September/October 2018

Communities: Industry
New Major Takes New Approach to Engineering Design Education

ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has launched a unique major in engineering design that will focus on hands-on, real-world design projects for clients.

Beginning this year, the program will offer students a chance to participate in design experiences and practice skills to gain a better understanding of design and modeling systems across several disciplines, including biomedical and software engineering and manufacturing.

First-year director of the engineering design program, Patsy Brackin, says the concepts that will be taught to students are not unique to Rose-Hulman, located in Terra Haute, Indiana. The program’s curriculum, however, which combines all aspects of design, is something other engineering schools do not offer.

“When you take all the components of engineering design, other colleges will have portions of this program sprinkled throughout their various concentrations. But I feel like the way we put them together for this program is a new, unique way that combines the technical with humanities with design, and it’s all wrapped up together.”

Brackin explains that the major focuses on all aspects of the design process, from assessing the stakeholder’s needs, to designing concepts that meet those needs, to designing and testing products. It will also cover engineering ethics and communication skills.

“Students will do real projects for real customers starting on day one freshman year,” Brackin says. “To be a good designer it’s important to have a lot of hands-on skills. So, students will learn how to machine, how to use an operating system and design packages, applications, and all aspects of prototyping; not to mention learning about circuitry, programming—basically all the fundamentals of how to analyze and execute a design.”

According to Brackin, during the program’s first year, students will take part in a lot of design studios to begin learning new concepts across several concentrations. The second year, students will pick an area of concentration while taking part in existing projects. During one semester, the students will be teamed up with seniors to learn the ropes. The following semester, the students will take on a leadership role, working with freshmen students.

Beginning in the students’ junior year, they will take part in two 20-week practicums in which they will work and test products in a specific design area with a firm or an organization. They will also be able to study and work abroad or take part in a co-op before returning for a year-long multi-disciplinary capstone design experience in their senior year.

Rose-Hulman second-year biomedical engineering student Jackie Ramirez, who was one of a handful of freshmen selected to try the program last year, thinks the program is a great opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of the profession.

“Aside from all of the technical aspects you learn, I think learning about the stakeholders, how to deal with them and their needs, is a huge part of what I took away from the first year,” Ramirez says. “The program taught me more about the processes and gave me great understanding of how to make a great product that meets the needs of the stakeholder.”