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1 B.4. Professional Component
B.4.1. Curriculum Overview and the Core Curriculum
The Colorado School of Mines’ curricula in engineering span four years or eight semesters of study plus a summer “field” session. The field session is a full-time activity of between three and six weeks, respectively carrying academic credit of between three and six semester-hours. A broadly descriptive, or “architectural”, depiction of this curriculum is given below in Figure B.4.1.
Figure B.4.1. Architectural Representation of the Current CSM Curriculum
The underlying theme in the design of the CSM undergraduate curriculum is to create a systematized and cross-coupled curriculum that provides both vertical and horizontal connectivity. Vertical pathways develop knowledge and skills in the technical sciences, in engineering practices and design, and in the humanities and social sciences. Horizontal linkages provide the breadth of cumulative knowledge in the basic sciences, engineering sciences, social sciences and humanities in engineering practice and design, and they provide a venue to study the cause-and-effect interplay among engineering systems, natural systems and human systems.
Figure B.4.1 shows the superimposition of the curriculum on three vertical stems: the technical sciences, engineering practices and design, and the humanities and social sciences. The figure shows the predominance of engineering topics in the junior and senior years within the scope of the technical sciences and engineering practices and design, and the predominance of the mathematical and basic sciences in the freshman and sophomore years and within the technical sciences. Note that the figure merely shows predominance, where in actuality engineering topics and the mathematical and basic sciences are not solely confined to the years indicated. The general education component is mostly reflected in the humanities and social sciences stem, and includes (not shown) the free electives, the requirement for physical education and the Freshman Success Seminar. The distributed core is an organizational vehicle for sharing and distributing the fundamental engineering sciences (thus engineering topics) among appropriate disciplines. The systems courses, freshman and sophomore design courses, EPICS, and senior design are distributed and categorized in the basic sciences, general education, or engineering topics.
Table B.4.1: Core Curriculum
Within this framework, it is customary at the Colorado School of Mines to recognize a separation between the core curriculum and a program curriculum. This separation is not delineated by a fixed point in time within the progression of semesters-of-study, but instead is a separation into all courses that are required of all students at the School (the core curriculum), and those courses that are required of students majoring in a particular program (the program curriculum). In general, however, program curricula begin with one or two courses in the fourth semester.
The core curriculum at the Colorado School of Mines is detailed below.
The total semester-hour requirements for engineering programs range from 130.5 (Engineering Physics) to 140.5 (Engineering – Mechanical Specialty) hours. Within this total, students in all programs (including Economics which is not accredited) complete a core curriculum of 72.5 (71.5 for Geological Engineering) credit hours. For all programs, this core consists of,
➢ 32 (31 for Geological Engineering) hours in college level mathematics and the basic sciences in the core curriculum.
➢ a general education component comprised of a fixed requirement of 16 semester-hours in the humanities and the social sciences. Seven of these semester-hours are from required courses in Nature and Human Values and Principles of Economics. The remaining 9 semester-hours are chosen by students and must be within a defined cluster of courses in Humanities, Public Policy or International Studies.
➢ 7 hours of systems courses. Four credits in earth and environmental systems and 3 credits in human systems. In the discussion to follow, Earth and Environmental systems is included with Basic Mathematics and Science, Human Systems are included with Human and Social Sciences.
➢ 6 credit hours of engineering topics. These are embedded in the engineering design freshman and sophomore Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence (EPICS).
➢ 2 hours of physical education.
➢ 0.5 hours in a freshman success seminar.
➢ 9 hours of free electives.
B.4.2. Program Curriculum
The minimum Engineering Physics curriculum is presented in Appendix IA Table 1. The breakdown of course content is:
|Term/Category |Math |Science |Eng. Des. |Eng. Sci. |HSS |Other |Total |
|Freshman I |4 |8 |0 |0 |4 |1 |17 |
|Freshman II |4 |8.5 |3 |0 |0 |0.5 |16 |
|Sophomore I |4 |4.5 |3 |0 |3 |0.5 |15 |
|Sophomore II |3 |3 |1 |6 |3 |0.5 |16.5 |
|Summer II |0 |0 |6 |0 |0 |0 |6 |
|Junior I |3 |0 |3 |6 |3 |0 |15 |
|Junior II |0 |4 |2 |6 |0 |3 |15 |
|Senior I |0 |0 |3 |3 |3 |6 |15 |
|Senior II |0 |0 |3 |3 |3 |6 |15 |
|TOTAL |18 |28 |24 |24 |19 |17.5 |130.5 |
Table B.4.2
B.4.3. Preparation of Students for Engineering Practice
As described above, one feature of the framework for the Colorado School of Mines curriculum is a vertical stem in engineering practices and design. This extends from the freshman through the senior year, and is implemented through successive courses that are in the core curriculum and in the program curricula. While anchored in this stem, the individual courses have breadth or foci that link design to the technical sciences and to aspects of the humanities and social sciences. The core requirements are met through freshman and sophomore courses in the Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence (EPICS), while the program requirements are met through a senior capstone project course or course sequence, and also through focused design experiences within appropriate engineering topics courses.
The philosophy for the design stem blends an understanding of design and the design process with a maturing technical sophistication in design capability. Thus, the freshman-sophomore EPICS sequence is oriented toward an understanding of design, the design process, the skills to discuss and present design and incorporate human input, within a context of modest technical sophistication. Increasing technical sophistication and the use of specialized tools takes place within the program curricula in the junior and senior years, built upon the fundamental skills and engineering habits established in EPICS, and culminate in the capstone project course.
