Curriculum

Manhattan College offers programs leading to the baccalaureate degree in five disciplines. All of our engineering curricula begin with a first-year freshman experience that introduces students to each of the engineering disciplines. All students follow an identical first-year curriculum so that their choice of engineering discipline can be deferred until the end of that year. Students participate in challenging, team-building, hands-on design that enables them to begin to experience real engineering. Students may select minors in any of the other engineering disciplines or in mathematics, science or other subjects.

Manhattan College has been educating engineering students for almost 120 years. We are always evaluating and updating the curricula so students are prepared for the engineering world of today and tomorrow.
The engineering curricula have been designed with two principles in mind:

1. That sound undergraduate engineering education must establish fundamental concepts at the expense of specialization.
2. That first-line engineering research, development or design requires post-collegiate specialization and advanced study through graduate work or industrial training, together with continuing self-development.

The engineering curricula are four-year programs that lead to Bachelor of Science Degrees in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. Despite the apparent division of engineering study into these five curricula, there is only one core engineering curriculum designed to offer the fundamental education required for all engineering students.

All students must complete ENGL 110: College Writing. International students may be required to successfully complete ENGL 095 or ENGL 106 before enrolling in ENGL 110. Students graduating from an American high school may be required to complete ENGL 106 before enrolling in ENGL 110. Neither ENGL 095 nor ENGL 106 will count towards degree credit in any engineering program. All students must complete RELS 110: The Nature and Experience of Religion, plus two additional religious study courses, one in Catholic studies and one in global studies and contemporary issues.

The curriculum for the first year is common to all branches of engineering to enable a student to assess his or her interest in one of the engineering majors. Students take courses in a major beginning the sophomore year. The specific curricula of the different engineering majors are detailed in the undergraduate catalog and the annual School of Engineering advising manual.

Each curriculum offers four areas of study:

• General Education: Courses in this area comprise about one fifth of the entire curriculum and are conducted throughout the four years. These courses are intended to develop foundations for the fuller life of the student as a person. Courses in history, literature, philosophy, social sciences, business and religious studies blend with the scientific and technological growth of the student so that he or she may progress as a more complete person toward a satisfying professional life.
• Mathematics and the Basic Sciences: Approximately one quarter of the entire curriculum provides a thorough grounding in mathematics, at least through differential equations, and the basic sciences of chemistry and physics. These subjects are essential to all engineering students as the foundation of the engineering sciences. All students are required to take a mathematics placement examination prior to enrolling in MATH 103: Calculus I.
• The Engineering Sciences: Fundamental concepts in engineering sciences provide a comprehensive foundation for all engineering disciplines. Topics such as statics, dynamics, electrical circuits, materials science and thermodynamics integrate and build on principles introduced in mathematics, chemistry and physics. Engineering science courses enable students to develop the competence to apply essential principles to synthesize and design engineering systems.
• The Major: The fourth area of study is the major field. Although significant specialization is postponed until after the bachelor's degree, concentrations in chemical, civil, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering are offered as a major, comprising about one half of each curriculum. Each student is able to concentrate on one aspect of the engineering sciences in greater depth and to develop proficiency in engineering design.

Engineering Education at Manhattan College

The foundation of the engineering curriculum includes:

• The study of science representing the current state of human knowledge of the physical world and its behavior.
• The study of mathematics, the language and tool that engineers use to describe the physical world.
• Breadth of study in the humanities and social sciences, the basis for making ethical and moral engineering decisions.
• Development of the ability for independent learning and critical thinking.
• Development of skills in written, verbal and graphical communication.

In an age of revolutionary advances in science and technology, continual re-examination of trends in engineering education becomes imperative. Accordingly, the College’s engineering faculty members, in consultation with a distinguished group of engineers and industrial leaders assembled from engineering-related organizations, called the Manhattan College Engineering Consultors, examine and evaluate the engineering programs. These regular reviews re-emphasize the importance of humanities, social sciences, business, communications, teamwork, mathematics and sciences as underpinning engineering education. Therefore, the engineering curriculum is planned to provide the sound and broad education required in all branches of engineering.