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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

G.E. Johnson, Dean
R.C. Loutzenheiser, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs
S. Deivanayagam, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research
T.D. Marable, Director of Minority Engineering
R. Van Deven, Director of University Development for Engineering


   VISION

The College of Engineering will be among the acknowledged regional leaders in engineering education.

MISSION

Through education, research and service, we will develop citizens and leaders who will integrate their expertise as engineers and technologists with cultural understanding to improve life in the region and the world.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

The College of Engineering offers seven programs with curricula leading to Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Industrial Technology. A uniform first-year curriculum for majors in engineering is provided by the Basic Engineering Program, allowing additional time for the student to select a field of specialization.

The undergraduate programs in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Industrial Technology program is accredited by the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT). 

The normal load in the Engineering or Industrial Technology curricula is approximately 17 semester hours. Students may enroll for lighter loads, which will result in an increase in the number of terms necessary to complete requirements for graduation.

GRADUATE STUDIES

The College of Engineering offers programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

The Master of Science, a research-oriented degree program, is offered with majors in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

The Doctor of Philosophy, coordinated by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, is under the direction of faculty advisory committees which are interdepartmental in nature. A highly qualified student, possessing an M.S. degree in Engineering, will normally need three years of full-time study to complete the degree. Current areas of doctoral research include thermal science, transfer operations, fluid mechanics, water quality, acoustics, solid mechanics, energy systems, machine design, combustion modeling, environmental engineering, solid waste treatment disposal, physical electronics, lasers, plasmas, control systems, computer engineering, networks and signal processing, telecommunications, power systems, material science, human factors, robotics, and manufacturing.

For more information see the Graduate Catalog.

THE COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Students of all curricula of the College of Engineering are eligible to participate in the University's Cooperative Education program. This program is one in which classroom study is integrated with practical industrial experience in an organized program under which students alternate on-campus study with off-campus employment in industry or with a governmental agency.

A student on the cooperative education program must complete the same course work as required of the regular four-year students. For the program, a student initially attends college full-time for three semesters (one calendar year), has an off-campus assignment for the second year, returns to the campus for the third year, has a second off-campus assignment for the fourth year, and then returns to the campus for the fifth year to complete graduation requirements. An alternating semester work plan is also available. See Cooperative Education for more details.

MINORITY ENGINEERING PROGRAM

The College of Engineering is committed to development of minority engineers through scholarships and special cooperative education opportunities. Several scholarships are offered for minority applicants during the annual Engineering Scholarship Awards Program (ESAP). Also, the Minority Engineering Scholarship Program (MESP) awards several scholarships in conjunction with a co-op experience.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

The College operates three State-supported accomplished Centers of Excellence: Manufacturing Research and Technology Utilization; Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources; and Electric Power. These Centers provide financial support and state-of-the-art facilities for undergraduate and graduate research projects.

ADMISSION OF FRESHMEN

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the University, students seeking admission to Engineering must have at least a 2.35 high school average and must have achieved a composite score of at least 20 and a mathematics subtest score of at least 20 on the enhanced ACT Test. It is advisable for Basic Engineering students to have completed 4 units of science and at least 3 1/2 units of college preparatory mathematics, including a study of trigonometric identities, in high school. Applicants who have completed the recommended mathematics courses and who have a sufficiently high ACT mathematics score will be admitted to MATH 1910. Based on high school mathematics preparation and test scores, other students will be advised to enroll in at least one of the following: MATH 1710, 1720 or 1730. MATH 1710, 1720 or 1730 or other math courses intended as preparation for MATH 1910 may not be utilized to satisfy any curricular requirement for graduation in engineering. Students with less than the recommended preparation in mathematics are encouraged to enter the College of Engineering during summer semester immediately following high school graduation. Course offerings are normally available during the summer semester for students with deficiencies and for students who wish to begin their studies early.

Students selecting the Industrial Technology curriculum must have completed two units of high school algebra.

ADMISSION OF TRANSFER STUDENTS

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the University, transfer students seeking admission to Engineering must have

  • a cumulative higher education QPA of at least 2.0 (excluding credit for remedial and developmental courses) and
  • a mathematics subtest score of at least 20 on the enhanced ACT Test, or a grade of "C" or higher in a precalculus mathematics course that includes a study of the trigonometric identities.

These requirements also apply to current TTU students desiring to change their major from a non-engineering program to Engineering.  All students admitted to Engineering will initially be assigned to the Basic Engineering Program.  See the Basic Engineering Program section for information and requirements regarding transfer to a degree-granting engineering program.

