COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

G.E. Johnson, Dean
R.C. Loutzenheiser, Associate Dean for Basic Engineering, Recruiting, and Retention
Steve Idem, Associate Dean
S. Deivanayagam, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research
T.D. Marable, Director of Minority Engineering
J.E. Brock, Director of University Development for Engineering

   VISION

The College of Engineering will be an acknowledged leader in engineering and technology education.

MISSION

Through education, research and service, we will prepare our graduates to 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. Most students entering the College may select a particular major. However, if a student is not sure which major to enter, a common first-year curriculum for most majors 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 16 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. Some programs include a non-thesis option. A full-time student usually completes the degree in 18 to 24 months.

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 to four years of full-time study to complete the degree.

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 a common program, a student initially attends college full-time for three semesters, has an off-campus COOP assignment for one to three semesters, returns to the campus for two or three semesters, has a second off-campus COOP assignment, and then returns to the campus to complete graduation requirements. The COOP program provides an excellent hands-on experience, but usually adds one or two additional years to complete the BS degree requirements. 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 in conjunction with a COOP experience.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

The College operates three State-supported accomplished Centers of Excellence: the Center for Manufacturing Research; the Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources; and the Center for Energy Systems Research. 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 ACT Test. It is advisable for engineering students to have completed 4 units of science (including physics, if possible) and at least 3 1/2 units of college preparatory mathematics, including a study of trigonometric identities, in high school. Applicants who have met the necessary prerequisites will be admitted to Calculus I (MATH 1910). Pre-calculus courses (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 an Engineering major. 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 an Engineering major must have
· a cumulative higher education QPA of at least 2.0 (excluding credit for remedial and developmental courses) and
· a grade of "C" or higher in a pre-calculus 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. 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. The College of Engineering will assist transfer students in making the transition to Tennessee Tech at any point in their academic programs.

Students who wish to transfer to the Industrial Technology program should consult with the Chairperson of the Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology.

Suggested Courses for 2-year Pre-engineering Program

B.S. DEGREE AND GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

The student must complete the curriculum for the major subject chosen and must comply with General Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree and the General Education Requirements. However, students majoring in engineering 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 and/or other subjects, the student must remove the deficiency before earning 60 credit hours and such courses will not count in the degree program. Industrial Technology majors are not exempt and must take American History.

Studies in the General Education Requirements serve not only to meet the objectives of a broad education but also to meet the objectives of the professional accreditation agencies – ABET and NAIT. In the interest of making engineering/technology students fully aware of their social responsibilities and their ability to consider related factors in decision-making, courses in the humanities/fine arts and the social/behavioral sciences are required. Each student is obligated to understand these requirements and know any special requirements within their particular major.

The courses offered in the "major subject" (used to calculate Major QPA) 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.

ORGANIZATION

Departments and Undergraduate Curricula

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

Individual curricula
Course descriptions 

BASIC ENGINEERING PROGRAM

Professor Loutzenheiser, Associate Dean; Associate Professors Goolsby, Hunter, Rose; Assistant Professors Craven, Wells

The primary mission of the Basic Engineering Program is to provide an initial major for entering students who have not decided on a specific engineering discipline. This is a common situation for many entering students, who often have not had sufficient exposure to the various engineering disciplines to make a selection. Students who are eligible for admission to the College of Engineering may choose to major in Basic Engineering during their first year. Basic Engineering faculty will advise these students and assist them in the selection of a degree-granting major.

The Basic Engineering Program also provides academic and administrative support to the degree-granting programs in the College of Engineering. Academic support includes courses in engineering graphics, computer programming, and an overview of the engineering profession. The overview course, required of all engineering majors, includes both hands-on laboratory activities and a team-based design project. All courses are designed to prepare TTU engineering majors with the foundation knowledge and skills required to succeed in an engineering baccalaureate degree program. The administrative support functions vary by degree-granting program and include recruiting activities, mathematics placement testing, registration activities, transfer credit evaluation, student advisement, and student records management.

The Basic Engineering curriculum covers the freshman year and includes:

1. fundamental subjects, such as calculus, chemistry, and English writing;
2. engineering skills, such as engineering graphics and computer programming;
3. an overview of the engineering profession, including laboratory activities and a team-based design project; and
4. two elective courses in the area of humanities and fine arts.

