Engineering Core Curriculum

THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER

At Stevens, we strive to build well-rounded engineers, instilling them with a broad-base of foundational knowledge and a strong core engineering curriculum that emphasizes the complete fundamentals of engineering. In addition to the university's technology-centric core curriculum, engineering majors have their own unique set of core learning objections which includes:

  • The Design Spine: a unique, design-focused, hands-on course every semester

  • Flexibility through general electives

  • Math and science courses which exceeds accreditation requirements

  • Social sciences, arts, humanities and writing intensive courses

  • Innovation and entrepreneurial thinking courses that being in the first year

  • Senior Design: experiential learning through a team capstone project working on real business problems, potentially in collaboration with a real company

Learn all about the engineering core curriculum below or explore Stevens' new core curriculum.

Stevens Core Curriculum
Students working on design spine projects

A Unique Core Curriculum

The Design Spine is a series of 12 core courses that teach you to synthesize, analyze and optimize solutions for open-ended and societally impactful problems. Design spine courses are taught by faculty with considerable industry experience and closely coupled to fundamental engineering courses like mechanics, circuits, and materials and the design projects are conducted in conjunction with lecture-based education.

Stevens Undergraduate Students in Design Spine Course

About the Design Spine

Design spine courses offer teamwork experiences each semester, preparing you to successfully collaborate in the workforce. These courses also develop skills in creative thinking, problem solving with software based simulations, economics of engineering, project management, communication skills, ethics, and environmental awareness which you'll need to be successful on the job.

How It Works

At the heart of the core engineering curriculum is a series of twelve design courses called the Design Spine that makes a Stevens student uniquely prepared for the global workforce.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
A female student standing in front of her project at innovation expo next to a graphic that says year four.
Year 4

In your fourth and final year studying engineering at Stevens, you'll shift focus toward more entrepreneurial oriented courses to learn about value proposition, venture planning, and pitching, and advanced design courses including your senior design capstone. This is the year your team will present and compete at Innovation Expo. Learn more about the Expo and Senior Design below.

A photo of a female student in a classroom next to a graphic that says year one.
Year 1

As a first-year engineering student in the School of Engineering and Science, you'll take courses on engineering design and systems thinking, sustainable systems with sensors and introduction to entrepreneurial thinking.

a female student in a computer lab pointing at a laptop screen as a male student looks on in the background next to a graphic that says year two.
Year 2

In the second year of your engineering training at Stevens, you'll take courses on statics and engineering mechanics as well as design of dynamical systems.

A male student wearing a Stevens shirt working on an engineering project next to a graphic that says year three.
Year 3

During your third year studying engineering at Stevens, you'll take courses in design with materials, engineering economics, project management, Engineering Design VI and discipline-specific design.

A female student standing in front of her project at innovation expo next to a graphic that says year four.
Year 4

In your fourth and final year studying engineering at Stevens, you'll shift focus toward more entrepreneurial oriented courses to learn about value proposition, venture planning, and pitching, and advanced design courses including your senior design capstone. This is the year your team will present and compete at Innovation Expo. Learn more about the Expo and Senior Design below.

A photo of a female student in a classroom next to a graphic that says year one.
Year 1

As a first-year engineering student in the School of Engineering and Science, you'll take courses on engineering design and systems thinking, sustainable systems with sensors and introduction to entrepreneurial thinking.

Senior Design: Innovation And Entrepreneurial Thinking

The culmination of the engineering curriculum is the capstone course, also known as Senior Design.

In their Senior Design capstone course, students will work together as a team to design a project as a solution to a real-world problem that has significant societal value and present it at the annual Innovation Expo. Many of these projects are sponsored by real companies looking for solutions to real-world business problems.

Senior Design Projects: Solutions to Real Problems

Intellliveggie team working on their smart greenhouse senior design project in the ABS engineering center

Smart Greenhouse

Developed by a team of software and computer engineers, IntelliVeggie combines a smart sensor network with AI harvestability and disease-detection technology to support the small farmer.

Tyler Brunqell with his engineering project

Wave-Powered Autonomous Robot

Developed in partnership with Virginia Tech, the renewable energy-harvesting vessel will compete at the U.S. Department of Energy's Marine Energy Collegiate Competition.

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Wireless Monitor for Military Working Dogs

Four Stevens students design wireless body temperature and stress monitoring device to help reduce health risks posed to military working dogs.

A photo of Ed Whittaker and Khalid Musa talking in front of a big screen with physics equations

Fiber-Optic Cable Enhancements

Stevens student’s senior design project focuses on amplifying the power of fiber-optic cable transmissions through optical engineering with rare-Earth metals.

The Black Mass Separation Team 2023 stand outside in front of the New York City skyline

Sustainable Recycling Process for EV Batteries

Chemical engineering seniors explore particle density separation as a sustainable way to recover precious metals from lithium-ion battery black mass.

New York City buildings as seen from the north as the sun begins to set

Energy Harvesting for City Subways

Nine seniors dedicated their capstone project to developing a sustainable plan for harvesting wasted thermal energy from the subway system to provide hot water to local buildings.

Students pose alongside their senior capstone project during Innovation Expo 2023 at Stevens.

The Innovation Expo: An Ingenuity Showcase

The Innovation Expo highlights the best of our students’ ingenuity each spring. Student teams show off their design prowess and compete for a $10,000 prize in the Ansary Entrepreneurship Competition where they pitch a startup business based on their Senior Design project.

Fabrication Facilities

On campus, you'll have access to facilities where you can build physical systems with groundbreaking technologies and tools that today’s STEM researchers need.
MakerCenter
MakerSpace
Machine Shop
ProOF Lab
Student working on a white robot wearing a black Stevens hat with wires showing in its back
ProOF Lab

The Prototype Object Fabrication (ProOF) Lab offers large and multi-material 3D printing for quickly creating functional prototypes as well as producing small lots for demonstrations and testing. The laboratory supports robotics, electro-mechanical, sensing and electronics systems development.

Prototype Object Fabrication (ProOF Lab)
A student using the MakerCenter tool chest
MakerCenter

The MakerCenter is a collection of facilities across campus which provide testing and fabrication services, equipment, and resources to enrolled students including 3D printing, quantum testing, machining, electronics, laser cutting, welding, and more.

Visit the MakerCenter
student wearing a black hoodie building his project
MakerSpace

As the main facility of the MakerCenter, the MakerSpace provides worktables, tools, fasteners, small 3D printing capabilities, a soldering station and small machines to design and build prototypes.

Read about the MakerSpace's Women's Workshop
A student and professor working on building a prototype
Machine Shop

Staffed by full-time designers and machinists, the Machine Shop at Stevens is where students gain hands-on experience, turning concepts into functional prototypes.

Read about the MakerCenter
Student working on a white robot wearing a black Stevens hat with wires showing in its back
ProOF Lab

The Prototype Object Fabrication (ProOF) Lab offers large and multi-material 3D printing for quickly creating functional prototypes as well as producing small lots for demonstrations and testing. The laboratory supports robotics, electro-mechanical, sensing and electronics systems development.

Prototype Object Fabrication (ProOF Lab)
A student using the MakerCenter tool chest
MakerCenter

The MakerCenter is a collection of facilities across campus which provide testing and fabrication services, equipment, and resources to enrolled students including 3D printing, quantum testing, machining, electronics, laser cutting, welding, and more.

Visit the MakerCenter