Tennessee Tech's engineering curricula are designed so that the needs of students who choose to initially attend a community college or other college/university not offering a B.S. engineering program may be met. Students who complete the following list of approved courses at another institution may complete curricular requirements for a B.S. degree in engineering at Tennessee Tech in approximately two years. Transfer students must satisfy the same requirements as TTU students for entry into a degree granting department. (See Basic Engineering Program). Students who wish to transfer to the Industrial Technology program should consult with the Chairperson of the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology. The College of Engineering will assist transfer students in making the transition to Tennessee Tech at any point in their academic programs.

Suggested Courses for 2-year Pre-engineering Program

Semester Hours

General Chemistry with Laboratory 8
English:  Composition 6
Engineering Graphics (must include CAD experience) 2
Introduction to Engineering 1
Computer Programming1 3
Calculus 13
Differential Equations 3
English: American Literature and British/World Literature 6
Physics (Calculus-based) with Laboratory2 8
Physical Education or Military Science (must be two semesters) 2
Mechanics - Statics3 3
Mechanics - Dynamics3 3
Humanities and/or Social Science Sequence 4 10

 

1
Students intending to major in Chemical or Civil Engineering should study fortran programming language. All others should study "C" programming language.
2 This varies from 3 to 8, see the specific discipline to determine.
3 Students planning to major in Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering should see the specific discipline for requirements.
4 See subsequent section, "Humanities and Social Science Elective Program" for a more precise definition and lists of acceptable TTU courses to determine similarity of content. See the specific discipline for requirements.

CHANGE OF MAJOR AMONG DEGREE-GRANTING
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS

Students not on academic warning, probation, or suspension status, who have been admitted to a degree-granting engineering department, are eligible to change majors within any of the five degree-granting engineering departments in the College.

REQUIREMENTS FOR B.S. DEGREE

The student must complete the curriculum for the major subject chosen and must comply with GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE except that engineering students who completed one unit of American history in high school are exempt from the requirement of six semester hours of American history. If a student is deficient in high school history, the student must remove the deficiency and such courses will not count in the degree program.  Industrial Technology majors are not exempt and must take American History.

The courses offered in the "major subject" for engineering include all courses taken which bear the student's departmental designation. This excludes courses listed as not for credit for these students. For computer engineering, ECE and CSC courses will constitute the "major subject." Transfer courses that are equivalent to TTU courses will be considered in the QPA in the major but not in the QPA in the major at TTU. The departmental chairperson, or faculty member designated by the chairperson, serves as the student's academic advisor.

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
ELECTIVE PROGRAM

Studies in the humanities and social sciences serve not only to meet the objectives of a broad education but also to meet the objectives of the engineering profession. In the interest of making engineering students fully aware of their social responsibilities and their ability to consider related factors in decision-making, courses in the humanities and the social sciences are required. Curricular approval by ABET and NAIT requires that sufficient semester hours be devoted to humanistic-social science courses. ABET defines humanities as the branches of knowledge concerned with man and his culture, while the social sciences are the studies of individual relationships in and to society. Courses such as accounting, industrial management, finance, personnel administration, engineering economy, public speaking and military training do not fulfill the objectives of the humanities and social science content; however, these courses may be approved as other electives. No performance courses in art, music, or theater will substitute for this requirement.  American, and British/World literature, which are required courses in the engineering curricula, satisfy part of the humanistic-social science requirement.

The Tennessee Board of Regents requires that all students complete at least three semester hours in the humanities in addition to the six semester hour sophomore literature requirement. Six semester hours of a social sciences sequence must also be completed. (Industrial Technology majors must take American History, and Industrial Engineering majors must take Economics.)

Courses may be selected from the following lists to satisfy the requirements as shown in the various curricula. Other courses may be approved by the departmental chairperson with the approval of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs. The six semester hours of social science chosen should consist of an integrated sequence to obtain a greater depth of understanding. An integrated sequence implies courses taken from the same department (e.g., Economics).