The freshman year curricula for Civil, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering are identical to the Basic Engineering curriculum. The freshman year curriculum for Chemical Engineering does not require the engineering graphics course. The freshman year curricula for Computer and Electrical Engineering do not require the engineering graphics course and replace the second semester of chemistry with the first semester of calculus-based physics and lab.
Basic Engineering students may change majors to any degree-granting department in the College of Engineering at any time.

Basic Engineering students may not register for upper division engineering courses (3000 and 4000 level). The chairperson of the department in which the upper-division course is taught, with the approval of the Associate Dean for Basic Engineering, Recruiting, and Retention, may grant an exception for unusual circumstances.
Students entering the Basic Engineering Program are considered to have simultaneously entered the curriculum of any degree-granting program in the College of Engineering and may graduate by satisfying the requirements of the catalog then in effect.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Professor Arce, Chairperson; Professor Biernacki, Associates Professors Visco, Whitmire; Assistant Professors Carpen, Stretz, Subramanian, Wang (Center for Manufacturing Research)

Chemical Engineering (ChE) is a respected and ideal profession for modern times and dynamic changing markets. It is broad, adaptable to a large family of businesses (i.e., petroleum, environmental, biotechnology, biomedicine, pharmaceutical, materials, food and others) and highly paid. Rooted in basic sciences, ChE is mainly concerned with the design, scaling (up or down), operation and control of the transformation and separation of raw materials into valuable products. Chemical Engineers are the inventors of nylon fibers, artificial heart valves, nasal drug deliveries and efficient processes to clean our environment, to name a few.

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Tech is a vibrant community of engineering educators where both teaching and research synergistically work to effectively enhance student learning. In fact, Tennessee Tech is the home of some of the top educators in the region with most of the ChE Department engaged in active research on various aspects of student learning. These efforts have led to multi-award winning distinctions university-wide, nationally and internationally. ChE faculty members are frequently invited to conduct training workshops for colleagues in the United States and abroad and, therefore, students are exposed to some of the most effective and modern approaches in engineering education. The ChE curriculum is often revised to reflect changes in teaching pedagogy as well as shifts in the areas that hire our graduates, such as biotechnology, materials, and the environment. Thus, Chemical Engineering at Tennessee Tech offers a well-rounded, competitive and modern curriculum highly adaptable to the changing markets of the present time.

For those interested in industrial careers, the Tennessee Tech experience has proven successful in a variety of businesses and national labs. For those more interested in graduate education, Tennessee Tech graduates can be found at some of the most prestigious universities in the country and have received fellowships from competitive agencies such as the National Science Foundation and Tau Beta Pi.

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. Additionally, for those more motivated and qualified students, a distinction in the major option is available to enhance the B.S. degree as well as a fast-track (5-year) B.S./M.S. option.

The mission of the Chemical Engineering Department at Tennessee Tech is to provide the highest quality undergraduate chemical engineering education by undertaking both teaching and research in chemical engineering and related areas, and working with industry, government, the community and the profession to offer a well-rounded training for the future chemical engineer, and to increase the wealth and well-being of society.

Students majoring in Chemical Engineering must meet the College of Engineering requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree as well as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology requirements. This requires the completion of credit hours in composition, literature, humanities, social science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry. In addition, students are required to take Programming for Engineers and Introduction to Engineering. Chemical Engineering majors are required to take 24 hours of chemistry (and earn a minor in that area) as well as 42 hours of chemical engineering core courses. In order to relate fundamental concepts developed in classroom sessions to technological applications, students take four chemical engineering laboratory courses. Nine hours of technical electives are also required that allow the student some curricular flexibility and a focus on a particular aspect of the profession that interests them.

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Professor Huddleston, Chairperson; Professors Buchanan, Crouch, George (Director, Water Center), Loutzenheiser (Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs), Otuonye (Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies) Roberts, Tolbert;
Associate Professors Badoe, Henderson, Huo, Neary, Ramirez, Ryan, Weathers; Assistant Professors Click, Hossain, Liu, Mohr Ramirez

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 ENGR 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: Civil Engineering Materials, CEE 3030; Computers in Civil Engineering, CEE 3100; Water Supply and Pollution Control, CEE 3410; 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 Project, 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.

