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Multidisciplinary Design Minor

Effective Spring 2023

Advising

Students interested in this minor should contact the Multidisciplinary Design Program advisor for further information and counseling. The Multidisciplinary Design Academic Minor Program is responsible for approving any variance in course requirements for a minor. Such variances are usually proposed by the student.

Prerequisites

None for the minor per se, although individual courses elected to meet the requirements of the minor may have course prerequisites.

Requirements

Minimum Credits: 15

At least 15 credits (at least two courses must be upper division courses) chosen in consultation with and approved by the department advisor, distributed as follows:

1. Completion of at least 2 credits of introductory "Design, Build, Test" (DBT) experience. This provides students with a foundation in the experience of creating solutions for a specified problem.

Approved examples include: DBT sections of ENGR 100, MECHENG 250, EECS 183, ARTDES 120 or 130, ENGR 255/355. Other courses considered upon request.

2. Multi-term Design Project (7+ credits). This multi-semester design project is the foundation of the minor in Multidisciplinary Design. Students can connect with a project through Engineering student organizations; apply for industry sponsored projects and faculty research (FRST) labs at the MDP Project Fair in October. 

These credits are earned across 2 or more terms to count toward the MDP minor. Most common curricularization option: ENGR 355/455. Other approved courses or projects on an individual basis. 

3. Connections Course (3-4 credits). This course broadens knowledge and work on the Multi-Term Design Project. Students should consider courses outside of their major (or, better yet, outside their college).

Core courses in the major are not eligible. Students have earned Connections course credit through classes in LSA, SI, Ross, and more. 

4. Mentorship/Leadership Course (2 credits). Enrollment through ENGR 456 only (Pass/Fail discussion course, offered during both Fall and Winter semesters). During enrollment in ENGR 456, students complete simultaneous design team mentoring experience. 

Completion of the minimum credit hours for each category 1-4 adds up to 14 credit hours; therefore, the student needs at least one extra credit hour in one of the categories.

Constraints

Transfer credit may not be used to satisfy minor requirements. 

Multidisciplinary Design (Minor) (Winter 2011 - Winter 2023)

Effective Winter 2011

Advising

Students interested in this minor should contact the Multidisciplinary Design Program advisor for further information and counseling. The Advisory Committee of the Multidisciplinary Design Academic Minor Program is responsible for approving any variance in course requirements for a minor. Such variances are usually proposed by the student.

Prerequisites

None for the minor per se, although individual courses elected to meet the requirements of the minor may have course prerequisites.

Requirements

Minimum Credits: 15

At least 15 credits (at least two courses must be upper division courses) chosen in consultation with and approved by the department advisor, distributed as follows:

  1. Completion of at least 2 credits of introductory "Design, Build, Test" (DBT) experience. This provides students with a foundation in the experience of creating solutions for a specified problem.

    Approved examples include: appropriate sections of ENGR 100, AOSS 280, MECHENG 250, BIOLOGY 173, and MCDB 306; Other courses considered upon request.

  2. Completion of at least 3 credits of "cornerstone" coursework that serves to prepare the student in depth for his or her multi-semester project work.
    This serves to prepare the student in breadth for his or her multi-semester project work. The minor in Multidisciplinary Design is best served if the cornerstone experience meets the needs of the project and exceeds the nominal preparation associated with the student's major discipline. Therefore the student must identify a cornerstone course, outside the set of his or her required classes, which will serve to prepare the student for their specific project work.
    • This course is to be taken prior to completing the final 3 credits of project work and should be identified during the project scoping exercise (see item C below).
    • Specializations can require students to take a specific cornerstone class.
  3. Completion of at least 7 credits of multidisciplinary design project work. A "multidisciplinary design project" is operationally defined as a design project containing a significant engagement and integration of students, faculty, or course projects from three distinct disciplines. Ideally one of these disciplines is outside the College of Engineering. Students must be prepared for these projects to be extensive, often involving co-curricular (non-graded) and extra-curricular activities.
    • Ideally this project features consecutive semesters of in-depth work on the same design project.
    • These credits cannot all be taken in the same semester.
    • The project work can occur within departmental design courses (e.g., MECHENG 450 and EECS 430), independent study courses (e.g., MECHENG 490), or in the ENGR curriculum (e.g., ENGR 355, ENGR 455, and/or ENGR 450). Co-ops and research projects can be considered if they reflect the spirit of the program and are appropriately reflected in graded coursework.
    • Prior to or at the beginning of this multi-semester team project experience, the student must complete a thoughtful project scoping exercise that defines the project objectives, approach to completing the objectives, and how the student intends to contribute his or her expertise to the completion of the project. At this time, the student needs to identify courses he or she plans to take to complete the minor.
  4. Completion of at least 2 credits of formal leadership and/or mentorship activities within the Multidisciplinary Design program. This requirement is presently satisfied by independent study ENGR 456 typically supervised by the research faculty member who also supervises the 7 credits of design project work.

Completion of the minimum credit hours for each category A-D adds up to 14 credit hours; therefore the student needs at least one extra credit hour in one of the categories.

Constraints

Transfer credit may not be used to satisfy the multidisciplinary design project course requirement (item C above) or the mentorship/leadership course requirement (item D above).