APPROVED HUMANITIES ELECTIVES
Art 1030, 2110, 2120, 3130, 3150, 3160
Foreign Language any course offered by the Department of Foreign Languages except 1000, 1005
History any HIST course except 2000, 2410
Literature any literature course offered by the Department of English
Music MUAR 2500, MUS 1030, 2030, 3010, 3020, 4110, 4120, 4520
Philosophy any PHIL course
Theater 1030, 3000

APPROVED SOCIAL SCIENCE ELECTIVES
Criminal Justice 2610, 2660, 4010, 4040, 4660
Economics any ECON course except 3610, 3630
Geography GEOG 1120, 2130, 3010, 3230, 3400, 4130, 4320
History any HIST course except 2000, 2410
Political Science any POLS course except 3000
Psychology any PSY course except 3010, 3110, 3140, 3150, 3160, 4250, 4600
Sociology

any SOC course except 3900, 3910, 4920, 4930

ORGANIZATION

Departments and Undergraduate Curricula

The College of Engineering includes the following departments which offer curricula as follows:

Department Curriculum Degrees
Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering B.S., M.S.Ch.E.
Civil & Environmental Engineering Civil Engineering B.S., M.S.C.E.
Electrical & Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering B.S., M.S.E.E.
Computer Engineering B.S. Cmp.E.
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Industrial Engineering B.S., M.S.I.E.
Mechanical Engineering  Mechanical Engineering  B.S., M.S.M.E.
College of Engineering  Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering Ph.D.
Manufacturing & Industrial Technology Industrial Technology   B.S.I.T.

Individual curricula
Course descriptions 

BASIC ENGINEERING PROGRAM

Associate Professor Hunter, Director; Associate Professors
Goolsby, Rose; Assistant Professors Craven, Wells

The mission of the Basic Engineering Program is to prepare first-year TTU engineering majors with the foundation knowledge and skills required to succeed in an engineering baccalaureate degree program.  The Basic Engineering curriculum encompasses:

  • fundamental subjects, such as calculus, chemistry, and English composition;
  • engineering skills, such as computer programming and engineering graphics; and
  • an overview of the engineering profession, including opportunities for team-based design projects.

All freshmen desiring to pursue studies leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in one of the fields of engineering must register for Basic Engineering (BE) as their major.

Admission to Basic Engineering does not guarantee admission to an engineering discipline of one's choice.

Basic Engineering students may change majors to any degree-granting engineering department in the College when they:

a. Complete 30 semester hours of credit with a "C" or better in each course counted; at least 25 of which must be applicable to the Basic Engineering curriculum and include MATH 1910.
b.  Earn an overall QPA of at least 2.0.
c. Achieve good standing.

Basic Engineering students may not register for upper-division engineering courses (3000 and 4000 level). The chairperson of the department in which an upper-division course is taught with the approval of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs may grant an exception for unusual circumstances.

Since the Basic Engineering Program is a common program to all engineering curricula, students are considered to have entered the curriculum of the degree-granting engineering department when they begin the Basic Engineering Program and may graduate by satisfying the requirements of the catalog then in effect.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Professor Kerr, Interim Chairperson; 
Associate Professors Biernacki, Whitmire; Assistant Professors Dycus, Visco

The Department of Chemical Engineering offers programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering. The undergraduate chemical engineering program is accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The mission of the TTU Chemical Engineering Department is to provide the highest quality undergraduate chemical engineering education by undertaking teaching and research in chemical engineering and related areas, and working with industry, government, the community and the profession to increase the wealth and well-being of society.

The B.S. degree requirements include a broad spectrum of chemical engineering subjects that build on a foundation of physical sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences. A blend of theory and engineering design provides the basis for undertaking professional assignments in chemical engineering or related fields. The graduates of this program will be prepared to enter the chemical engineering profession. Every graduate will have demonstrated effective communication skills. Every graduate will be prepared for continued individual study or formal advanced education in chemical engineering or related fields. Every graduate will have participated in technical team projects including interdisciplinary activities. Every graduate will have demonstrated an understanding of the professional and ethical responsibilities of a chemical engineer. The various elements of the program are designed to produce a chemical engineer prepared for the challenges of future decades.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Professor Ghafoori, Chairperson; Professors Buchanan,
Crouch, George (Director, Water Center), Loutzenheiser (Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs), Roberts, Tolbert; Associate Professors Henderson, Lowhorn, Ryan; Assistant Professors Badoe, Habib, Hanbali, Huo, Neary, Ramirez, Weathers

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Civil Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering.  The principal mission of the Civil Engineering program is to offer the strong academic program needed to produce well-educated students who can become productive members of the civil engineering profession.  This mission is consistent with the academic component of the University’s mission which is in part to provide a strong academic program in engineering.  To achieve this mission, the undergraduate program is structured to provide an education consisting of mathematics, basic science, engineering sciences, engineering design, humanities and social sciences consistent with accreditation standards and national needs.  The civil engineering component of the program is designed to provide a broad foundation by requiring course work in structures, environment, geotechnics, materials, hydraulics, surveying, and transportation.  Design-based instruction is required to provide students with the opportunity to prepare professionally for the diverse opportunities available to them.

