Engineering+

Our introductory classes go beyond the typical, immersing you in engineering through applied projects that will prepare you for success. That's why we call it Engineering+. In addition to lectures, there are small-group studios and professional development opportunities to help you discover your path in engineering. The course themes in Engineering+ explore the ways engineers design and influence the world, so you can develop an inclusive mindset through your participation in classes, events, and more. You are introduced to the majors, clubs, support systems and other opportunities in the College of Engineering so you can get the most out of your time seeking a degree.

Whether you know exactly what degree you want or are still exploring your options, you will gain the skills you need to be successful at OSU and beyond. The courses are taught by experienced faculty who can inspire and encourage you to meet your full potential and who are interested in supporting your academic and professional goals. 

Fall Co-curricular Information

Upcoming Engineering+ Events

 

Courses

Over your first three terms, you’ll take three 3-credit courses that explore various intersections of engineering, society, and the environment.

  • Each on-campus course meets twice per week for one-hour lectures and once per week in a smaller group for a two-hour studio.
    • Studios are an OSU-specific course structure that supports students in practicing engineering work in authentic situations - collaborating in small groups on complex open-ended problems with multiple constraints and stakeholders.

Winter 2024

Energy Production and Justice on Earth - Implications for Space Colonization

Explore the connection between energy production and social justice on Earth and how it impacts our future in space colonization. You’ll get a deep understanding of the ethical, environmental, and societal dynamics in today's energy landscape. You will also explore how equitable access to resources, sustainable energy solutions, and responsible community-building will be essential for human expansion beyond Earth. Join us and be part of the transformation as we work to create a blueprint for a brighter, more equitable, and responsible spacefaring future.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Lily Ranjbar  CRN: 35913


Materials and Software for a Greener World

Be successful both at Oregon State and in your engineering career. Uses effective teaming practices that account for social justice and equity. Analyze professional codes of conduct and ethical practices in engineering professions through the lens of multidisciplinary and societally relevant engineering challenges. Develop critical thinking skills to collaboratively identify engineering problems and to articulate possible solutions.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Scott Kerlin  CRN: 36122, 36127

Designing Human-Centered Systems for a Better World

Analyze real-world problems using Systems Thinking tools and design sustainable solutions using Human-Centered Design and System Dynamics Modeling. Gain practical insights about how to tackle engineering challenges systematically to produce long-term benefits.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Sami Al-Abdrabbuh  CRN: 35512


System of Systems Engineering

In this course, you will learn how to design, model, and simulate complex systems comprised of independent subsystems that must work together to achieve important real-world tasks. You will work in teams, learn graphical programming, test hypotheses, and contribute to technical reports.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jason Clark  CRN: 35522


Uncovering Engineering Opportunities for Innovation

Innovative organizations develop impactful products through a deep understanding of the needs and values of their customers. This course will teach you the tools, tactics, and strategies needed to ask meaningful questions and identify promising opportunities for innovation. Learn how to uncover what people need and develop creative solutions to meet those needs through the human-centered design process. 

Campus: Corvallis Instructor: Alex Crease CRN: 35537


Engineering Solutions for Health Disparities

Explore the interplay between engineering, health disparities, and social and environmental justice. You’ll have the opportunity to hone your professional skills, including data analysis, scientific literacy, and science communication. Assess publicly available data to identify health disparities, analyze trends, and brainstorm creative solutions. Join us as we explore how different engineering fields can make an impact in health disparities.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Kaitlin Fogg  CRN: 36698


The Science, Engineering and Societal Impact of Nanotechnology

Learn to evaluate and apply nanotechnology solutions to today’s engineering grand challenges through student-driven exploration. Survey nanomaterial properties, manufacturing methods, characterization methods, as well as their impacts on health and safety.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Stacey Harper  CRN: 35502


Thinking and Working as a Product Design Engineer

Learn methods and processes to design products that satisfy human needs in a technologically, economically, and environmentally viable way.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Chris Hoyle  CRN: 35527


Fresh Water for the Present and Future

Learn organized problem-solving and a variety of computational tools (e.g. spreadsheets,  as we look at the supply and demand of water in the home, community, country, and planet. Work in teams to perform, check, and present engineering calculations as we examine ways to meet the growing demand for clean water.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jack Istok  CRN: 36135, 36150


