Minor in Engineering Design
Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Engineering Design
Upon completing the minor in Engineering Design, students will be able to:
- Execute steps of the engineering design process including needs assessment, context review, defining design criteria, idea generation, solution selection, iterative prototyping, and testing.
- a). Identify, scope, and present appropriate engineering design challenges to demonstrate their knowledge of the problem identification step of the engineering design process. b). Demonstrate knowledge of key aspects in implementing engineering design products and/or processes such as design for manufacturing, field testing, and documentation (e.g. manuals, transfer documents, invention disclosures).
- Apply technical engineering knowledge to solve a design challenge.
- Develop breadth in design by working on at least two different design projects.
- Work effectively in at least two different design teams, and understand the impact of their personal contributions on the team.
- Apply project planning tools to guide design projects.
- Effectively communicate their design problems and solutions through written, oral, and visual communication tools to a wide variety of audiences.
- Become proficient in low- and high-fidelity physical and digital-based prototyping.
Requirements for the Minor in Engineering Design
Students pursuing the minor in Engineering Design must complete:
- A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
Students are encouraged to begin taking courses in the minor during their freshman year, and are encouraged to declare the minor no later than the beginning of their fifth semester.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Minor in Engineering Design | 18 | |
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| ENGI 120 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING DESIGN | 3 |
| or EDES 220 | INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING DESIGN II | |
| EDES 200 | ENGINEERING DESIGN STUDIO | 3 |
| EDES 210 | PROTOTYPING AND FABRICATION | 3 |
| EDES 350 | NEEDS IDENTIFICATION AND DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 2 courses (and a minimum of 6 credit hours) from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| APPROPRIATE DESIGN FOR GLOBAL HEALTH | ||
| NEW ENTERPRISES: DISCOVERY | ||
| ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATEGY | ||
| SUSTAINABLE WATER PURIFICATION FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD | ||
| CHEMICAL CAR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN | ||
| ENGINEERING DESIGN WORKSHOP | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING | ||
| DIGITAL DESIGN AND VISUALIZATION | ||
or MECH 203 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN TOOLS | |
| IMPLEMENTATION OF DIGITAL SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ANALOG INTEGRATED CIRCUITS | ||
| UNDERGRADUATE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH PROJECTS-VERTICALLY INTEGRATED PROJECTS 2 | ||
| LEADING TEAMS AND INNOVATION | ||
| DESIGN OF MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS | ||
| Additional Requirement | ||
| Students must participate in at least two different design projects during their undergraduate experience. 3 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | With minor advisor approval, students may also complete departmental design courses or project-based courses, excluding capstone or final-year design coursework, to satisfy the Electives Requirement. |
| 2 | With minor advisor approval, students may receive a maximum of 3 credit hours for ELEC 491. |
| 3 | The design projects requirement is in place to ensure that students have some breadth in their practice of design. This can be satisfied by a project completed while taking the courses listed in the Electives Requirement and/or a capstone design course. Note that while a capstone design course may be required by the student's major (e.g., BIOE 451 and BIOE 452, MECH 407 and MECH 408, ELEC 494, etc.) that capstone design course may NOT count as an elective in the Engineering Design minor. However, a project completed in these major-required courses may count as a second design project for this minor. For example, a student may work on one project in EDES 120 and EDES 200 and then a second project in the major-required capstone course, such as CHBE 404. EDES 120 and ENGI 200 may be used to count toward minor requirements, whereas CHBE 404 would not count toward the minor requirements. However, the projects completed in EDES 120, EDES 200, and CHBE 404 could be used to fulfill the design projects requirement. Please see the minor advisor regarding the design projects requirement. |
Policies for the Minor in Engineering Design
Admission
Rice students who are pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in the School of Engineering are best prepared to pursue the minor in Engineering Design. Many courses that can be applied towards the minor requirements are open to all Rice students, including those not pursuing the minor in Engineering Design. For EDES 200 and EDES 300, students must explain their interest and reasons for taking the course in order to gain instructor permission. Preferential admission will be given to students who indicate they are seeking to complete the minor in Engineering Design.
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the minor in Engineering Design should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Engineering Design website: http://oedk.rice.edu/minor/.
Opportunities for the Minor in Engineering Design
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Engineering Design website: http://oedk.rice.edu/minor/.