The technical, process, and business considerations for engineering design

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute Electrical and Computer Engineering Department has added a new course, titled ECE Design, EE 2799. This course focuses on teaching students the process steps associated with designing new products, as well as the business implications of the decisions they make. During the course students not only learn about the business of engineering, but they also must apply the concepts of the class to the design and implementation of a working product prototype. As a consequence of the teaching approach, the course explicitly requires students to utilize material learned in other courses in order to successfully complete their project. By offering this course early in the sophomore year, students are able to clearly see the relationships between courses and can identify and correct deficiencies in their academic background. In addition, the fundamentals learned prepare the students to tackle their senior major qualifying project (MQP), thus enhancing their capstone design experience.