ENGN 1720 - How Engineers Create - Design Decisions and Responsibility

Credits: 3

The primary purpose of engineering is to create solutions to problems, from designing bridges for the morning commute, to improving the yield of semiconductor fabrication, to developing life-saving biomedical implants. Yet, how does an engineer know that they are creating the best solution, or even a good one? This course explores what engineers do and how they create by following a design process. Students study how engineering design decisions are made under constraints, uncertainty, and competing priorities. Students will consider the input of stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved while ensuring that the health, safety, and welfare of the public is held paramount. Students will examine how external influences such as socioeconomic factors, cultural convention, and public policy can be accounted for without introducing bias. In doing so, students will reflect on the responsibility of an engineer, the potential pitfalls in the engineering design process, the importance of clear communication, and the ability to build and maintain an effective and efficient path toward a solution.