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Professor Rajan Chairperson; Professors Alouani, Anderson, Carnal, Chowdhuri (Electric Power Center), Mahajan, Natarajan, Ojo, Sekar, Ventrice; Associate Professors Abdelrahman, Austen, Haggard, Qiu (Center for Manufacturing Research), Radman; Assistant Professors Ghani, He

The major goal of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tennessee Technological University is to prepare its studentsfor the challenges of the rapidly changing fields of electrical and computer engineering. The department strives to achieve a quality reputation for its academic programs at the regional, national, and international levels. The mission of the department is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education in the areas of electrical and computer engineering so as to enhance the competitiveness of our graduates in the job market and contribute to the economic, scientific and social development of the Middle Tennessee area, the State of Tennessee and the Nation. The department will maintain a positive academic environment that promotes excellence in learning and research through constructive interaction between students, faculty, staff, industry and community. The department will impart state of the art technical knowledge and research capabilities, enhance critical thinking, problem solving skills, and ethical responsibility and develop students' verbal and written communication skills. In fulfilling the above mission, the department offers two undergraduate academic programs, one leading to the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) degree and the other leading to Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (BSCmpE) degree. In addition, it also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) and Doctor of Philosophy (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, professionally competent electrical engineering graduates who have a strong foundation in the fundamentals of electrical engineering. These graduates are employed by a number of small and big companies such as TVA, IBM, Raytheon, Texas Instruments, Motorola, Bell South, Saturn, Nissan, and many electric utilities. Founded in 1942, the BSEE degree program has produced more than 2,100 graduates. Since 1966, the program has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or its predecessor organizations. The following educational objectives of the BSEE program have been formulated to meet the present and anticipated needs of the students and satisfy the University, State and accrediting agency requirements.

1. Provide the students with fundamental knowledge, and training in the use of modern tools of mathematics, science, and engineering required for analyzing and solving electrical engineering problems in practice, and for undertaking graduate studies.
2. Equip the students with the ability to identify the technical and economic aspects of an engineering problem and to carry out the various stages of project planning and execution.
3. Impart knowledge of, and appreciation for, the various aspects of engineering design problems including quality, cost and safety.
4. Develop communication capabilities in the students necessary to function effectively in the profession and society.
5. Inculcate in the students an understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities, prepare them for the complex modern work environment, and instill in them the desire and capabilities required for life-long learning.
6. Provide the students with a broad education, which includes an appreciation and understanding of current issues of electrical engineering solutions, and their impact on social and global issues.

Students acquire the above knowledge and skills by following an integrated curriculum of courses and experiences that result in a set of outcomes ensuring the achievement of the above objectives. The department employs a series of tools such as examinations, presentations and surveys to evaluate the level of success in meeting the above objectives and assessing the achievement of the outcomes by the students. These in turn are used to revise and update the objectives and curriculum on a regular basis. Alumni and the ECE Industrial Advisory Board assist the faculty in carrying out the above process.

The details of the curriculum are presented elsewhere in the catalog. Briefly, the BSEE students are required to take chemistry, mathematics, calculus-based physics and general education courses that include English composition and literature. Students acquire general engineering expertise by taking certain engineering fundamentals courses that include engineering mechanics. They take core electrical engineering courses such as circuit analysis, signals and systems, field theory and electronic circuits. They acquire breadth in five fundamental areas of electrical engineering and depth in at least one area. The department has expertise and offers in-depth courses in a number of emphasis areas in electrical engineering: circuit and signal processing, computers and digital systems, control systems and instrumentation, electronics, electric power, 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 capstone design experience in a senior level multidisciplinary design course. The program lays considerable emphasis on laboratory experience and computer applications and the department maintains appropriate state-of-the-art laboratorues and computer equipment.

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, before graduation, the Fundamentals of Engineering examination administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners.

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 as well as software of computers and computer-based systems. The program was started in 1998 and has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) effective from the beginning. 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 educational objectives are formulated so as to meet the present and anticipated needs of students and satisfy the State, University and accreditation agency requirements. Specifically the educational objectives of the BSCmpE degree program are as follows:

1. Provide the students with fundamental knowledge, and training in the use of modern tools of mathematics, science, and engineering required for analyzing and solving computer engineering problems in practice, and for undertaking graduate studies.
2. Equip the students with the ability to identify the technical and economic aspects of an engineering problem and to carry out the various stages of project planning and execution.
3. Impart knowledge of, and appreciation for, the various aspects of engineering design problems including quality, cost and safety.
4. Develop communication capabilities in the students necessary to function effectively in the profession and society.
5. Inculcate in the students an understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities, prepare them for the complex modern work environment, and instill in them the desire and capabilities required for life-long learning.
6. Provide the students with a broad education, which includes an appreciation and understanding of current issues of computer engineering solutions, and their impact on social and global issues.