B.4.3.1. Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence. The curriculum sub-committee that reviewed engineering design as part of the curriculum reform process has characterized design as “a complex, integrative and creative decision making activity where one brings to bear information, skills and values on an open-ended problem.” They also expressed the ingredients in the process in diagrammatic form, as represented in Figure B.4.3.1 below.
Figure B.4.3.1. Ingredients in Engineering Design
Accordingly, the objectives of the core EPICS program focus on students developing the understanding and confidence to address engineering design issues and projects. Students must realize the importance, not only of the technical requirements but also the economic, societal, and environmental requirements expected of the design engineer. These realizations evolve from practice centered on a project that they pursue as a team and based on the following objectives
1. To develop an ability through practice to apply creative and critical thinking skills based on a guided design methodology, with emphases on
➢ visual solutions to engineering problems,
➢ data analysis and numerical solutions,
➢ design strategies specific to a discipline and appropriate to the problem situation, and
➢ optimization through an iterative cycle of design, testing, evaluation, and refinement.
2. To analyze engineering alternatives in order to select the “most desirable options”, by
➢ applying fundamental computer packages which graphically display a system or product,
➢ applying fundamental numerical analysis techniques which model a system or product,
➢ assessing feasibility to market the system or product, and
➢ optimizing the technical and economic feasibility of a system or product.
3. To participate as a member of a team on an open-ended project to build team and interpersonal skills through practice, by
➢ defining and meeting deadlines,
➢ managing people, resources, and budgets,
➢ subdividing complex design requirements into subsystems that can be addressed and resolved in a simpler but accurate manner, and
➢ defining overall design objectives based on the big picture constrained by the limits of the physical situation, the client, the market and the technology.
4. To prepare documents which develop evidence necessary to build an engineering case, by
➢ writing a clear and concise documents based on available and supportable evidence,
➢ communicating verbally the technical and economic, social and cultural (e.g., ethical) issues surrounding an engineering design strategy,
➢ documenting a system or product through the range of communication tools, written products, manuals, and instructions, and
➢ presenting the engineering communications, engineering drawings, appropriate descriptions, definition of values, dimensions, and performance criteria that need to be evaluated and analyzed.
In the core curriculum, the two EPICS courses, EPIC151 and EPIC251, operate in tandem to begin skill-building toward the fulfillment of these objectives. The first course is introductory, is centered on a semester-long client-based project, and through the project builds skills in design methodology, visualization and computer-based engineering graphics, technical communication, oral presentation, teamwork, team dynamics, time management and ethics. The second course has a similar framework, but is intentionally more quantitative in technical design, and quantitative computational tools are accordingly introduced. The projects begin to take on more disciplinary orientations and are currently configured to serve student interests in engineering processes, engineering products, earth engineering, and science and economics.
B.4.3.2. Programmatic Efforts and Senior Design.
The Engineering Physics curriculum in engineering design builds on the EPICS sequence described above. As shown Appendix IA Table-1, the minimum curriculum includes 48 credit hours of engineering topics distributed equally between engineering science and design. The design component of the program courses specifically identified with design is discussed below:
1. Analog Circuits (PHGN215)
Engineering design is emphasized in both PHG215 Analog Electronics, and PHGN317 Digital electronics. An example in PHGN 215 is the power supply design lab. This is an unstructured, open problem solving lab. Essentially, the students are given the specifications of a power supply, and told to design, construct, trouble-shoot, and perform characterization measurements (show the supply meets specifications) on a power supply of their design. This involves identifying the specifications and selecting components that can handle all the tolerances – peak power, average power, etc - to produce a design that will function properly within some desired failure rate.
2. Apparatus Design (PHGN384)
PHGN384 is taught during a 6-week summer session. The course consists of a series of modules dealing with laboratory skills considered important to the design and fabrication of laboratory equipment and instrumentation, feedback and control, and analysis.
3. Semiconductor Circuits - Digital (PHGN317)
PHGN 317 features an open-ended design lab – design and construction of a frequency counter. As outlined in the lab, the circuit design requires several steps. One, selection of components (ICs) to support the required functions. Two, drawing a schematic of the circuit design including all IC part numbers and pin connections (power, ground, signal inputs/outputs, enable lines and set/reset lines) according to standards. Three, building the design using good construction techniques (short interconnection wires, color-coded wiring, bussed power/ground connections). Four, demonstration of an operational frequency counter circuit.
4. Advanced Lab I (PHGN315)
Emphasis of the work in this class is on modeling open-ended problems. The material studied in each lab has sufficient complexity that no one simple model fits the data. The student chooses a model and then collects data. Error analysis then leads the student to assess the validity of the particular model chosen. A pretest is given in which students individually model the decay of an RC circuit at sufficient accuracy that the dependence of the capacitance on voltage cannot be neglected. Based on performance in this pretest, students are grouped in teams of 2 to 3 depending primarily on their writing abilities. Differentiated learning is then applied by having the different groups work on labs requiring different skills. Students in groups, which perform labs requiring less sophisticated modeling, must hand in individual lab reports. Students with more sophisticated writing skills are assigned labs which require more sophisticated modeling and turn in group reports. An example is the acoustic modes of cavities where the complexity spans the range from a pipe whose diameter is slightly greater than the wavelength (sufficiently modeled in 1-D) to collecting data for a 3-D cavity. After each assessment cycle the student groups are reassigned in terms of level of sophistication for the upcoming lab. After working in teams during the semester, an individual post test on the final lab is given.