Our Energy Future: Design, Sustainability, and Society

Explore emerging and green energy technologies through engineering design principles, sustainability considerations, and societal impacts. Complete an open-ended team project on an energy related topic. Student projects have encompassed nuclear fusion, lithium mining, wave energy, smart grids, and energy efficient water distribution.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Natasha Mallette CRN: 35517


Applied Engineering Thinking

Investigate engineered systems of your choice while applying the research-based engineering thinking techniques you’ll learn in the course. Student projects have included: astrophysics of meteorites, forest fire modeling and management, turbo-charged gasoline engines, wind turbine optimization and water treatment through restored wetlands.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Devlin Montfort  CRN: 36701


Putting People First: Human Centered Design

Apply design tools and techniques such as mental modeling, hierarchical task analysis, and ethnography to identify user needs in products and systems. Think about how people interpret, use, maintain, and live with products. Apply that knowledge to impact safety, public health, global, or other topics through design changes to current products/infrastructure or new designs. Learn how to keep people the forefront of the design process.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Anthony Nix  CRN: 35532


Unlocking the Power of Sensor Technology

From wearable health devices, to robotics, climate monitoring, and the Internet of Things, explore the remarkable impact of sensors on our daily lives. How might these technologies transform your discipline? Join us on a journey of design thinking, unraveling complex issues, and seeking data-driven solutions, while using sensor kits to assemble your very own sensor system with your team. Explore the fusion of function and form, values and beliefs, and the profound connection between design and our own understanding of self. In this immersive narrative, the designs we create ultimately shape the world, and ourselves.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Chet Udell  CRN: 35497


Computational Foundations in Engineering

Explore foundational engineering concepts such as design principles, usability, problem solving, computational thinking, and logic. Gain knowledge of Boolean algebra, truth tables, circuit diagrams, and Python. Start building skills to find a job, and boost teamwork, communication, and technical writing skills through group projects focusing on design and use of software in diverse ways.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Eric Vogel  CRN: 35671, 36065


Our Embedded World

Learn about the embedded systems that control the devices and systems that make up our world. Gain familiarity with basic electronic circuits, develop your algorithmic thinking ability, and apply these concepts to build and program a microcontroller-based system.

Campus: Cascades  Instructor: Kyle Webb and D. White  CRN: 35777 & 39075


Natural Infrastructure for Climate Resilience

Examine how design can incorporate natural infrastructure (e.g., plants, large wood, dunes, floodplains) to reduce risk of flooding, erosion, and rising temperatures in river and coastal environments. Design calculations, studios, and analyses will emphasize energy dissipation and climate resilience.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Scott Wright  CRN: 35547

Computational Engineering in Daily Life

Gain confidence using core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures, to solve real-life problems using computations.

Programming language: C++

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Alex Guyer  CRN: 35791 & 36123


Computational Thinking by Tinkering with Python

Learn programming in Python by taking apart code examples to dissect, reverse engineer, modify, and adapt them. Then, solidify your understanding of the patterns you’ve discovered by designing new programs from scratch.

Programming language: Python

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Doshna Reddy  CRN: 36984, 36985

Fall 2023

Sustainable Transportation

Explore the economic engine of transportation from a sustainability lens. Learn how to plan, design, and operate robust surface transportation systems while reducing or eliminating the negative impacts. Have fun in a team of students pushing the boundaries of what is possible for future transportation systems.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Rob Bertini  CRN: 16582


Sustainable and Resilient Construction: The Bridge

Ever thought about how bridges are designed and constructed? This course explores how major bridges are designed and constructed and how engineers and scientists are pursuing methods to make the design, construction, and operation of these major engineering accomplishments more sustainable (e.g., meeting today’s needs without sacrificing future needs) and resilient (e.g., able to resist earthquakes, tsunamis, malevolent attacks). The class introduces critical aspects of the design and construction of bridges with engaging and fun studio activities that emphasize these critical aspects.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: David Trejo CRN: 16591


Engineering Systems for a Better World

Learn how to see the systems all around you — the people, technology, energy, and information — that play a key role in building and maintaining a better world. Explore how all engineering disciplines play a part in human-machine systems and build your engineering skills while you build a trebuchet.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Paula de Szoeke CRN: 16602


