Undergraduate Programs Guide
Note of Introduction
The Brown Engineering Curriculum – the Big Picture
The engineering profession is extraordinarily introspective; it challenges itself to define its position in society – where it is moving, and why it is moving there. Today, the engineering profession is undergoing a radical metamorphosis – arguably, a veritable revolution unlike any in its history. Engineering has become inherently interdisciplinary; macro design principles are being applied to the unimaginably small; small, efficient teams, rather than large corporations, are increasingly driving invention and innovation; and engineering is evolving rapidly to serve new societal needs. Brown Engineering possesses a forward-thinking philosophy capable of meeting current and future demands and challenges.
Our contemporary society exists in a dynamic time period where the pervasiveness of technology in one’s lifestyle is clearly evident. Today’s world is characterized by the increasing prominence of several new and emerging technological areas, including nanoscience, biotechnology, and information technology – all disciplines which did not exist decades ago. These emerging technological themes do not exclusively overlap with any one traditional scientific or engineering discipline; rather they are complex disciplines drawing upon the fundamentals of engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology. The boundaries between traditional technical disciplines are essentially disappearing, necessitating a broad technical education. Brown Engineering is grounded in fundamental principles, not on recent technologies or fads, and thereby empowers students with the solid multidisciplinary foundation, ‘the core’, to master new technologies as they evolve in the future.
Science is arguably civilization’s greatest intellectual venture. In its most abstract rendition, science flirts with philosophical questions, and in its most practical embodiment, science enables civilization’s greatest triumphs through engineering feats. The intimate relationship between science and engineering is often envisioned as a bottom-up process – the purpose-driven adaptations of the scientific knowledge base to reach a preconceived end, or ‘product’, with practical value. However, engineering is exerting itself as a top-down process in science through design. Take for example the word nano – a little word with big potential that has been rapidly insinuating itself into society’s understanding, promising big changes from the inconceivably small. In nano-science, engineering design principles, with great success on the macroscopic level, are being implemented on the nanoscale to guide scientists in synthesizing nano-materials with optimal functionality and ‘smart’ features. Design principles are embedded in the Brown Engineering curriculum in many ways, from your first course in Engineering as a freshman through your capstone design project as a senior. It is our goal to develop your design and creativity skills, and continually refine them, throughout your entire undergraduate experience with coursework, laboratory exercises, and projects, so that you can apply them in any career option you pursue.
Since the beginning of our nation, the economy has been inextricably tied to revolutionary changes in science-based innovation. Today’s radically new and emerging technologies formed by the convergence of seemingly unrelated research streams have the potential to create entirely new industries and to make established ones obsolete. Innovation in science and technology has been the dominant source of growth in the U.S. economy for decades, transforming scientific know-how into new products and processes with tremendous societal impact. In this type of technology revolution the role of engineers has become even more vital. The impetus provided by technology-driven innovation in our economy has dramatically redefined the workplace. The role of small start-up companies with minimal overhead/bureaucracy has burgeoned and proven to be effective in significantly shrinking the new product development cycle and in pushing the envelope of technological innovation. Engineers contributing to today’s high-technology workforce find themselves dealing with a more comprehensive set of issues in these smaller and more highly focused organizations; they are therefore expected to have a broader range of core competencies, a greater sense of teamwork, more eclectic interests, and a heightened awareness of information from disciplines that in the past may have been viewed as outside their core expertise. Recognizing these changes, the Brown Engineering curriculum offers many mechanisms to hone and develop your entrepreneurial and business engineering skills through coursework and practical experiences. Rather than teach the nuts-and-bolts of business engineering or entrepreneurship, we focus on a culture of entrepreneurship and the principles of innovation and value creation to provide you with the prowess to recognize the value of an embryonic concept or discovery and how to create human and/or societal value out of that early seed idea.
Engineers create products and processes with a profound impact on the world, from energy, transportation, and healthcare, to the protection against natural or manmade calamities; they also strive to improve the convenience and esthetics of our everyday lives. Engineers move what was once considered science fiction in the minds of many to spectacular human achievement. Engineering is a helping profession, much like medicine and education; however, most technology, even if developed for the good of human kind, may have other implications. As a societal benefit is created new ethical and moral dilemmas may arise. Take for example nanoscience and nanotechnology; optimists and visionaries flaunt nanoscience and technology as a remedy for many existing societal and medical problems, while pessimists envision it to be a prelude to the development of sophisticated biological and chemical weapons. Another example revolves around one of engineering’s greatest triumphs and tragedies – space, lunar and planetary exploration has been heralded as a phenomenal success of engineering, yet the space shuttle explosions are often cited as some of engineering’s greatest disasters. For the practicing engineer, a deep understanding of ethical responsibility is imperative – the foresight to predict the unintended consequences of technology, the competence to recognize safety and liability issues, and a thorough appreciation for the social context and dimension of engineering are all required tools for an engineer’s arsenal of skills. Because of Brown University’s liberal arts environment, Brown engineers have many opportunities to explore the many liberal arts offerings on campus, providing them with a background and firm foundation in the humanities and social sciences. Brown Engineering also integrates ethical issues into the curriculum within the classroom and design projects. These opportunities provide students with the skills and ability to shape and implement future technology in a modern society.
Brown Engineering is well-positioned to cultivate creative engineering minds. As faculty members we are honored that you have chosen Brown Engineering. By converging the brightest students in the country with world renowned faculty members, Brown engineering has formed a powerful team. Engineering is a distinguished profession, and the importance of having highly innovative engineers has never been greater than it is today. The many technological innovations that have helped society in so many ways are a testimony to the societal importance of the professional. The National Academy of Engineering recently published a book, Engineering of 2020, which seeds the belief that the engineering degree will, by 2020, be viewed as the liberal arts degree is currently viewed. An engineering degree is one of the best launching pads into other professions – it is an excellent foundation for business, marketing, law, and medicine; it is fair to say that the analytical approach to solving problems one learns in engineering can be of value in any career. At Brown we have an outstanding engineering program in an outstanding University, and, most importantly, we have outstanding students with eclectic interests and immense vision.
On behalf of the all of the faculty of the Division of Engineering, we look forward to interacting with you in the future. Together we will brainstorm about the unimaginable, dream about the impossible, and unleash new and innovative ideas on society to make the world a better place.
Gregory Crawford, Dean of Engineering