5. Advanced Lab II (PHGN326)
In the second half of the Junior year, students enter the Advanced Lab II course which deals mainly with experiments from nuclear physics and radiation detection. In these full-day laboratories the students are given a box with equipment, an oscilloscope, a data acquisition system and written instructions kept as short as possible. The format of the course allows the participants enough time to independently set up and perform their experiments from the given components imparting to the students the standards and procedures appropriate to working in a nuclear laboratory environment. The full-day scheduling also permits a team to recover from initial mistakes. Through the sessions we observe that the students develop significant independence from the instructor and teaching assistants as they become more acquainted with the equipment and standards.
6. Senior Design I and II (PHGN471/472)
Senior Design I and II is the capstone design sequence that builds on previous design experiences. Students adopt experimental or theoretical design projects wherein, in an iterative client-driven and often team-based process, they perform secondary research, devise a plan of attack, write a formal proposal, choose among several alternative solutions, implement their plan, revise it as necessary in consultation with their adviser, record or calculate data (as appropriate), and analyze and interpret their results to achieve the client's desired outcome. They defend their work in written reports and oral presentations. In their design work, they use modern engineering software programs such as LabView, SolidWorks, and Mathematica, and a variety of interfaced electronic equipment.
B.4.4. Engineering Experience, Standards and Criterion 4
The Engineering Physics curriculum (Appendix IA Table-1) provides students with each of the elements of design: basic science, mathematics, and engineering topics. As discussed in the previous section, courses with design components include realistic constraints and, where appropriate, engineering standards. For example, in the circuits laboratories, a course requirement is for all students to design and construct components, such as a power supply, in which constraints and engineering standards are naturally involved.
Their full integration through an iterative, client-based process for "devising a system, component, or process to meet a desired need" is realized in the capstone senior design course sequence, PHGN471/472. The senior design sequence is managed by a coordinator who serves two principal functions. First, he provides instruction on the design process, professional ethics, and communication (written and oral). Second, he solicits and assigns client-based projects from faculty and local industry. This client-based technical project provides a realistic engineering experience.
B.4.5. Professional Component
The Professional Component of the Engineering Physics curriculum includes sections on Mathematics and Basic Sciences, General Education, and Engineering Topics as discussed below.
B.4.5.1. Mathematics and Basic Sciences.
In the core curriculum, this part of the professional component embraces mathematics, physics, chemistry and earth and environmental systems science. A broad set of outcomes, over and above the content matter, extends across all areas of this component, which are mapped, where appropriate, to ABET criteria a through k in Table B.3.1.
Students will learn how to:
• build abstract models of physical phenomena;
• employ mathematics as a modeling and analytical tool;
• transfer abstract concepts between different physical domains;
• see and exploit analogies in interpreting physical phenomena;
• seek knowledge from multiple sources;
• appreciate issues related to measurement, accuracy and scale;
• understand and interpret computed answers;
• communicate reasoning;
• understand the physical setting of a problem;
• think in visual, analytic and computational modes; and
• reason symbolically.
While the detailed outcomes that reflect content are closely aligned with each course in mathematics and the basic sciences, and are accordingly listed in each syllabus, there are several broad themes:
§ the principles of conservation;
§ periodicity and atomic structure;
§ kinetics and dynamics;
§ equilibrium;
§ functions and related analysis;
§ geometry;
§ mathematical representations of static and time-varying systems;
§ approximation;
§ computation;
§ natural processes in the earth and its environment; and
§ the mapping of mathematics and the basic sciences into engineering.
These objectives and themes are implemented through the following required core courses:
Mathematics. MACS111, MACS112 AND MACS213 Calculus for Scientists and Engineers I, II and III, 12 semester-hours. This is a comprehensive course sequence in calculus, spanning limits, continuity and derivatives of functions, indefinite and definite integration, numerical integration, vectors, linear algebra and multivariable calculus, vector fields, line and surface integrals, and series solutions to differential equations.
MACS315, Differential Equations, 3 semester-hours. Techniques for first and higher order differential equations and systems of equations, including transform techniques, and phase-plane analysis of non-linear systems, with applications in physics, mechanics, electrical engineering, and environmental sciences.
MACS312, Introduction to Differential Equations for Engineers and Scientists, 2 semester-hours. (Geological Engineering requirement in place of MACS315). First- and second-order equations with emphasis on the earth-related fields, including solution by numerical methods and solution of the non-homogeneous equation.
Chemistry. CHGN 121, CHGN 124 and CHGN 126, Principles of Chemistry I and II, and Quantitative Chemical Measurements Laboratory, 8 semester-hours. This sequence covers the fundamentals of inorganic chemistry, beginning with atomic structure and periodicity, bonding, the chemical elements, compounds and stoichiometry, and continuing with chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and equilibrium. It also includes an introduction to organic chemistry including structural formulas, nomenclature, and combustion, halogenation and polymerization reactions.
An active learning approach is utilized in the course sequence including working in groups to solve problems in class. Required recitations reinforce individual participation in problem solving. Examinations include problems that require knowledge of two or more concepts and/or mathematical techniques to determine a solution.
Fundamental chemistry laboratory techniques are associated with the lab component of CHGN 121 and extend into quantitative measurement techniques in CHGN 126, which is normally taken simultaneously with CHGN 124. The laboratory experience requires reliance on individual student preparation and standardization of solutions that are later used with individual student unknowns.