Engineering for Aerospace Applications

Advances in the aerospace field require involvement of different perspectives and engineering disciplines. Build your engineering skills while working with others and exploring aerospace problems and projects.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: David Blunck CRN: 16603


Engineering Clean Water for Environment, Health and Social Justice

In a rapidly changing world, access to clean water will be humanities most important challenge and threat. In this class, we will explore how every engineering field plays a critical role in helping to provide and preserve clean water for the planet. Through case studies, we will learn the broader impacts of engineering decisions on society’s most vulnerable populations. And through hands on learning will we will design, create and test emergency sand water filters that will help your community survive a Cascadia-event earthquake.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Tyler Radniecki CRN: 16604


Mission to Mars - Engineering Challenges

Travel on a Mars Mission and solve engineering challenges along the way. Learn about various space technologies and how different engineering disciplines play a role in your mission.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Goran Jovanovic CRN: 16605


Energy Production and Justice on Earth - Implications for Space Colonization

Investigate the interactions of energy, climate, communities, and industry, and what they mean for engineers.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Leila Ranjbar CRN: 16606


Automating the Future: Using Sensors for Control

Learn how to solve real-world problems by designing sensors that enable signal processing devices to interact with the world autonomously. As the creator of future innovations; you start early by exploring how to solve real-world problems by thinking critically, creatively, collaborating with others, and using methods from the field of engineering.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jason Clark CRN: 16607, 17796


Stone Age to Information Age: Materials that Drive Engineering

Immerse yourself in engineering disciplines with hands-on experiments measuring material properties (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and discussion of how, over the ages, the discovery of new materials has led to advances in engineering and design.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Albrecht Jander CRN: 16608


Take it apart! Reverse Engineering for Change

Ever take something apart to see how it works only to realize you could design it better? Explore engineering concepts while learning how products function and how we can design for change.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Sarah Oman CRN: 17840


Trash to Treasure: Engineering a Circular Materials Economy

Our society is facing a convergence of social-justice and environmental issues the likes of which we have never seen before, from production of green-house gases resulting in climate change to the accumulation of waste plastics in our oceans; there has never been a greater need for technological innovation to manage our waste. Discover how engineers of various disciplines are developing new technologies to birth a circular- materials economy that will enhance our society’s environmental sustainability and social equity.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Lucas Ellis CRN: 17855


Engineering Innovations and Social Responsibility

Explore how engineers work within and outside of organizational structures that influence project outcomes and decision making, and how your role as an engineer can influence positive and equitable outcomes in the design process. Engineering innovations will be explored in fields such as agriculture, energy and medicine.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Elliot Clement CRN: 17840


Learning From Failure: The Role of Engineering Failures on System Design (Honors)

Explore the role and importance of considering large systems and system interactions when troubleshooting failures in systems. Examples will be used in which large engineering system failures have occurred in our society. Registration limited to Honors College students only.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Toni Doolen & Wade Marcum  CRN: 16890


The Engineer’s Toolbox: Invention, Design, Analysis, and Innovation (Honors)

Learn how engineers follow a path from idea to innovation, where real-world problem solving requires invention, iteration, and a careful balancing of design trade-offs. We will look at examples of key technological advances from the past century, along with tools, methods, and ways of thinking that are useful across engineering disciplines. Registration limited to Honors College students only.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Matt Johnston CRN: 16891


Materials and Software for a Greener World

Be successful both at Oregon State and in your engineering career. Uses effective teaming practices that account for social justice and equity. Analyze professional codes of conduct and ethical practices in engineering professions through the lens of multidisciplinary and societally relevant engineering challenges. Develop critical thinking skills to collaboratively identify engineering problems and to articulate possible solutions.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Scott Kerlin CRN: 18988, 18989, 18990


Materials for a Green World

Examine how materials selection impacts sustainability of the built environment. Explore different engineering majors through the lens of Engineering Grand Challenges.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Rita Ghantous CRN: 16640, 17984, 18381

Solving Computational Sustainability Problems

Apply problem-solving strategies for developing algorithms to solve computational sustainability problems related to climate, water, energy, agriculture, forestry, and social/human factors.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jennifer Parham-Mocello  CRN: 16634


