As society becomes more technology driven, and working and communicating within diverse teams is paramount to success in the workplace, it is essential to develop non-technical individuals who have a broad level of comfort with technology, and technology driven development. Lehigh University's Engineering minor is designed is to educate non-engineering students about engineering methodology. Specifically, the program seeks to help its students understand how engineers solve problems, how they design, manufacture, and analyze, and how factors such as economics, safety, ethics and environmental issues affect the engineering design process. The program does not result in an engineering education, but rather an education about engineering.
The goal of this program is to develop technically perceptive graduates who can:
- appreciate engineering as a creative profession;
- effectively team with engineers; and,
- understand and appreciate the tools, processes, and capabilities of engineering.
The program offers students in the College of Business & Economics and the College of Arts & Sciences the opportunity to develop real insight into the world of engineering and engineers -- who they are, what they do, and how they think. Participants in the engineering minor program complement their non-engineering major coursework by gaining an understanding of how engineering professionals think, and the principles they employ. As a result, students in the program dramatically improve their ability to communicate with engineers in a professional environment.
Within the program's agile framework, students develop a specific focus for their minor that best complements their personal and professional goals. Participants in the engineering minor develop an awareness and understanding of what engineers do and how they do it, the tools that engineers use, and the basic capabilities and limitations of engineered systems. Non-engineering majors participating in this program will understand and appreciate the process of engineering design and manufacturing, including the creation of new products and markets. Students will also gain an understanding of the tools and language of engineering; how the basic laws of science and engineering aid or constrain practical applications, and why engineered products succeed or fail.
Some use these abilities to create innovative new product concepts. Others develop insight important in crafting marketing campaigns, financial strategies, or in managing (or being managed) by engineers. The goal for the new engineering minor program is to increase the serendipity factor, or creative discovery that occurs when professionals who understand each other communicate and collaborate in innovative ways.
Note: Lehigh engineering students cannot enroll in the courses that comprise the minor, nor can engineering students earn an engineering minor. The minor requires that students take two required courses, and then choose three electives. This allows individuals to tailor their learning experiences to support specific career goals.
- Contact: Robin Armbruster, Administrative Specialist of Undergraduate Studies
- More Information: Program Requirements | Courses