Physics. PHGN100 and PHGN200, Physics I and II, 9 semester-hours. This sequence begins with a fundamental treatment of the kinematics and dynamics of particles and systems of particles using vector representations and calculus, and includes Newton’s Laws, energy and momentum, rotation, oscillation, and waves. The second course introduces the fundamental concepts of electricity and magnetism, with a continuation into electromagnetic devices, electromagnetic radiation,and optical phenomena. Laboratory sections are associated with both courses.
It should be noted that PHGN100 and MACS112 are synchronized in the ordering of their topics so that students are appropriately prepared in vector representation and vector calculus for applications in mechanics.
Earth and Environmental Sciences. SYGN 101 EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS. This 3 hour lecture, 3 hour laboratory (4 credit hour) course addresses fundamental concepts in earth systems science and engineering. It integrates application of chemistry, physics, and biology to explain the natural earth system. The course introduces anthropogenic interactions with natural systems and investigates engineering solutions to challenges of sustainable development. The course allows students to understand the technical and policy context of engineering solutions for earth systems problems such as natural hazards, energy and mineral resources, water resources, land use, mitigation of anthropogenic environmental impacts, biodiversity, and global climate change that are currently foci of contemporary debate. The laboratory focuses on in depth understanding of the earth system in the Golden area. Lab exercises allow students to gather, analyze, and interpret data on the physical geology and geomorphology of the Golden area, hydrology and biology of Clear Creek, and natural hazards (rock fall, swelling soils) in the Front Range and utilize these data to formulate and solve engineering problems related to existing and potential hazards.
B.4.5.2. General Education.
All CSM undergraduates are required to complete the following humanities and social sciences-based curriculum housed in the Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies (LAIS) and the Division of Economics and Business (EB):
1. Ten (10) credit-hours in three core courses:
a. LAIS 100, Nature and Human Values (4 credits; LAIS)
b. SYGN 200, Human Systems (3 credits; LAIS)
c. EBGN 201, Principles of Economics (3 credits, EB)
2. Nine (9) credit-hours in one of three thematic clusters (mid-level and upper-division courses, including 6 select courses from the Division of Economics and Business and some 55 LAIS courses):
a. Humanities
b. Public Policy
c. International Studies
LAIS 100, NATURE AND HUMAN VALUES (NHV). This freshman core course first became required in Fall 1997, has undergone many modifications and revisions subsequently, and continues to be a pedagogical challenge to deliver. In terms of content, NHV is an exploration of the premise that all human activity is embedded in and thus relies upon nature. It uses a multidisciplinary perspective to reflect critically on the complex and dynamic interrelationship between that which is distinctively human and that which is “natural,” wherever it is found, and is informed by studies in ethics, literature, politics, history, and science-technology-society (STS) studies. Further, the course employs the pedagogical premise that students learn composition most effectively by “writing to content”. Therefore, the course’s 4 credit-hours are structured as follows: one hour per week in large lecture format (about 300 students) delivered by some five to seven humanities and communication faculty, followed by three hours in seminar sections of 20 students which combines additional subject matter content with writing exercises and assignments. Students’ grades are based solely on their performance in the small seminar sections.
SYGN 200, HUMAN SYSTEMS. This 3 credit-hour sophomore core course first became required in Fall 1999 and has undergone some modest organizational revisions since, along with constant updating. The overarching goal of Human Systems is to introduce students to how the world works, how it is put together, and why it works the way its works. Two-thirds of the course’s content is historical (the modern era since 1500 on a worldwide scale) and one-third is contemporary (issues related to globalization). The course is one in a suite of “systems” courses whose original intent was to demonstrate the applicability of a concept like a “system” across a broad spectrum of phenomena, namely, earth systems, engineered systems, and systems (social, political, economic, and cultural) created by humans. SYGN 200 employs the concept of the modern world system (the rise and evolution of capitalism since ca. 1500) as the overarching system it examines. Course instructors draw on many academic disciplines in order to achieve the course’s objectives, most notably history, political science, sociology, geography, and international political economy. SYGN 200 is taught in a large lecture format (about 150-160 students per section). Unlike NHV, Human Systems sections are delivered exclusively by one social science faculty member. There are no small recitation or seminar sections, as there are in NHV.
EBGN201 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS. This 3 credit-hour course examines the basic social and economic institutions of market capitalism; contemporary economic issues; business organization; price theory and market structure; economic analysis of public policies; and inflation, unemployment, and economic growth. These topics and concepts together provide a framework for understanding human-environment relations. Special attention is paid to contemporary debates about sustainable development and natural resource management.
LAIS CLUSTER COURSES. After completing LAIS 100 and SYGN 200, students choose one of the thematic clusters noted above in which to complete the remainder of their graduation requirements in the humanities and social sciences. Two of the three courses may be in foreign language study. Courses in communication and the performing arts may only be used for free elective credit, not to satisfy cluster requirements. One of the three courses must be at the 400 level; all 400-level cluster courses are writing-intensive. All cluster courses must contribute to at least one of the ABET Criterion 3 outcomes, as reflected on individual course syllabi.
B.4.5.3. Engineering Topics.
