A Multidisciplinary Course Sequence For First Year Engineering Students

The University of Notre Dame has developed a new first year engineering program, and central to that program is a two-course sequence entitled “Introduction to Engineering Systems.” These courses use a sequence of team-based, multidisciplinary projects to introduce students to the engineering profession and to assist them in developing fundamental problem-solving skills common to all engineering disciplines. This paper describes how these new courses were developed and outlines the learning objectives for the courses. It includes details on the implementation of the courses and the four projects that are central to these two courses. The paper details the ongoing assessment activities and the progress toward achieving the various desired outcomes set-forth for the courses.