Students are required to follow an integrated curriculum of courses and experiences that result in a set of outcomes that ensure the achievement of the above objectives. The department employs a series of tools such as examinations, presentations and surveys to evaluate the level of success in meeting the above objectives and assessing the achievement of the outcomes by the students. These in turn are used to revise and update the objectives and curriculum on a regular basis. Alumni and the ECE Industrial Advisory Board assist the faculty in carrying out the above process.

The details of the curriculum are presented elsewhere in the catalog. Briefly, the BSCmpE students are required to take chemistry, mathematics, calculus-based physics and general education courses that include English composition and literature. Students build expertise in hardware and software by taking electrical engineering and computer science courses. The ECE Department and the CSC Department offer indepth courses in a number of emphasis areas in computer engineering: computer design, computer networks, VLSI circuit design, instrumentation, database management and artificial intelligence. An integrated design experience is provided to students starting with elementary designs in freshman and sophomore level courses and ending with a capstone design experience in a senior level multidisciplinary design course. The program lays considerable emphasis on laboratory experience and computer applications and the department maintains appropriate state-of-the-art laboratory and computer facilities.
The students are encouraged to develop leadership and other social skills by participating in 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 before graduation the Fundamentals of Engineering examination administered by the Tennessee State Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners.

DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

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

Industrial engineers design and improve work systems. While other engineers typically design machines or structures, industrial engineers specialize in integrated systems that include people, equipment, materials, information, energy, and money. 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.

Flexibility is a key theme in industrial engineering (IE), and opportunities are endless. Industrial engineers design machine interfaces like computer displays and ATMs so that people easily understand them; they evaluate workplace safety and design jobs to ensure that workers are not at risk for injury; they help make hospital emergency rooms more efficient, reduce waiting times in them parks, and ensure that purchases are delivered on time. Because IE skills are applicable in every type of organization, industrial engineers have a greater variety of opportunities than do other engineering disciplines.

Industrial engineering consistently ranks in the top 25% out of 250 occupations for job satisfaction – the highest of all major branches of engineering. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, IE is the fourth largest engineering discipline in the United States in terms of jobs in the workforce. Industrial engineering also has among the highest percentage of women practitioners of all the engineering disciplines. Because of their educational background, many industrial engineering graduates also move quickly into management positions.

About sixty percent of IE jobs are in manufacturing industries, but opportunities are growing in service industries and government. In addition to manufacturing, IE skills are used to improve productivity and quality in hospitals, insurance companies, banks, utilities, transportation and distribution/logistics companies, construction firms, retail organizations, consulting firms, and numerous government agencies.

The Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) 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 ISE Department also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering.

The educational mission of the ISE Department is to develop benchmark quality industrial engineers with broad-based expertise in the design, development, and management of integrated production and service systems. This research mission is to develop and transfer innovative technologies for modeling and solving the problems of integrated systems. To meet these missions, 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 constituents. The department’s Industrial Advisory Board annually reviews these objectives as well as the program outcomes and assessment metrics for curriculum effectiveness. The BSIE program is designed to provide a strong engineering foundation so that graduates have the technical competence and broad education to develop effective and ethical engineering solutions to contemporary, societal problems; to communicate effectively; to function positively in teams, and to be prepared for life-long learning. An important aspect of the program is that all BSIE students earn academic credit for participating in an IE design internship course, i.e., a team-based project with a local industry or other organization, before graduation.

The focus of the BSIE program is on preparing graduates for successful leadership, process improvement, decision modeling, and graduate education. The curriculum is founded on four program educational objectives, which specify that IE graduates, within three to five years after graduation, will:
1. lead the planning, designing, developing, and controlling of integrated systems.
2. apply industrial engineering concepts and tools to improve processes in service and manufacturing systems.
3. use analytical techniques to model complex systems and make inferences for effective decisions, and
4. pursue graduate education in either a research or professional degree program.