The Engineering Physics curriculum (Appendix IA-Table 1) contains a minimum of 48 credit hours of engineering topics evenly split between engineering science and engineering design. The courses associated with the design component were discussed previously in Section 8.4.3.2. Syllabi for the required courses associated with the engineering science component are in Appendix AII. They are:
DCGN210 - Engineering Thermodynamics - This course introduces students to the basic elements and applications of engineering thermodynamics. The course topics is listed in the syllabus in Appendix IB.
PHGN215/PHGN317 - Analog Circuits and Digital Circuits - These courses are the introductory circuits courses and associated laboratories which introduce the student to analog and digital circuit operations and design. The course topics are listed in Appendix IB.
PHGN350 - Intermediate Mechanics - This course builds on the core mechanics course extended to include advanced Newtonian and Lagrangian mechanics applied particles and rigid bodies with constraints. Example applications include analysis and modeling of the trebuchet, centrifugal governor, gyroscopes, and satellite orbit dynamics.
PHGN341 - Thermal Physics - This course builds on the distributed core thermodynamics course (DCGN210) extended to include the statistical foundations of thermodynamics and quantum statistical mechanics. Example applications include heat engines, fuel cells, carbon monoxide bonding to hemoglobin, properties of magnetic materials used in memory devices, electronic and optical properties of semiconductors used in devices.
PHGN361 - Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism - This course builds on the introductory core electricity and magnetism course to develop higher levels of mathematical and physical insights in the operation of electromagnetic phenomena in natural and applied contexts. The course topics are given in Appendix IB.
PHGN462 - Advanced Electricity and Magnetism - This course builds on the previous to extend the students scope of understanding to electrodynamical phenomena including electromagnetic waves and optics. The course topics are given in Appendix IB.
Engineering Topics Electives
The CSM Engineering Physics curriculum contains nine upper division electives, three are in the humanities cluster leaving 6 (technical) electives to prepare the students to take the next step in their careers. Most EP graduates go to graduate school in engineering (electrical, mechanical, or materials); so these remaining electives are selected in these respective fields (see the Advising Spreadsheets in Section B.1.3). The Engineering Physics program specific engineering science electives are:
PHGN422-Nuclear Physics- This course expands and builds on the fundamentals of nuclear phenomena introduced in PHGN310 to develop a more sophisticated and detailed understanding of nuclear phenomena and the interaction of radiation with matter in natural and applied contexts. The course topics are given in Appendix IB.
PHGN424-Astrophysics- This course focuses on energy producing systems based upon very light element nuclear fusion reactions. The principal focus is the modeling of main sequence stars, but includes design of Tokamak fusion reactors and thermonuclear weapons as engineered examples. The design component emphasizes the synthesis of mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer and elementary nuclear physics and quantum mechanics required to accomplish the desired outcome. The course topics are given in Appendix IB.
PHGN435-Microelectronics Processing- The microelectronics processing laboratory course is a hands-on experiential class in which students explore the fabrication of integrated circuits. This includes developing the unit operations involved in VLSI design along with the scientific principles behind these operations which are required to guide process development. An example would be growth of thermal oxides and using the Deal-Grove model to predict oxide thickness. Roughly 2/3 of the course focuses on individual operations while the final 1/3 is directed at integrating these steps to design a procedure to fabricate a silicon device such as a bipolar or MOSFET transistor. A lecture component provides engineering science background for each step as well as a discussion of the state of the art in the industry. The course is taught by Physics and Chemical Engineering and students work in teams with enrollment from five different departments. Oral and written presentations of the results are emphasized. The course topics and pedagogic approaches are given in Appendix IB.
PHGN440-Solid State Physics I-This course builds on the introductory modern physics course, PHGN310, using more advanced methods of quantum mechanics to develop an understanding of solid state phenomena, including structural, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties of matter in natural and applied contexts. The course topics are given in Appendix IB.
PHGN441- Solid State Physic II-This course builds on the previous course (PHGN440) to develop understanding of the operation of solid state devices. The course topics are given in Appendix IB.
PHGN450-Computational Physics
This course is co-taught with EGGN502 (Simulation and Modeling). The numerical methods are organized around a sequence of projects at least half of which are directly taken from engineering applications such as modeling the spray-forming of metal parts.
Several of the technical electives are taken in the Engineering Division. The most common are associated with our 5-year combined programs and are listed here. The syllabi for these courses are available on request.
EGGN320-Mechanics of Materials
EGGN351-Fluids
EGGN388-Information Systems Science
EGGN411-Machine Design
EGGN413-Computer-aided Engineering
EGGN407-Feedback Controls
EGGN471-Heat Transfer
EGGN384-Digital Logic
EGGN389-Electrical Machinery
EGGN385-Electrical Devices and Circuits
MTGN351-Metallurgical and Materials Thermodynamics
MTGN311-Structure of Materials
MTGN348-Microstructural Development
B.4.6. Honors and Cross-Disciplinary Minor Options
B.4.6.1. McBride Honors Program.
The Guy T. McBride, Jr. Honors Program in Public Affairs for Engineers was instituted in 1978, facilitated by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as a 27 semester-hour program of academic courses delivered in seminar format plus off-campus activities whose primary mission is to “… provide a select community of CSM students the enhanced opportunity to explore the interfaces between their areas of technical expertise and the humanities and social sciences; to gain the sensitivity to project and test the moral and social implications of their future professional judgments and activities; and to foster their leadership abilities in preparation for managing change and promoting the general welfare in an evolving technological and global context”.