The goal of the undergraduate Civil Engineering program is to instill in our graduates the knowledge, skills, attitude, and ethical values necessary to be successful practitioners who are able to impart positive social impacts at the state, regional, national, and international levels. The greatest desired impacts are expected at the state and regional levels. Additionally, we seek to provide the necessary academic background for civil engineering graduates pursuing advanced degrees.

To achieve this goal requires that educational objectives be met. To this end, the education program will:

  1. Provide and deliver a broad understanding of relevant principles of mathematics;
  2. Offer a general comprehension of the breadth of civil engineering and in-depth knowledge of at least one major civil engineering area;
  3. Prepare students to begin the professional registration process prior to graduation;
  4. Require that students are taught design activities throughout the professional component of the civil engineering curriculum and will have the ability to identify, formulate, and solve civil engineering problems;
  5. Promote effective communications skills;
  6. Develop the students’ ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;
  7. Enhance the understanding of experimental processes through effective laboratory experiences;
  8. Develop the students’ ability to use technologies, skills, and modern engineering tools needed for engineering practice;
  9. Promote the students’ social development and ethical responsibilities;
  10. Emphasize the need for life-long learning; and
  11. Maintain an environment to carry out fundamental and applied research and advance engineering knowledge through research.

Achievement of the department’s goal and objectives are assessed through outcome measures.  Current outcome measures include course portfolio, graduating senior exit survey, college base exam, Co-Op participant survey, performance on the subject areas of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, alumni surveys, and feedback from employers.  

The Civil Engineering faculty maximizes the design experience for each of the students in the Civil Engineering program.  As the student progresses through the program, design experiences increase in scope and build on design experiences and abilities acquired in previous courses.  The “finality” occurs when students participate in Senior Design, CEE 4950.  Design programs are open-ended so that each student/team is able to decide on a “best” solution.

Design is introduced at the freshman level with design projects assigned in BE 1110, 1120, and 1210.  Lecture is used to introduce students to the design approach.  Design assignments utilize both the individual and the team approach to practical problems.  Problems are open-ended and include realistic constraints.

The design experience is broadened in Mechanics of Materials, CEE 3110, during the fourth semester with design-oriented homework.  As proficiency in science and synthesis increases, students are guided into more complex design considerations.  By the sixth semester, students are engaged in design in each area of emphasis.

The basic sciences and mathematics that were mastered in the freshman and sophomore years and the introduction to engineering topics provide the opportunity to broaden the design experience in the junior year.  Six of the twelve courses selected for the junior year have design components.  These are as follows:  Construction Materials, CEE 3030; Microcomputers in Civil Engineering Systems, CEE 3100; Water Supply and Pollution Control, CEE 3410; Water, Wastewater and Hydraulics, CEE 3420; Transportation Engineering, CEE 3610; and Structural Steel Design, CEE 4310.  The design component of each course is carefully selected to take advantage of the student’s strengths in science, mathematics and engineering topics as each is related to the content of the current course.

Evidence of the breadth and depth of the design experience continues in the senior year.  The design content of CEE courses increases from 8 percent in the sophomore year to 39 percent in the junior year and 52 percent in the senior year.  Several courses including those that may be taken as a sequence and/or technical elective are considered to be totally design.  In addition to technical design concepts, the student applies other realistic constraints in design; namely, economic factors, safety, reliability, aesthetics, ethics and social impacts.  The design component in most senior courses addresses design with applications to practical engineering problems so that the student is exposed to design experiences pertaining to his/her specific emphasis.

Senior Design, CEE 4950, provides a major overall design experience and is scheduled to be taken during the last semester.  The course emphasizes the use of principles acquired during the previous seven semesters, and formal lectures are kept to a minimum.  Students are organized into teams composed of members representing each area of emphasis in Civil Engineering to produce designs for the same project.  Each team must make its own decision as to its “best” design.

The undergraduate Civil Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).  Students are expected to select an area of concentration from among the following:  Transportation Engineering, Structural Engineering, Structural Mechanics, or Environmental Engineering.

Civil Engineering students are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FE) administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners before they are graduated.  

