ENGINEERING IS ABOUT BUILDING BRIDGES ...

but in ways you may not expect.

Here’s a quick look at some of the connections engineers are constructing at Harvard alone …

• moving atoms across a surface with such high precision and control that it is possible to detect and analyze particles as small as a single molecule of DNA
• using microbes to clean out the gunk that forms inside water pipes that conduct heat and, in the process, dramatically increasing energy efficiency
• building living machines by “programming” cells to count, code signals, or do other tasks
• understanding the motor control process of the human nervous system, in order to develop engineering-based therapies for neuromuscular diseases such as Parkinson’s

Contributions from engineering reach far beyond the confines of the lab and the living room. The Council on Competitiveness reported that “Innovation will be the single most important factor in determining America’s success through the 21st century.”

In fact, the well-being of our society and entire planet increasingly will rely upon future technological breakthroughs: “Innovation is at the core of creating a sustainable human society,” according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Many of those innovations will come directly from engineering.

Concentration Guide

Getting Started
This section covers common questions students have about the field of Engineering Sciences.

Two different Engineering Sciences degrees are offered at Harvard, the bachelor of arts (A.B.) and the bachelor of science (S.B.) in five distinct areas: Biomedical Sciences and Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Engineering Physics (A.B. only); Environmental Sciences and Engineering; and Mechanical and Materials Sciences and Engineering.

The S.B. program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012-telephone: (410) 347-7700. See objectives and outcomes.

Planning & Courses
This section covers information about the degree and secondary field programs and provides a guide to planning for the freshman and sophomore years.

Tracks
Students pursuing the Engineering Sciences concentration may focus on five distinct areas:

• Biomedical Sciences and Engineering;
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;
• Engineering Physics (A.B. only);
• Environmental Sciences and Engineering; and
  
• Mechanical and Materials Sciences and Engineering.

Careers & Alumni
This section covers potential career paths for those with degrees in Engineering Sciences and profiles SEAS alumni.

Advising & Forms
This section provides information about and downloads of the most common forms and specifics about academic advising.

Senior Thesis
Content to come.

Outside the Classroom

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Research may be part of your coursework or as as part of individual research opportunities working with professors.

Our dedicated undergraduate research facilities and Teaching Labs also provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning.

Sophomore Forum

A weekly spring term forum for Engineering Sciences concentrators (required for A.B. and S.B. degree concentrators)

The aim is to form a community among engineering students; start a conversation between students and people in the engineering profession; and to answer questions about courses.

Clubs & Activities

Clubs and activities provide students from all concentrations an opportunity to do everything from build robotic soccer bots to imagine and launch start-ups.

Objectives & Outcomes

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, a school with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, has adopted the following ABET Program Educational Objectives for the training of our undergraduates pursuing Engineering Sciences:

Objectives

Program educational objectives are broad statements that describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve.

• The Engineering Sciences program seeks to prepare graduates who:

1. establish themselves in a diverse range of engineering careers in industry and government or engage in advanced work in engineering, business, law or medicine;

2. after a few years, demonstrate leadership in their chosen profession.

Outcomes

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering [ABET, 3a].
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, analyze and interpret data, and report findings [ABET, 3b].
• An ability to design a system, component or process to meet specifications [ABET, 3c].
• An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams [ABET, 3d].
• An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems [ABET, 3e].
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility [ABET, 3f].
• An ability to communicate effectively, including oral, written and visual forms [ABET, 3g].
• The acquisition of a broad education and knowledge of contemporary issues necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context [ABET, 3h].
• A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning to remain effective in a climate of continually emerging technologies. [ABET 3i]
• A knowledge of contemporary issues  [ABET 3h]
• An ability to use the techniques, skills and modern tools necessary for engineering practice [ABET, 3k].