Undergraduate Designated Minors in the College of Engineering

Overview

Undergraduate students in the Carnegie Institute of Technology can elect to complete an interdisciplinary Designated Minor in addition to their regular majors for B.S. degrees. Designated minors have been added to the curriculum of the Carnegie Institute of Technology to promote flexibility and diversity among the college’s engineering students. Independent of a student’s major, he or she is able to pursue a selected designated minor from the following list:

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Audio Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces 
  • Electronic Materials
  • Global Engineering
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Behavior of Materials

An engineering student may elect to complete a CIT designated minor. Generally, the student takes all the required courses in an engineering major but uses electives to take courses needed to fulfill the requirements of the designated minor.  Upon completion of the requirements of a CIT designated minor and the engineering degree, the minor is a formally recognized on the student’s transcript.

Each of the CIT designated minors is administered by a Program Committee consisting of faculty from all major engineering departments who serve as faculty advisors. Each Program Committee certifies the completion of requirements of the designated minor. But the student’s major department is responsible for approving the degree with a designated minor after reviewing a student’s entire academic record. Any substitution or departure from the published curriculum should be avoided. For example, non-technical courses may not be substituted for required technical courses or electives. Equivalent technical electives offered by a designated minor as substitutions for required courses in a major must be approved by the Head of the student’s major department.

Although a student generally can complete a designated minor without increasing the number of required units for graduation, early planning in electing a designated minor is important. A student also may find that some minors are more compatible than others with his/her major because of different relations between various major and minor requirements. The requirements for these CIT designated minors are listed below.

Additive Manufacturing Minor

The objective of the Minor in Additive Manufacturing is to provide the student with a background in the engineering science that applies to additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing), from part design through additive processes, to properties and component performance.  Particular emphasis is given to metals additive manufacturing, due to its rapidly growing impact on manufacturing across multiple industries, and the need for talent in this area.  The minor is open to students in all engineering majors.

Students may not use any given course to satisfy simultaneously requirements in both their enrolled major and in this minor. Graduate courses counted towards this minor may not be (double) counted for a graduate degree.

Minor Coordinators

Paige Houser, Academic Advisor

Departmental Contacts

Biomedical EngineeringRobert Tilton
Chemical EngineeringRobert Tilton
Electrical and Computer EngineeringMaysam Chamanzar
Engineering and Public PolicyDeanna Hart Matthews
Materials Science and EngineeringAnthony Rollett
Mechanical EngineeringJack Beuth

Course Requirements

This minor requires a total of five (5) courses comprising of three core courses and two technical electives.

Three Core Courses 36 units
Units
39-601Special Topics: Additive Manufacturing Processing and Product Development12
39-602Additive Manufacturing and Materials12
39-603Additive Manufacturing Laboratory12
Two Technical Electives

To select acceptable technical elective course options, please speak with your departmental contact, or see https://engineering.cmu.edu/education/undergraduate-programs/curriculum/additive-manufacturing-minor.html.

 

Audio Engineering Minor

Tom Sullivan, Director and Faculty Advisor

This sequence is for candidates who are engineering majors with interest in and/or have background in music, recording, sound-editing and/or other music technology areas; or majors from any discipline in the university who have the above interests and who can meet the prerequisite requirements for the engineering courses in the minor.

Note: Students who do not have the requisite engineering/science/math background should investigate the Minor in Music Technology offered by the School of Music.

Course Requirements

Minimum units required for minor:73-79

The student must have taken the appropriate prerequisite courses for the listed courses.

Prerequisite Courses, 0-3 units

Beginning Piano is required of students who do not pass a piano proficiency test.

Units
57-103Elective Studio (Beginning Piano Class)3
Music Courses, 43-49 units

Basic Harmony I is required of students who do not qualify for entrance into Harmony I, based on their scores on the theory placement test.