The BSIE program builds upon a foundation of courses common to the traditional engineering freshman year. Course requirements are the same as those for students entering Basic Engineering. Included in the freshman curriculum are two humanities/fine arts electives and courses in calculus, chemistry, engineering graphics, computer programming, and an introduction to engineering.

During the sophomore year, students continue their required mathematics with calculus and matrix algebra and their science courses with calculus-based physics and an option of a second physics course or an anatomy and physiology course. The sophomore year includes the first two of four business courses with microeconomics and macroeconomics, which also serve as the required social science sequence for industrial engineering majors. A literature elective and a communications course are also taken. Students begin their engineering mechanics sequence with statics and complete a second programming course focused on engineering applications. ISE 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

The junior-year curriculum includes ISE 3100 Engineering Economy, ISE 3200 Engineering Statistics, ISE 3220 Design of Experiments, ISE 3400 Operations Research, ISE 3410 Simulation of Industrial Systems, and ISE 3800 Information Systems for Industrial Engineering. These courses introduce tools and techniques for analytical modeling and decision-making that are used in engineering systems design. At the junior level, two courses provide experience in system design of open-ended problems: ISE 3310 Process Improvement Techniques and ISE 3910 Engineering Leadership and Project Management. The design experiences this year prepare students for the more complex problems 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 the final mathematics course (differential equations). The junior ISE 3900 Industrial Engineering Seminar focuses on contemporary topics and ethics, along with technical report writing.

Senior-year courses extend the knowledge and skills acquired in the junior-year courses. ISE 4230 Quality Control extends the statistics courses to focus on quality. ISE 4500 Facilities and Material Handling System Design requires a design project for an open-ended project that includes problem identification, data collection and reduction, development and evaluation of alternatives, and documentation of results in a written report. ISE 4600 Production Control provides additional tools in forecasting, inventory planning, and production scheduling. Senior students complete their engineering science requirements with dynamics, mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, and fundamentals of electrical engineering. They also complete an ISE elective to enhance their knowledge in an area of interest and take a review course for the Fundamentals of Engineering examination. During the last term, students in ISE 4510 Engineering Design Internship draw upon all their previous design experience to complete 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. The BSIE curriculum prepares students for this examination, the first step in preparation for professional licensure.

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

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.

The freshman curriculum is similar for all engineering students. Here emphasis is placed on the fundamental tools of mathematics, chemistry, computer programming, written communication, humanities and basic engineering. Students are introduced to the various fields of engineering and the design concept in Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 1210). In Engineering Graphics (ENGR 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 Engineers (ENGR 1120), the last assignment is an open-ended project.

The sophomore curriculum stresses the fundamental tools of mathematics, physics, and engineering sciences (statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, and fundamentals of electrical engineering). In addition, the course, Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and Computing (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 thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, dynamics of machinery, mechanical 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). Dynamic Modeling and Controls (ME 3050) continues instruction of computer-aided simulation tools. Selected simulation assignments given in ME 3050 introduce the student to parametric analysis.
The senior curriculum contains capstone design experiences in three courses: Applied 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 Engineering Economy (ISE 3100), Energy Systems Laboratory (ME 4751), 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, Power Production, MEMS and Nanotechnology, and Engineering Mechanics.

Mechanical Systems: typical emphases are Machine Design and Manufacturing, Systems Dynamics and Controls, Materials, Engineering Mechanics, and MEMS and Nanotechnology.

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 Professors Fidan, Stone, 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 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 Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Technology (MIT) offers a four-year degree program leading to a BS Degree in Industrial Technology with a minor in Business. The department began in 1956 within the College of Engineering and has the distinction of being accredited by 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 industry and management/supervisory 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. The Department of Manufacturing and 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 manufacturing 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 for technology and, industrial automation, which includes robotics and programmable logic controllers. Plant Layout and Material Handling, Industrial Communications, and Industrial Supervision enable the manufacturing and 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, Industrial Safety, Manufacturing Cost Estimating, Methods Design, and Quality Assurance. The addition of these courses to the curriculum gives the graduates an appealing and 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 by the Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Advisory Board (MITAB). Nissan America, TRW, Peterbuilt, Saturn, BMW, UPS, and Advances Manufacturing Technologies, Incorporated 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 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.

Before graduation, Manufacturing and Industrial Technology students are required to take the National Association of Industrial Technology’s Certification Examination administered by the National Association of Industrial Technology and Tennessee Technological University.