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND 
COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Professor Rajan, Chairperson; Professors Alouani, Anderson,
Carnal, Chowdhuri (Electric Power Center), Mahajan,
Natarajan, Ojo, Sekar, C. Ventrice; Associate Professors Abdelrahman, Austen, Haggard,
Ososanya, Radman; Assistant Professors Frolik, Mahmoud

The primary mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to prepare students to become productive members of the electrical and computer engineering professions. In addition, the department strives to enhance and expand knowledge in the various fields of electrical and computer engineering by conducting research and scholarly activity. It also serves the public and the profession by sharing the expertise of its personnel. The Department offers two undergraduate academic programs, one leading to the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) degree and the other the Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCmpE) degree. It also offers graduate programs leading to MSEE and Ph.D. in Engineering degrees; the graduate programs are described in the Graduate Catalog.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) Degree Program

The Department prepares well-rounded electrical engineers who are well versed in the fundamentals of electrical engineering. They are employed by a number of small and big companies in Tennessee and other states. Some of the companies that have employed TTU BSEE graduates are TVA, IBM, Raytheon, Texas Instruments, Motorola, BellSouth, Saturn, Nissan, and many electric utilities. The BSEE degree program has graduated more than 2100 students. It has been accredited since 1966 by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or its predecessor organizations. The objectives of the BSEE program are formulated so as to meet the present and anticipated needs of the students and satisfy the State, University and accrediting agency requirements. In the BSEE program students acquire the following knowledge and skills: 

  1. A strong foundation in the core subjects of electrical engineering, a broad knowledge of the basic principles of at least five different areas of electrical engineering and an in-depth knowledge in at least one area of electrical engineering.

  2. A strong foundation of basic sciences and calculus-based mathematics with an ability to apply scientific knowledge and approach to solve engineering problems.

  3. Skills to design and conduct experiments, collect and interpret data, construct and test circuits and devices and work effectively in multidisciplinary group activities.

  4. Ability to think critically and identify, formulate and solve engineering problems.

  5. Ability to design electrical circuits and systems to meet specifications under practical constraints.

  6. Effective use of computers and other modern tools in engineering applications.

  7. A basic knowledge of general engineering principles such as engineering mechanics and engineering graphics.

  8. Effective written and oral communication skills.

  9. Awareness of contemporary issues and sensitivity to social, ethical, and safety considerations that engineers face in the practice of their profession.

  10. An understanding of the need for and a knowledge of the avenues for lifelong learning.

Students acquire the above knowledge and skills by following an integrated curriculum of courses and experiences. This curriculum is presented later in this catalog. The Department employs a series of tools, such as examinations, presentations, and surveys, to assess the level of success in meeting the above objectives. These in turn are used to revise the objectives and curriculum. The Department has expertise and offers in-depth courses in a number of emphasis areas: Circuits and Signal Processing, Computers and Digital Systems, Control Systems Instrumentation, Electronics, Electric Power, Nuclear Engineering, Physical Phenomena and Telecommunications. An integrated design experience is provided to students starting with elementary designs in freshman and sophomore level courses and ending with a major design experience in a senior level course. The students are encouraged to develop leadership and other social skills by participating in a number of professional and honor societies such as IEEE and Eta Kappa Nu. Students are informed of the importance of becoming professional engineers and, as a first step, are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners before they graduate.

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCmpE) Degree Program

The BSCmpE program is designed to meet the growing demand for engineers who have expertise in the design of both hardware and software for computers and computer-based systems.  This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.  This program,  a joint effort between the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science, is designed to prepare graduates for entry into the computer engineering profession. The objectives are formulated so as to meet the present and anticipated needs of the students and satisfy the State, University and accreditation requirements. Specifically, the goals of the program are as follows:

  1. Students will acquire technical competence for careers in computer system design, development, project supervision and research.

  2. Students will acquire ability to think critically, analyze problems systematically, propose solutions based on scientific principles and engineering practice, and evaluate solutions objectively.

  3. Students will acquire expertise in hardware, software, and hardware - software trade-off considerations in the design of computer systems and applications. Also they will learn to design systems to meet specifications under constraints of cost, time, etc.

  4. Students will acquire hands-on skills and the ability to use computers and other modern tools effectively.

  5. Students will acquire the ability to undertake self-study and lifelong learning.

  6. Students will acquire effective written and oral communication skills.

  7. Students with high academic ability will be able to pursue advanced studies in computer engineering.

  8. Students will acquire an awareness of contemporary issues and sensitivity to social, ethical, safety and such considerations that engineers face in the practice of their profession.

  9. Students will have an opportunity to acquire an understanding of the society which they live in and an appreciation of the general aspects of human life.