Units
57-101Introduction to Music Technology6
or 57-171 Introduction to Music Technology (self-paced)
57-149Basic Harmony I9
or 57-152 Harmony I
57-173Survey of Western Music History *9
57-188Repertoire and Listening for Musicians1
57-337Sound Recording6
*

 co-requisite 57-188.

(choose two of the courses below) Units
15-322Introduction to Computer Music9
57-338Sound Editing and Mastering6
57-347Electronic and Computer Music6
57-438Multitrack Recording9
Technical Courses, 33 units

Other courses may be taken with the approval of the Audio Engineering Minor Advisor.

Units
33-114Physics of Musical Sound9
18-490Electroacoustics **12
**

prerequisites 18-220 and 18-290.

(choose one of the courses below) Units
18-300Fundamentals of Electromagnetics12
18-341Logic Design and Verification12
18-370Fundamentals of Control12
18-491Digital Signal Processing12
15-210Parallel and Sequential Data Structures and Algorithms12
15-214Principles of Software Construction: Objects, Design, and Concurrency12
18-320Microelectronic Circuits +12
18-349Introduction to Embedded Systems ***12
+

prerequisite 18-220.

***

prerequisites 18-240 and 18-213.

 

Biomedical Engineering Minor

Kristin Kropf, Undergraduate Program and Alumni Relations Coordinator, Biomedical Engineering
kgaluska@andrew.cmu.edu
www.cmu.edu/bme/Academics/undergraduate-programs/minor.html

The minor program is designed for students who desire exposure to biomedical engineering but may not have the time to pursue the Biomedical Engineering additional major. The program is open to students of all colleges and is popular among both engineering and science majors. In conjunction with other relevant courses, the program may provide a sufficient background for jobs or graduate studies in biomedical engineering. Students interested in a medical career may also find this program helpful.

The Biomedical Engineering minor curriculum is comprised of three core courses and three electives. The Quality Point Average (QPA) for courses that count toward the minor must be 2.00 or better. No course taken on a pass/fail or audit basis may be counted towards the minor. 

Students who have questions or are interested in declaring Biomedical Engineering minor should contact Kristin Kropf.

Requirements

Minimum units required for minor:57
03-121Modern Biology9
or 03-151 Honors Modern Biology
42-101Introduction to Biomedical Engineering12
42-202Physiology9
42-xxxBME Elective I9-12
42-xxxBME Elective II9-12
42-xxxBME Elective III9-12

A BME Elective is defined as one of the following:


1.  One semester of 42-200 Sophomore BME Research Project, 42-300 Junior BME Research Project, 42-400 Senior BME Research Project or 39-500 Honors Research Project. The project must be supervised by a core or courtesy Biomedical Engineering faculty member and for 9 or more units.  Research projects supervised by a courtesy Biomedical Engineering faculty member must have significant biomedical engineering relevance. Note that BME Research Project can only be count as one BME elective.


2.  42-203 BME Laboratory (or the cross-listed version 03-206 for students in the Health Professions Program).  Please note that priority for enrollment in 42-203 or 03-206 will be given to students who have declared the Additional Major in Biomedical Engineering. If sufficient room in the course remains after all majors have been accommodated in a given semester, students who have declared the Biomedical Engineering Designated Minor will be given the next priority for enrollment. If space still allows, other students will be enrolled.


3.  Any 42-xxx course with a course number greater than 42-300 and worth at least 9 units (excluding 42-300 and 42-400- see previous comment regarding BME Research Project).

Students can petition the Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Affairs Committee to count non-BME classes that have significant biological or medical content towards the minor requirements.

Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces Minor

Professor Robert Tilton, Director of CPS Minor
Location: Doherty Hall A207C

The sequence of courses in the Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces (CPS) designated minor provides an opportunity to explore the science and engineering of fine particles and macromolecules as they relate to complex fluids and interfacially engineered materials. These topics are very relevant to technology and product development in industries that manufacture pharmaceuticals, coatings and paints, pulp and paper, biomaterials, surfactants and cleaning products, cosmetics and personal care products, food, textiles and fibers, nanoparticles, polymer/plastics, composite materials.