In 1985, The Program was endowed by and re-named in honor of CSM President Emeritus Guy T. McBride Jr. In 1989, it was recognized and supported as a Program of Excellence by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. The Program has been featured as a model humanities program in an engineering institution. A curricular revision initiative funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1994 resulted in a new curriculum (24 semester hours) by 1996 which has remained unchanged since then.
The current curriculum (Table B.4.6.1) features small seminars, an interdisciplinary approach (faculty from engineering and science disciplines and faculty from the humanities and social sciences are co-moderators of each seminar), and opportunities for one-on-one faculty tutorials, instruction and practice in oral and written communication, a Washington D.C. public policy seminar, a practicum experience (internship or foreign study), and participation in a “community within a community”. The curriculum provides a blend of courses that promote individual reflection and personal growth combined with those having elements of in-depth knowledge in public affairs. The Program’s success over 25 years stems from a dedicated cadre of faculty (30% of CSM’s faculty have served at least one four year term on the Program’s governance body known as the Tutorial Committee); institutional commitment to the Program as a student recruiting and retention tool; and, a modest financial endowment providing student benefits appropriate for an Honors designation. These funds enable the Program to support students and faculty to participate in international and domestic travel study activities, to host guest academics, and to provide modest honoraria to faculty who teach in the Program on a voluntary “overload” basis.
The organized international study of the culture, political economy, and environmental circumstance of developing nations (including Brazil, China, Turkey, Chile, and SE Asia) has been of special importance and value to CSM’s students who, unlike those from first tier liberal arts institutions, typically are not well-traveled or sophisticated about global issues. Many are first generation students from small rural communities within the State who have not been outside the contiguous United States. In 2004, 32% of CSM’s undergraduates were residents of Colorado’s non-urban counties and more than 50% of the undergraduates are from families where the highest level of education achieved is from a 2-year institution.
Students are selected for the Program on the basis of individual applications and the faculty evaluation of high school academic records, their potential for college-level achievement, applicant essays and interviews in which their interest in and commitment to developing their ability to explore the interface of engineering, science and technology with the social sciences and humanities are demonstrated. Female students enrolled at CSM have a strong preference for the Program (42% women enrolled in McBride Program vs. 23% over all disciplines at CSM). Historically, about 10% of the freshman class is admitted each year (about 50 students); however, recent planned growth in undergraduate enrollment has elevated the entering cohort to over 850 students, and the McBride Honors Program has not yet taken advantage of the larger pool to either increase academic requirements for admission to the Program or to admit more students (e.g., 70-80 per year). We believe this higher target can only be reached by redesigning the Program, and discussions regarding such are currently underway among the Program’s constituents. Students are required to maintain at least a cumulative GPA of 2.9 (CSM average) and 3.0 in their Honors classes. Class profile by GPA shows an overall GPA for the 2005 senior class of 3.469 with an Honors Program GPA of 3.761.
TABLE B.4.6.1. Colorado School of Mines
McBride Honors Program Minor- Curriculum Semester/Year Sequence
| |SEMESTER ONE (Fall) |SEMESTER TWO (Spring) |
|YEAR |COURSE SEMESTER HOURS |COURSE SEMESTER HOURS |
|One |Freshmen apply for acceptance into the program. | |HNRS101A Paradoxes of the Human Condition: |3 |
| | | |Literature, Moral Philosophy, & History | |
| | | |Or |3 |
| | | |HNRS101B Paradoxes of the Human Condition: | |
| | | |Drama & Music (classical & contemporary) |3 |
| | | |Or | |
| | | |HNRS101C Paradoxes of the Human Condition: | |
| | | |History, Biography, & Fiction | |
| | | |Total | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | |3 |
| |SEMESTER THREE (Fall) |SEMESTER FOUR (Spring) |
|Two |HNRS200A Cultural Anthropology: A Study of |3 |HNRS201A Comparative Political & Economic |3 |
| |Diverse Cultures | |Systems | |
| |Total | |Total | |
| | |3 | |3 |
| |SEMESTER FIVE (Fall) | |SEMESTER SIX (Spring) | |
|Three |HNRS300A International Political Economy |3 |HNRS301A U.S. Public Policy: Domestic & Foreign|3 |
| |Or | |Or | |
| |HNRS300B Technology and Socio-Economic Change | |HNRS301B Foreign Area Study | |
| |Total |3 | |3 |
| | | |Total | |
| | | | | |
| | |3 | |3 |
|SEMESTER SEVEN (Summer) |
|HNRS400B McBride Practicum: Foreign Area Study Research |
|Students participate in an internship or the foreign study trip. |
| |SEMESTER EIGHT (Fall) |SEMESTER NINE (Spring) |
|Four |HNRS400A McBride Practicum: Internship |3 |HNRS402A Science, Technology, & Ethics |3 |
| | | |Or | |
| | | |HNRS402B Ethics Workshop | |
| |HNRS401A Study of Leadership & Power | | |3 |
| |Or |3 | | |
| |HNRS401B Conflict Resolution | | | |
| | |3 | | |
| |Total | | | |
| | | |Total | |
| | | | | |
| | |6 | |3 |
| |
|Total : 24 credit hours |
B.4.6.2. Biological Engineering and Life Sciences.
The Program in Bioengineering and the Life Sciences (BELS) is becoming increasingly significant in fulfilling the role and mission of the Colorado School of Mines. Many intellectual frontiers within fields of environment, energy, materials, and earth resources and their associated fields of science and engineering are being driven by advances in the biosciences and the application of engineering to living processes.
