P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science

David Wu, dean

John P. Coulter, associate dean for graduate studies and research

Gregory L. Tonkay, associate dean for undergraduate studies

The P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science offers the bachelor of science degree in 18 programs, combining a strong background in sciences and mathematics with requirements in humanities and social sciences. Students in college programs learn principles they can apply immediately in professional work; those who plan on further academic experience can design a curriculum centering on interests they will pursue in graduate school.

The Mission of the college is to prepare undergraduate and graduate students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, leaders and life-long learners in a global society and to create an environment where students pursue cutting-edge research in engineering and engineering science.

Major Programs

The P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science includes seven departments and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the bachelor, master, and doctor of philosophy levels.

The undergraduate degree programs leading to the bachelor of science degree are:

Applied Science

Bioengineering*

Chemical Engineering*

Chemistry

Civil Engineering*

Computer Engineering*

Computer Science**

Computer Science And Business***

Electrical Engineering*

Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering*

Industrial Engineering*

Information And Systems Engineering*

Integrated Business And Engineering

Integrated Degree In Engineering, Arts And Sciences

Materials Science And Engineering*

Mechanical Engineering*

*Accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 – telephone (410) 347-7700

** Accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 – telephone (410) 347-7700.

***Accredited by both the by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 – telephone (410) 347-7700 and the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business

Programs in chemistry and physics have been approved by the faculty program review committee in these disciplines.

Information about each of these programs may be found under alphabetical listings in Section V.

Free Electives

The college, through its advisers, is prepared to help students to use the credit hours of “free electives” that, along with other electives in the curriculum, may be used to develop a program of personal interest. Free electives may be satisfied by taking regular course offerings or up to six credit hours from each of the following from Mus 21-79, from Jour 1-8, or up to six credit hours of advanced ROTC courses.

First year, first semester (14 - 15 credits)

First year, second semester (14 - 15 credits)

*The required science courses, one taken fall semester and the other taken in spring, are:

Bioengineering students take Chm 30 and ENGR1 in the fall, and Bioscience 41/42 (instead of ENGR5) in the spring along with PHY 11/12.

Humanities/Social Sciences (HSS) Requirement for all Accredited Engineering Majors

Basic Requirement: English and Economics. Three courses totaling a minimum of ten credit hours: Students must complete English 1 (or 3), English 2 (or 5, or 11) and Economics 1. Students with advanced placements in English 1 usually take English 11 to complete the English requirements.

Advanced Requirement. A minimum of four multi-credit courses and a minimum of 13 credits in courses designated as HU (humanities) or SS (social science), with the following restrictions:

  1. Depth: At least eight credits must be in a common discipline and from the same department or program. At least three of these credits must be at the 100-level or above, or at the intermediate level or above for a single modern foreign language.

  2. Breadth: At least three credits in a discipline different from, and not cross-listed with, the discipline employed to satisfy the depth requirement.

  3. At least three credits must be designated as HU.

  4. None of the courses used for HSS can be taken Pass/Fail.

  5. None of the course can be one-credit courses.

Currently, the following technical minors are offered:

Technical Minor

Department

aerospace engineering

Mechanical Engineering

biotechnology

Chemical Engineering

chemical engineering

Chemical Engineering

computer science

Computer Science and Engineering

electrical engineering

Electrical Engineering

engineering leadership

Industrial and Systems Engineering

energy engineering

Mechanical Engineering

environmental engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

manufacturing systems

Industrial & Systems Engineering

materials science

Materials Science & Engineering

nanotechnology

Materials Science & Engineering

polymer science

Center for Polymer Science Engineering

Interdisciplinary Minors

A minor in Engineering Leadership provides students with knowledge, experiences and interaction with successful business managers in order to become more effective leaders.

The College of Business and Economics offers a minor in Business for students in the College of Arts and Sciences and P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science to provide students with knowledge and skills to allow them to make informed business decisions. A sequential sequence of courses is designed to integrate such traditional topics as accounting, finance, marketing, and management. Minors in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship are also offered. The courses in the latter treat subjects such as intellectual property, creativity and innovation, venture capital, positioning of products and services, and understanding the entrepreneurial mindset.

Students in engineering can also earn a minor in various humanities or social sciences by using their humanities and social science and free electives.

Engineering Minor

The college of engineering enables undergraduate students enrolled in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and in the College of Business and Economics to earn a minor in engineering. This unique program provides students with insight into the world of engineers: who they are, what they do, and how they think. Students taking the Minor in Engineering develop an understanding of the tools and techniques engineering use on a day-to-day basis.

The mission of the minor is to educate non-engineering students about engineering methodology, specifically how engineers solve problems; how they design, manufacture, and analyze problems; and how other factors such as economics, safety, ethics, and environmental issues affect the engineering design process. Fifteen credit hours is required to fulfill the engineering minor.

Music Option

Music and Engineering is not a major in itself. However, Lehigh attracts many engineering and science students who wish to continue their active involvement in music and the music department. For those students who are interested in pursuing this option, music can be taken as a second degree or minor.