In order to meet the above goals, students are required to follow a curriculum which provides the various skills and knowledge in an integrated manner. The details of the curriculum are presented elsewhere in this catalog. Briefly, the BSCmpE students are required to take basic science courses, calculus-based mathematics, English composition and courses in literature, humanities and social science. Students build expertise in hardware and software by taking electrical engineering and computer science courses. Design experience is provided in an integrated manner starting from elementary designs at the freshman and junior level courses culminating in a major design experience in a senior level course. Opportunities are also available for students to develop their leadership and social skills by participating in a number of professional and honor societies and student government associations. Students are informed of the importance of becoming professional engineers and, as a first step, are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination administered by the Tennessee Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners before they graduate.

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND 
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

Professor Matson, Chairperson;
Professors Currie (Director of Center for Manufacturing Research), 
Deivanayagam (Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research), Elizandro, Smith, Sundaram; Assistant Professors Nicholls and Schwandt

Industrial engineers design and improve work systems that include people, equipment, materials, information, energy, and money. While other engineers typically design machines or structures, the focus of the industrial engineering profession is on integrated systems that include people. Industrial engineers are productivity, cost, and quality improvement specialists who study all aspects of the organization to determine the most efficient and effective way to use available resources.

The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) Department offers a program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering (BSIE) degree. The BSIE program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The IME Department also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering.

The primary mission of the IME Department is to develop benchmark quality industrial engineers with broad-based expertise in the design, development, and management of integrated production and service systems. A secondary mission is to develop and transfer innovative technologies for modeling and solving the problems of such integrated systems.

To meet this mission, educational objectives have been established for the BSIE program in accordance with ABET engineering accreditation criteria and the inputs of industry, alumni, faculty, and student constituencies. The first objective is to meet or exceed ABET-required engineering program outcomes. Thus, the industrial engineering program is designed to provide a strong, broad-based engineering foundation such that graduates have the technical competence and broad education to develop effective and ethical engineering solutions to contemporary, societal problems. The program also ensures that graduates can communicate effectively, function positively in teams, and engage in life-long learning.

In addition to meeting ABET program outcomes, the BSIE program has four distinct objectives on which the curriculum is founded. These objectives ensure that industrial engineering graduates are able to:
  1. lead the planning, designing, developing, and controlling of integrated systems
  2. apply industrial engineering concepts and tools to improve processes in both service and manufacturing systems.
  3. use analytical techniques to model complex systems and make inferences for effective decision making.
  4. pursue graduate education in either a research or professional degree program.

The BSIE program builds upon the Basic Engineering curriculum of the freshman year. During the sophomore year, students continue their required mathematics and physics courses and a significant number of their required social sciences and humanities courses. Economics is the required social science sequence for industrial engineering majors. Students also begin their engineering mechanics sequence. IME 2000 Introduction to Industrial Engineering and Computers introduces the student to engineering analysis and design and the concept of evaluating alternatives and reporting on recommendations. Teamwork and ethics in engineering are also stressed. IME 2900 Industrial Engineering Seminar provides students with the opportunity to hear, read, and make presentations about current topics in the profession.

The junior-year curriculum includes IME 3100 Engineering Economy, IME 3200 Engineering Statistics, IME 3230 Quality Control, IME 3400 Operations Research, and IME 3410 Simulation of Industrial Systems, courses that introduce tools and techniques for analytical modeling and decision making. These tools are used in engineering system design. At the junior level, two courses provide experience in system design using open-ended problems: IME 3310 Process Improvement and IME 3910 Engineering Leadership and Project Management. The design experiences this year are preparatory to the more complex environment encountered in the senior year. These courses also address two important aspects of the BSIE program objectives--process improvement and leadership. Other junior-year topics include accounting and ME 3010 Materials and Processes in Manufacturing. The junior IME 3900 Industrial Engineering Seminar continues the focus on current topics and ethics, along with technical report writing. The final mathematics courses in probability and statistics complement the industrial engineering statistics courses in the junior and senior years.

All of the senior-year courses are built upon the junior-year courses. IME 4210 Design of Experiments extends the knowledge and skills developed in the statistics and quality courses. IME 4500 Facilities and Material Handling System Design and IME 4800 Information Systems for Industrial Engineering are courses that require a design project using open-ended problems. The design project includes problem identification, data collection and reduction, development and evaluation of alternatives, and documentation of results in a written report. IME 4600 Production Control provides additional tools in forecasting, inventory planning, and production scheduling. Students continue their engineering science requirements and take a technical elective to enhance their knowledge in an area of interest. During the last term, the student draws upon all the previous design experience in IME 4510 Engineering Design Internship, a team-based, real-world project.