The mission of the BELS Program is to offer minors and areas of special interest at the undergraduate level, support areas of specialization at the graduate level, and enable research opportunities for CSM students at all levels in bioengineering and the life sciences.
The Program is jointly administered by the Divisions of Engineering; Environmental Science and Engineering; and, Liberal Arts and International Studies; and, by the Departments of Chemical Engineering; Chemistry and Geochemistry; Geology and Geological Engineering; Mathematical and Computer Sciences; Metallurgical and Materials Engineering; and, Physics. Each division and department is represented on both the Board of Directors and the Curriculum and Research Committee, which are responsible for the operation of the Program.
As per institutional academic policies governing minors and areas of special interest, a minor in the BELS program requires completion of at least 18 hours of acceptable course work. Areas of special interest require at least 12 hours of acceptable courses work. Both the minor and the area of special interest require completion of one core course. In addition, the minor requires completion of at least six credit hours from a list of courses in basic life sciences with remainder being selected from a list of additional BELS-approved courses. The area of special interest requires completion of 3 credit hours from the basic life sciences with the remainder being selected from a list of additional BELS-approved courses.
A list of the approved courses available through the BELS program is available in the Bioengineering and Life Sciences section of the Undergraduate Bulletin.
B.4.6.3. International Political Economy.
The Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies, as noted in Section B.4.5.5.1, houses a graduate masters program in the International Political Economy of Resources (MIPER). International Political Economy (IPE) itself is a new social science discipline that examines the intersections of politics and economy, or, the state and the market, in an international context. The IPE program at CSM also adds course content that addresses the cultural, social, and environmental dimensions that underlie choices of political and economy systems and institutions. This program is an outgrowth of an undergraduate curriculum in IPE that was put in place in the early 1990s and to which the Division has slowly been adding faculty strength since the mid-1990s. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only IPE program in the world that has been designed specifically to respond to the needs of engineers and applied scientists and to give them the kinds of specialized knowledge that will make them leaders in their professions.
By the late 1990s, LAIS and CSM wanted to create a graduate-level program in IPE and decided to start by launching a graduate certificate program in AY 2000-01as a way to test market demand for a master’s degree in the subject. The program consists of two 15 credit-hour certificates. Students may pursue one or both certificates. The IPE Graduate Certificate Program is one of CSM’s combined undergraduate-graduate programs that allow students to begin their course work prior to completing their undergraduate degree.
The degree’s official name is Master of International Political Economy of Resources (MIPER). It is not intended to be a “stand alone” degree that produces future IPE specialists but rather is viewed as a “value adding” degree that provides in-depth knowledge in the broader global and societal contexts in which resources are produced and in which resources industries operate worldwide. It should be pointed out that although the degree’s title specifies “of resources,” the content of the course work does not focus exclusively on resources-related issues since doing so would artificially divorce these issues from the real world contexts in which they are set.
Curriculum. Even with the establishment of the MIPER, LAIS will continue to offer the graduate certificate options. The curricula of these two programs are very similar, with the exception of math and engineering courses that are included in the degree. Therefore, only the MIPER curriculum is presented herein:
Foundation Courses: 18 credit-hours
3 hrs. IPER Theories & Methods
3 hrs. Economic & Political Geography
3 hrs Global Environmental Politics & Policy
3 hrs IPER of a World Region (e.g., the Middle East; Latin America, Eurasia)
3 hrs Political Risk Assessment
3 hrs Statistics and Computational Analysis in International Economic Development
(non-LAIS course with participation of LAIS faculty members)
Specialization Courses: 12 credit-hours
6 hrs Comparative IPER of Two (of five) World Regions
3 hrs Mining Technology for Sustainable Development
or
Non-renewable Resource Development
(non-LAIS courses with participation of LAIS faculty members)
3 hrs In-depth elective course on an aspect of IPER
Capstone Project: 6 credit-hours
6 hrs Either from strongly supportive disciplines in related academic units such as Mineral Economics or Environmental Science and Engineering
Or as an IPER-based research project and paper within resource industries, with collaboration from a faculty member in an appropriate CSM engineering or science department or division.
B.4.6.4. Combined MS/BS Degree Programs. Many degree programs offer CSM undergraduate students the opportunity to begin work on a Graduate Certificate, Professional Masters Degree or a Masters Degree while completing the requirements for their Bachelors Degree. These combined Bachelors-Masters programs have been created by CSM faculty and approved by the Administration in those situations where they have deemed it academically advantageous to treat the BS and MS degree programs as a continuous and integrated process. For students, this can be a valuable addition to the traditional BS degree program particularly in fields where advanced education in technology and management provides the opportunity to be on a fast track for advancement to leadership positions. These programs are also valuable to students who want to get a head start on a graduate education.
The combined programs at CSM offer several advantages to students who choose to enroll in them:
➢ Students can earn a graduate degree in their undergraduate major or in a field that complements their undergraduate major.
➢ Students who plan to go directly into industry leave CSM with additional specialized knowledge and skills which may allow them to enter their career path at a higher level and advance more rapidly. Alternatively, students planning on attending graduate school can get a head start on their graduate education.
➢ Students can plan their undergraduate electives to satisfy prerequisites, thus ensuring adequate preparation for their graduate program.
➢ Early assignment of graduate advisors permits students to plan optimum course selection and scheduling in order to complete their graduate program quickly.
