Engineering
The Department of Engineering offers an undergraduate major in Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) to students in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. Students in this major receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human-Centered Engineering. Coursework in the program includes foundational engineering science and design while drawing on the strengths of Boston College’s liberal arts education. The program has focus areas and technical electives in health, energy, and the environment as well as interdisciplinary engineering.
HCE courses are distinctive in that they actively integrate the acquisition and application of technical engineering knowledge with a broader understanding of how that knowledge shapes and is shaped by society. HCE majors apply their knowledge of the physical and natural sciences, mathematics, and computation to engineering fields and connect their academic experiences in BC’s Core Curriculum to their formation as engineers. All HCE students participate in weekly reflection sessions that integrate their learning experiences with broader questions about society, student formation, and the common good.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human-Centered Engineering Program Requirements
Required HCE Courses
- One course from Introduction to Human-Centered Design
- ENGR1026: Innovation Through Engineering Design *
- ENGR1801/HIST1627: Making the Modern World: Design, Ethics & Engineering (Complex Problem course)
- Introductory Engineering Courses
- ENGR1101: Introduction to Human-Centered Engineering
- ENGR1102: Physical Modeling and Analysis Lab
- ENGR1103: Engineering Analysis Lab
- ENGR1105: Engineering Computation and Programming
- ENGR1101: Introduction to Human-Centered Engineering
- Engineering Foundations Studio Courses
- ENGR2101: Engineering Foundations Studio I
- ENGR2102: Engineering Foundations Studio II
- ENGR2103: Engineering Foundations Studio III
- ENGR2104: Engineering Foundations Studio IV
- ENGR2105: Engineering Foundations Studio V
- ENGR2101: Engineering Foundations Studio I
- Major Projects
- ENGR3100: Collaborative Service Engineering Project
- ENGR4801: Senior Impact Project (Fall)
- ENGR4802: Senior Impact Project (Spring)
- Advanced Engineering Courses
- ENGR3101: Engineering for Society
- ENGR3105: Introduction to Statistical Data Analysis and Machine Learning
- Advanced Math and Science Courses
- ENGR3103: Advanced Math for Engineers or a minimum of 3 credits of math/science taken outside of the department* (*must be approved by the engineering department)
- Eight semesters of reflection
- First-Year HCE Reflection: ENGR1702/ENGR1703
- Second-Year HCE Reflection: ENGR2702/ENGR2703
- Third-Year HCE Reflection: ENGR3702/ENGR3703
- Fourth-Year HCE Reflection: ENGR4704/ENGR4705
- A minimum of 14 credits of technical electives
- One course must be an Advanced Engineering Foundations Course
- One course must be 4 credits
Corequisite Courses for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) HCE Program
- PHYS2200: Introduction to Physics I for Physics Majors (4 credits)
- CHEM1109/CHEM1111: General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab (4 credits)
- Calculus 1 and Calculus 2 (8 credits)
Advanced Placement for the B.S. in Human-Centered Engineering Program
Physics Placement
- All HCE majors must take PHYS2200 in the fall of their first year. Students who receive at least a 4 on the Physics AP exams (including Physics 1, Physics 2, Physics C E+M, Physics C Mechanics) fulfill a Natural Science Core but do not fulfill the HCE requirement for PHYS2200.
Calculus Placement
- HCE students should take Calculus 1 and Calculus 2 in their first year and should work with their HCE advisors to determine the appropriate calculus sequence.
- Students who receive at least a 4 in Calculus AB (or AB sub score) place out of MATH1100/1102. Students who receive at least a 4 in Calculus BC place out of MATH1100/1102 and MATH1101/1103. Students who are exempted from one or both of these calculus requirements due to their advanced placement scores must take an equivalent number of math/science credits and consult with their HCE advisors to identify appropriate course substitutions.
Information for Non-majors
Incoming first-year students are directly admitted as HCE majors in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences by the Office of Undergraduate Admission. BC students who are not admitted as HCE majors can enroll in HCE courses open to non-majors (e.g. ENGR1801/HIST1627: Making the Modern World) and reach out to HCE faculty regarding opportunities for research. There is no transfer policy at this time.
Information for Study Abroad and Summer Programs
The department supports students interested in studying abroad. In consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, engineers can apply a maximum of two three-credit engineering technical elective courses from institutions abroad to their HCE degree. These courses must be approved by the department in advance.
In addition, the department offers summer term courses that fulfill the ENGR3100: Collaborative Service Engineering Project requirement. Currently, engineering faculty run global engineering projects in India and the Philippines. These projects are open to engineering students after completing their fourth semester in the program.