Industrial engineering students are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners, before graduation.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Professor D. Wilson, Chairperson; Professors Griggs, Han, Hoy, Idem, Johnson (Dean of Engineering), Munukutla (Director of Electric Power Center), Peddieson, Smoak, Ting; Associate Professors Cunningham, Darvennes, Jackson, Marquis; Assistant Professors Canfield, Cui, Pardue, Richardson, C. Wilson, Zhang, Zhu

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University is committed to preparing its graduates for productive, professional careers in mechanical engineering. The Department offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.). This degree program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). 

The profession of mechanical engineering focuses on motion and the forces and energy associated with motion. It encompasses the design and analysis of machines and processes to meet the expanding needs of a changing, technological, energy-based society. Applications within the profession are diverse; consequently, mechanical engineers may find positions in many specialties. ME graduates from Tennessee Tech may find employment in transportation industries, consulting firms, governmental agencies and laboratories, manufacturing facilities, power-production industries, process industries, universities and others. 

The undergraduate curriculum is broad in scope and strongly based in the fundamentals essential for professional practice, life-long learning, and advanced study at the graduate level. The curriculum emphasizes the two mechanical engineering stems: (a) energy systems and (b) structures and motion in mechanical systems through a balance of theory and applications. Design is a unique element of the profession; therefore, the design experience is developed and integrated throughout the curriculum. 

The mission of the Department, within a regional and global context, encompasses: provision for its students to prepare for productive life and livelihood in a competitive, dynamic, technologically-based society; advancement of the knowledge of mechanical engineering principles and applications; and service to the public. The Departmental mission is essential to the University-wide goal of maintaining a strong engineering program. The Department pursues the following four goals to fulfill its mission.

  1. To maintain a high-quality, ABET-accredited program with an integrated curriculum. This goal is essential to prepare all graduates for entry-level professional employment and masters-level graduate studies.

  2. To improve the student's ability to formulate and to express thoughts using both written and oral communication. This goal is essential to evaluate arguments and evidence from various fields of study, to discover information, and to engage in independent inquiry. In addition, this goal promotes an awareness of ethical, social and safety considerations in all engineering endeavors. 

  3. To enhance the student's capacity for leadership, individual responsibility and integrity. This goal should foster an appreciation and respect for new and different ideas, opinions, and abilities. 

  4. To develop the student's commitment to life-long learning. This goal should foster a desire to continually improve individual abilities and enhance knowledge. In addition, this goal promotes professional enthusiasm and an enhanced quality of life. 

Entry to the College of Engineering is through the Basic Engineering program. The freshman curriculum is essentially the same for all engineering students. Here emphasis is placed on the fundamental tools of mathematics, chemistry, computer programming, written communication, and basic engineering. Students are introduced to the various fields of engineering and the design concept in Introduction to Engineering (BE 1210). In Engineering Graphics (BE 1110), a design project is used which focuses on creativity and the importance of conveying ideas via sketches and computer-aided drafting; particular points are made relevant to machine design and manufacturability. Finally, in Programming for Engineering (BE 1120), the last assignment is an open-ended project.

The sophomore curriculum stresses the fundamental tools of mathematics, physics, and engineering sciences (statistics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, and fundamentals of electrical engineering) and the humanities and social sciences. In addition, the course, Introduction to Mechanical Engineering (ME 2000), is taken, which includes instruction in the use of a matrix-based programming language with graphing capabilities.

The junior curriculum is primarily devoted to the engineering fundamentals of electrical engineering, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, dynamics of machinery, measurement systems, materials and processes in manufacturing and vibrations. Completing this is an upper division mathematics course and machine design. Integration of design in this portion of the curriculum is accomplished principally via assignments of open-ended problems and generic modeling. Extensive use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) is made in the Dynamics of Machinery course (ME 3610). Vibration and Simulation (ME 3050) continues instruction of a computer-aided simulation tool. Selected simulation assignments given in ME 3050 introduce the student to parametric analysis.

The senior curriculum contains capstone design experiences in three courses: Machine Design (ME 4020), Senior Design Project (ME 4440), and Thermal Design (ME 4720). The Department's goal in these courses is to provide the opportunity to integrate fundamental engineering sciences, a variety of analytical skills, parametric design experiences, computer-simulation skills and sociological group process skills for the purpose of solving engineering design problems encompassing real-life decision-making. The concepts of using multiple design pathways leading to the solution of a prescribed set of design specifications are explored, as well as the application of conventional quantitative optimization techniques to the solution of open-ended design problems. Each course requires small-group design projects involving exploration of initial ideas, pursuit of the selected design, progress reporting, and final-design written and oral reports. The senior curriculum also contains core courses in Automatic Controls (ME 4810), Engineering Economy (IME 3100), Transport Phenomena Laboratory (ME 4750), and four areas of concentration courses.