Cooperative Education (Co-Op)

Co-Op is available for undergraduates in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science; the program provides eight months of paid, full-time work experience, bridging the gap between engineering theory and application and allowing students to graduate within a four year time-frame. Because of the rigorous academic schedule, the program is selective.

The Co-Op schedule provides for interviews and selection by the companies in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Those students selected attend Lehigh for a challenging summer schedule of junior-level coursework, then begin their first work rotation with the sponsoring company in mid-August. This rotation will last until mid-January when the student returns to Lehigh for the second semester coursework of the junior year. The Co-Op experience is completed with a second work rotation the following summer (mid-May through August). Students earn 3 free elective credits per successful work assignment for a total of 6 free elective credits.

The College of Business and Economics and the Computer Science and Engineering department in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science jointly offer the Computer Science and Business (CSB) program. It is a four-year program and the nation’s only program that is fully accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, telephone (410) 347-7700.

Integrated Real Estate @t Lehigh (ire@l) Program

Integrated Real Estate At Lehigh (ire@l) is a three or four year course of study designed to complement a wide range of majors, from art and architecture to civil engineering to environmental science to finance to marketing to economics. The mission of the ire@l program is to prepare the next generation of real estate leaders. Students completing the ire@l program will earn a minor in real estate.

Required Courses comprising the minor include:

Recommended Courses:

The director of the Goodman Center for Real Estate Studies and the ire@l Program is Associate Professor Stephen Thode (ire@lehigh.edu).

Entrepreneurship

Program Management: CBE and RCEAS faculty committee. Minor Program Director: Graham Mitchell

Minor in Entrepreneurship

The purpose of the entrepreneurship minor is to enable students to supplement their major with knowledge and skills that increase their ability to realize their entrepreneurial goal and/or make them more marketable upon graduation. It will also work to create an environment and campus center of gravity that fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and mindset among students and also serve as a locus for community building among entrepreneurial students, faculty, and alumni. This minor is available for students at Lehigh University.

Required pre-requisite course:

Required Courses:

Recommended Additional Courses:

Students must complete the minor sequence with an average GPA of at least 2.0 in the required minor courses in order to qualify for the minor. Courses in the Entrepreneurship minor cannot be used towards either the Engineering Minor or the Business minor.

Integrated Business and Engineering Honors Program

The Integrated Business and Engineering Honors Program (IBE) is offered jointly by the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science and the College of Business and Economics. The program recognizes the need for today’s leaders in business and industry to have a sound foundation in both commerce and technology.

After four years and a minimum of 137 credits, students will receive a single Bachelor of Science Degree in Integrated Business and Engineering. The program meets the accreditation standards of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business. Students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 in order to remain in the program.

A second option is the five-year dual degree program. This option allows students to obtain a second Bachelor of Science degree in engineering by completing course work in the engineering field chosen by the student as their IBE major. Students enrolled in the four year IBE Honors Program and in satisfactory standing are able to transfer to a dual-degree at any time, and stay within the honors program cohort. The additional time necessary to complete the second degree will depend on the curriculum selected, and the number of advanced placement credits. The number of additional credit hours will typically be in the range of 27 to 30.

Students in the IBE Honors Program can major in nearly any area of engineering or business that Lehigh offers. After their freshman year, each student will elect a major in either the P. C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science or the College of Business and Economics.

Admission to the Integrated Business and Engineering Program is highly selective, with annual admission limited to approximately 45 students. The University’s Office of Admissions can explain the procedure for applying to the program. It is possible that a small number of exceptional students may be admitted to the program following the completion of their freshman year. Admission at this point would be highly competitive and based upon freshman year GPA, faculty recommendations, and space availability.

The Co-Directors of the IBE Honors Program are Robert H. Storer, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering (rhs2@lehigh.edu) and Stephen G. Buell, Professor of Finance (sgb2@lehigh.edu). For additional information, see the IBE Honors Program entry in Section V of this catalog or visit the IBE web site at www.lehigh.edu/~inibep/inibep.html.

Integrated Degree Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS) Honors Program

The B.S. in Integrated Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS) provides students with a unique opportunity to combine the breadth and depth of two focus areas, one from engineering and one from arts and sciences in a four-year experience. More information is available in the IDEAS entry in this catalog, or online at www.lehigh.edu/ideas.

Centers and Institutes

Faculty and students in the college also have research and scholarship activities in a number of centers and institutes, where graduate and undergraduate students work closely with faculty members. These include: Center for Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems, Biopharmaceutical Technology Institute, Chemical Process Modeling and Control Center, Emulsion Polymers Institute, Energy Research Center, Enterprise Systems Center, Fritz Laboratory, Sherman Fairchild Center for Solid-State Studies, Polymer Science and Engineering Center, Structural Stability Research Council, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Center for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Manufacturers Resource Center, Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, and Center for Optical Technologies.