➢ Early acceptance into a Combined Degree Program leading to a Graduate Certificate, Professional Master’s Degree, or Non-Thesis Master’s Degree assures students of automatic acceptance into full graduate status if they maintain good standing while in early-acceptance status.
➢ Certain graduate programs allow Combined Degree Program students to fulfill part of the requirements of their graduate degree by including up to six hours of specified course credits which also were used in fulfilling the requirements of their undergraduate degree. Double counted courses must meet all requirements of a regular graduate course.
A student interested in applying into a graduate degree program as a Combined Degree Program student first contact the department or division hosting the graduate degree program into which he/she wishes to apply. Initial inquiries may be made at any time, but we encourage these contacts be made soon after completion of the first semester, sophomore year. Following this initial inquiry, programs provide initial counseling on degree application procedures, admissions standards, and degree completion requirements.
Admission into a graduate degree program as a Combined Degree Program student can occur as early as the first semester, junior year, and must be granted no later than the end of registration, last semester senior year. Once admitted into a graduate degree program, students may enroll in 500-level (graduate) courses and apply these directly to their graduate degree. To apply, students must submit the standard graduate application package for the graduate portion of their Combined Degree Program. Upon admission into a graduate degree program, students are assigned graduate advisors. Prior to registration for the next semester, students and their graduate advisors meet and plan a strategy for completing both the undergraduate and graduate programs as efficiently as possible. Until their undergraduate degree requirements are completed, students continue to have undergraduate advisors in the home department or division of their Bachelor’s Degrees.
Combined Degree Program students are considered undergraduate students until such time as they complete their undergraduate degree requirements. Combined Degree Program students who are still considered undergraduates by this definition have all of the privileges and are subject to all expectations of both their undergraduate and graduate programs. These students may enroll in both undergraduate and graduate courses, may have access to departmental assistance available through both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and may be eligible for undergraduate financial aid as determined by the Office of Financial Aid. Upon completion of their undergraduate degree requirements, a Combined Degree Program student is considered enrolled full-time in his/her graduate program. Once having done so, the student is no longer eligible for undergraduate financial aid, but may now be eligible for graduate financial aid. To complete the graduate degree, each Combined Degree Program student must register as a graduate student for at least one semester.
Once fully admitted into a graduate program, undergraduate Combined Program students must maintain good standing in the Combined Program by maintaining a minimum semester GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken. Students not meeting this requirement are deemed to be making unsatisfactory academic progress in the Combined Degree Program. Students for whom this is the case are subject to probation and, if occurring over two semesters, subject to discretionary dismissal from the graduate portion of their program as defined in the Unsatisfactory Academic Performance section of this Bulletin.
Upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements, Combined Degree Program students are subject to all requirements (e.g., course requirements, department/division approval of transfer credits, research credits, minimum GPA, etc.) appropriate to the graduate program in which they are enrolled.
In 2000 the Physics Department embarked on a curriculum reform that embraced the concept that the B.S. Engineering Physics degree is ideally suited to provide a foundation for several engineering and applied physics graduate programs. To realize this potential the Physics Department designed with a flexible curriculum characterized by a reduced total number of credit hours, compression of the required foundation physics sequence to the three semesters from the second sophomore term through the junior year, and five technical/free electives in the junior and senior year. Using this curriculum as a base, three combined program agreements were negotiated with the Engineering Division and the Metalurgical and Materials Engineering Department. These agreements lead to a B.S. in Engineering Physics and an M.S. in one of the following engineering disciplines in one additional year: Engineered Systems (Mechanical or Electrical Specialty), and M.S. Materials Engineering. The general conditions and requirements are described above.
B.4.7. Course and Section Sizes.
Table AI-2 (Appendix I) lists all the program specific courses along with number of sections offered and average section size. As can be seen from the table, the Physics Department offers a comprehensive sequence of general and specialized physics and applied physics courses from introductory mechanics (Physics I) through graduate quantum mechanics. The introductory mechanics course (PHGN100) is taught in the so-called "studio" format which consists of two 50-minute lectures delivered in a large (120 section size) format interspersed with two 2-hour physics studio sessions (90 students/studio section). The introductory electricity and magnetism course (PHGN200) is delivered in a standard lecture/lab/recitation format with 120 students per lecture section and 27 students per lab/recitation section. The Engineering Physics program has seen rapid growth in the past five years growing from 108 majors in 2000 to over 270 in Fall 2005. This has led to increased section sizes in the sophomore and junior required courses (PHGN310, 311, 320, 341, 350, 361, and 462) which average between 50-70 students per section. The required laboratory courses (PHGN215, 315, 317, and 326) have between 28-37 students per section. The summer field session (laboratory skills) course (PHGN384) serves approximately 58 students broken into 4 modules of 14-16 each. The upper division elective courses (PHGN324, 333, 422,424, 435, 440, and 450) enjoy significantly smaller classes with section sizes ranging from 6 to 16. The senior design sequence (PHGN471 and 472) meets as one large section of 49-51, but breaks out into small teams of 1-4 for their projects. The fundamental scheme is to buy-down the faculty time that enables intimate upper division elective and senior design experiences with larger introductory and required course sections.
-----------------------
Humanities & Social Sciences
Engineering Practices & Design
Technical Services
H&SS
Core
sophomore
and
freshman
senior
and
junior
Engineering
Topics
Distributed
Core
H&SS
Cluster
Electives
Math &
Basic Sci.
Systems: Earth & Environment, Human
Senior Design Project
EPICS
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