The senior year of the ME curriculum is completed by each student's selection of four courses from one of the following Areas of Concentration (AOC):

Energy Systems:  typical emphases are Aerospace, Heat Transfer/Fluids, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, and Power Production.

Mechanical Systems:  typical emphases are Machine Design, Controls and Vibrations, and Materials/Manufacturing.

Engineering Mechanics:  emphases are available which include courses spanning both stems.

While the Department's curriculum provides students with a solid foundation of prescribed courses, which span both stems of mechanical engineering, the AOC courses provide for focused, in-depth study within one of the diverse areas of the two stems. About 17 percent of the engineering topics within the curriculum is allocated to the AOC; thus, it is imperative that students consult with their academic advisor in selecting an appropriate area of concentration. The majority of AOC courses contain significant additional design experiences.

Before graduation, Mechanical Engineering students are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners. 

DEPARTMENT OF MANUFACTURING 
AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY

Professor ElSawy, Chairperson; 
Associate Professor Stone; Assistant Professors Fidan, Vondra

The National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) defined Industrial Technology as "a field of study designed to prepare technical and/or management oriented professionals for employment in business, industry, education and government. Industrial Technology is primarily involved with the management, operation and maintenance of complex technological systems while Engineering and Engineering Technology are primarily involved with the design and installation of these systems."

Industrial Technology is a relatively new discipline, which gained distinction in the early 1960's as the result of industrial demand for technical managers who could make knowledgeable decisions about managing work forces in the technical areas. TTU's Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Department offers a four-year degree program leading to a BS Degree in Industrial Technology with a minor in Business Management. The department began in 1956 within the College of Engineering and has the distinction of being accredited by the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) since 1982 and today serves as a model for Tennessee and the nation.

The Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology prepares technologists for employment in manufacturing and management positions. Through specialized classes, group projects and individual assignments, students learn to be creative and resourceful. Students learn public relations, personnel supervision and problem-solving through group work, instruction and guest speakers. This background enables graduates to share the planning responsibilities of the engineer, scientist, or manager, as well as the production responsibilities of the technician, craftsman or laborer. Industrial Technology graduates are trained in group leadership and communications at all levels of the industrial workforce.

The curriculum in Industrial Technology is built upon technical education and operations, human and industrial relations, business administration and specialized technology. The department strives to keep the curriculum up to date, incorporating new technological developments as they occur. The department offers classes in materials for industry as well as conventional manufacturing processes such as: metal casting, metal manufacturing technology, welding technology, foundry technology, industrial plastics and maintenance technology. Moreover, the department offers courses in the advanced technology areas such as principles of electricity, industrial electronics, computer numerical control machining practices, CAD technology and industrial automation, which includes robotics and programmable controller. Occupational Safety and Health, Plant Layout and Material Handling, Industrial Communications, and Industrial Supervision enable the industrial technology graduates to achieve the competencies required to apply the latest technological advances in a given field.

The curriculum also emphasizes other vital areas in the industrial workplace: Operations Management, Organizational Behavior, Accounting, Human Relations, Industrial Psychology, Motion and Time Study and Statistical Process Control. The addition of these courses to the curriculum gives the I.T. graduate an appealing, well-rounded education. This lets potential employers know that she or he understands all of the common operations that exist within a manufacturing environment.

Professional support of any college program is a tremendous advantage to both the students and the businesses. This support is given to the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology by the Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Advisory Board (MITAB). Nissan America, TRW, Peterbilt, Saturn, BMW, UPS and Advances Manufacturing Technologies are a few of the companies represented on the board. The advisory board is a great way to look at companies and see what they have to offer. They also provide a great collective knowledge about the industrial field from which all M.I.T. students are encouraged to draw. Manufacturing and Industrial Technology students are also given the opportunity to participate in co-operative education assignments with well-respected industrial manufacturers. Qualified students gain valuable on-the-job experience while earning money to offset educational expenses.

By supplying graduates with a technical, operational and managerial education, the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology meets the needs of industry. The wide breadth of technical positions in the industry assures the Industrial Technology graduate of an interesting and challenging career. Most of the current I.T. students have already secured jobs by the time they graduate.

 
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