Designing Human-Centered Systems for a Better World

Analyze real-world problems using Systems Thinking tools and design sustainable solutions using Human-Centered Design and System Dynamics Modeling. Gain practical insights about how to tackle engineering challenges systematically to produce long-term benefits.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Sami Al-Abdrabbuh  CRN: 18997


Computational Foundations in Engineering

Explore foundational engineering concepts such as design principles, usability, problem solving, computational thinking, and logic. Gain knowledge of Boolean algebra, truth tables, circuit diagrams, and Python. Start building skills to find a job, and boost teamwork, communication, and technical writing skills through group projects focusing on design and use of software in diverse ways.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Eric Vogel  CRN: 17867, 17868

Computational Thinking by Tinkering with Python and C++

Learn programming in Python by taking apart code examples to dissect, reverse engineer, modify, and adapt them. Then, solidify your understanding of the patterns you’ve discovered by designing new programs from scratch. Programming language: Python, with a transition to C++

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Tim Alcon  CRN: 18017


Computational Thinking by Tinkering with Python

Learn programming in Python by taking apart code examples to dissect, reverse engineer, modify, and adapt them. Then, solidify your understanding of the patterns you’ve discovered by designing new programs from scratch. Programming language: Python

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Doshna Reddy  CRN: 18010, 18012, 18560

Summer 2023

Materials and Software for a Greener World

Be successful both at Oregon State and in your engineering career. Uses effective teaming practices that account for social justice and equity. Analyze professional codes of conduct and ethical practices in engineering professions through the lens of multidisciplinary and societally relevant engineering challenges. Develop critical thinking skills to collaboratively identify engineering problems and to articulate possible solutions.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Scott Kerlin  CRN: 74464, 74561

Computational Foundations in Engineering

Explore foundational engineering concepts such as design principles, usability, problem solving, computational thinking, and logic. Gain knowledge of Boolean algebra, truth tables, circuit diagrams, and Python. Start building skills to find a job, and boost teamwork, communication, and technical writing skills through group projects focusing on design and use of software in diverse ways.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Eric Vogel  CRN: 74465, 74562

Computational Thinking by Tinkering with Python

Learn programming in Python by taking apart code examples to dissect, reverse engineer, modify, and adapt them. Then, solidify your understanding of the patterns you’ve discovered by designing new programs from scratch. Programming language: Python

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Doshna Umma Reddy  CRN: 74466, 74498


Computational Foundations in Engineering

Gain confidence using core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures, to solve real- life problems using computations. Programming language: C++

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Alexander Guyer  CRN: 75252

Spring 2023

Take it apart! Reverse Engineering for Change

Ever take something apart to see how it works only to realize you could design it better? Explore engineering concepts while learning how products function and how we can design for change.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Sarah Oman  CRN: 58655


Materials and Software for a Greener World

Be successful both at Oregon State and in your engineering career. Uses effective teaming practices that account for social justice and equity. Analyze professional codes of conduct and ethical practices in engineering professions through the lens of multidisciplinary and societally relevant engineering challenges. Develop critical thinking skills to collaboratively identify engineering problems and to articulate possible solutions.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Scott Kerlin  CRN: 59632 or 59633

Measure Twice, Cut Once: Hands- on Data Measurement and Control

Learn experimental data measurement and simple control theory using an Arduino starter kit. Examine the physical phenomenon of each sensor, together with measurement reliability, accuracy, frequency, signal noise, and more.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Patrick Geoghegan  CRN: 58656


Computational Foundations

Explore foundational engineering concepts (design principles, usability, problem solving, computational thinking, logic). Gain knowledge of computer science & software engineering (overviews, Boolean algebra, truth tables, circuit diagrams, Python introduction). Boost your teamwork, communication, and technical writing skills by developing software and researching in a group, and start building skills to find a job.

