environment. Prerequisite: MATH 162 or a higher-level math course.
 
ENGR 202 Engineering Design and Laboratory II                                                                                      2-4-4
This course is a continuation of Engineering Design and Laboratory I. It provides for the development of analytical and communication skills by problem solving, teamwork and project presentation. The course gives instruction on how to use computers in engineering: how to utilize engineering software, problem solving, data acquisition and analysis. In addition, students learn technical sketching and computer-aided drafting techniques with industry-standard software. Students learn the elements of the engineering design process through execution of actual design projects. Prerequisite: ENGR 102.

(Note: 2-4-4 means 2 lecture hours per week, 4 lab hours per week and 4 credit hours, respectively. See the College Catalog for more information.)

The following is a description of the new materials engineering course.

ENGR 205 Materials Engineering                                                                                                                3-2-4

In this course students will be taught to recognize and differentiate between the several types of engineering solids, understand solids at the atomic level in terms of bonding and energy, establish a quantitative picture of the structure of crystalline and non-crystalline solids, explain atomic movements in solids using the concept of diffusion, explain the electrical and magnetic properties of different kinds of materials, and understand the processes that give rise to degradation of materials. They will also learn to interpret the optical behavior of materials in terms of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the material, and choose materials optimally for engineering design purposes.

(Note: 3-2-4 means 3 lecture hours per week, 2 lab hours per week and 4 credit hours, respectively. See the College Catalog for more information.)
 
 

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