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Eric Vogel  CRN: 58635, 58636, 58649

Computational Engineering for Engineering Systems

Explores core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures. Apply these concepts for solving systems problems that involve people, technology, energy, and information. Programming languages: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jayani Jayasuriya  CRN: 57259


Computational Engineering for One Planet

Familiarize yourself with core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures. Then put your new knowledge to the test, solving sustainability problems using computation. Programming language: C++.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jennifer Parham-Mocello CRN: 57267


Smarter World: Internet of Things

Explore programming by seeing how the Internet of Things is built. IOT improves health, environmental monitoring, and safety. This course uses hands-on experiments using electronics and programming. Focus on creating, not just learning. Programming languages: C

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Donald Heer  CRN: 57914


The Python Prescription

Explore the development and production of pharmaceuticals through data analysis and mathematical modeling. Build your computer programming and problem-solving skills through project-based learning in Python.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Adam Lambert  CRN: 57919


Python: A Tool for Engineers

Learn fundamentals of programming such as variables, expressions, functions, control structures, 1-d and 2-d structures. Use these learnings to program solutions for engineering problems in industry and nature. 
Programming language: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Deepak Sharma  CRN: 57921


Algorithms for modeling, visualizing, and testing creative engineering designs

Learn how to work smart so your computer can work hard by writing robust and logically structured code that does as much as you want in as few lines as possible. Convert engineering problems to programmatic algorithms by understanding and mastering the use of variables, methods, and conditional statements in your script. Programming language: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Jeffrey Knowles CRN: 57923


Computational Engineering for renewable energy

Explore the world of renewable energy through data analysis and Python programming. Gain programming and data analysis skills through project-based learning and design of new programs with applications in renewable energy. Programming language: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Liney Arnadottir CRN: 57925


Computational Engineering and Clean Energy

Learn core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures. Then put these concepts to work with real world datasets from wind and wave energy, hydropower, solar, and more! Programming language: Python.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Meagan Wengrove  CRN: 57927


Interactive Physical Computing

Build interactive systems that can sense and respond to the world around you. You’ll learn fundamental programming in the Arduino IDE to program CircuitPlayground boards to make light shows, songs, a smart plant, and handheld video game. Programming language: C/C++

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Chet Udell  CRN: 58509


Exploring the Future of Programming: A Self-Paced and AI-Enhanced Learning Journey

Learn how to code through a self-paced learning experience facilitated by an interactive online textbook and AI-powered tools. Explore the future of programming and apply your skills to develop simple games and solve real-world problems, no prior coding experience is required. Programming language: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Sami Al-Abdrabbuh CRN: 58557


Coding for Visual, Interactive, and Generative Art

Explore core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures. Then put those concepts into action, creating computational artwork and data display supporting a new generation of visual code artists. Programming Language: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Heather Knight CRN: 58566


Computational Engineering Big and Small

Explore core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures. Apply these concepts to engineering problems at a variety of length scales ranging from the nucleus to the solar system. Programming language: Python.

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Brian Woods  CRN: 59612


Computational Engineering for Everyday Life

Explore core programming concepts, such as variables, expressions, conditions, control structures, functions, and simple 1-d and 2-d structures. Apply these concepts to problems in nature and industry that are relevant to engineers. Programming Language: Python

Campus: Corvallis  Instructor: Benjamin Smucker CRN: 59613


Computational Thinking by Tinkering with Python

Learn programming in Python by taking apart code examples to dissect, reverse engineer, modify, and adapt them. Then, solidify your understanding of the patterns you’ve discovered by designing new programs from scratch. Programming language: Python

Campus: Ecampus  Instructor: Doshna Umma Reddy CRN: 57812, 57815, 57817


Computational engineering for energy systems

Expand your knowledge of core programming concepts, including matrix operations, plotting, conditional statements, loops, and numerical problem solving techniques. Programming Language: Python

Campus: Cascades  Instructor: Kyle Webb CRN: 58625


Visual and Interactive Software Development

Design and develop animations and simulations that solve problems related to science and entertainment. Express yourself artistically and create software solutions that have meaning to your world and your life. Build technical, communication, and collaboration skills all while meeting new people and having fun. No experience required and all are welcome! Programming Language: Java

Campus: Cascades  Instructor: Jill Hubbard CRN: 58604

People

We are here to help. Reach out with any questions or to learn more.

Natasha Mallette, PhD, P.E.
Director of Engineering+
natasha.mallette@oregonstate.edu
Paula de Szoeke
Assistant Director of Engineering+
paula.deszoeke@oregonstate.edu