Course Requirements

Minimum units required for minor:45

This minor requires a total of five classes with a minimum of 45 units. The following four courses are mandatory:

06-609/09-509Physical Chemistry of Macromolecules9
06-607Physical Chemistry of Colloids and Surfaces9
06-426Experimental Colloid Surface Science9
06-466Experimental Polymer Science9

In addition, the student must take one CPS related elective course from the following list:

06-612Formulation Engineering12
06-610Rheology and Structure of Complex Fluids9
09-502Organic Chemistry of Polymers9
27-565Nanostructured Materials9
27-477Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering9

Other CPS electives are possible but must be approved by the Director of the CPS minor, Professor Tilton

Electronic Materials Minor

Jim Bain, Co-Director
Lisa M. Porter, Co-Director
Paige Houser, Academic Advisor

Electronic materials are ubiquitous and essential in 21st century society. They underpin technologies that we rely on everyday – everything from communication, transportation, and lighting to commerce and entertainment. Advances in the synthesis, processing, and design of electronic materials are continuing to push boundaries towards more energy-efficient technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum computing, long-range electric vehicles, AI, renewable energy sources, and other yet-to-be-discovered applications.

The Electronic Materials (EM) Minor is designed for students who have a keen interest in electronic materials, such as semiconductors, dielectrics and magnetics, and who are considering graduate school studies or careers pertaining to electronic materials industries.  Students in the EM Minor will choose from a list of course electives from which they will learn about the physics, chemistry, synthesis, processing, design, characterization, and applications of a wide variety of electronic materials and devices.

Course Requirements

Minimum units for minor54
54 Units From the Following Electives * :
27-100Engineering the Materials of the Future
ECE students only)
12
or 27-201 Structure of Materials
or 27-211 Structure of Materials (Minor Option)
18-100Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering
(MSE students only)
12
27-202Defects in Materials
(ECE students only)
9
or 27-212 Defects in Materials (Minor Option)
27-432Electronic and Thermal Properties of Metals, Semiconductors and Related Devices9
27-433Dielectric, Magnetic, Superconducting Properties of Materials & Related Devices9
27-445Structure, Properties and Performance Relationships in Magnetic Materials9
27-533Principles of Growth and Processing of Semiconductors6
27-542Thin Film Technologies9
18-220Electronic Devices and Analog Circuits12
18-300Fundamentals of Electromagnetics12
18-310Fundamentals of Semiconductor Devices12
33-225Quantum Physics and Structure of Matter9
xx-xxxAn approved special topics or graduate level class pertaining to electronic materials6-12
xx-xxxAn approved research project on electronic materials6-12


*Students in ECE must take a minimum of 9 units in MSE, students in MSE must take a minimum of 9 units in ECE.

Global Engineering Minor

Treci Bonime, Director
Office: Scaife Hall 424

Many engineers work on international projects or for multinational companies.  Carnegie Mellon is an international community, with a significant fraction of international students and many events featuring foreign speakers and cultural experiences.  This minor is intended for engineering students interested in broadening their background in international experiences and global awareness and engagement.

Course Requirements

International Management (1 course)

Complete one course in international management or business such as:

70-342Managing Across Cultures9
70-365International Trade and International Law9
70-381Marketing I9
70-430International Management9
Or approved equivalent
Regional Specialization (1 course)

Complete one course in non-US History, international politics, or literature in a single region of the world. See the list at https://engineering.cmu.edu/education/undergraduate-programs/curriculum/global-courses-minors.htmll below for examples (Note: Please consult with the Global Engineering director before planning your course schedule, as some course information may have changed).

Ethics (1 course)

Any ethics course that provides some exposure to international ethics issues such as:

70-332Business, Society and Ethics9
80-136Social Structure, Public Policy & Ethics9
80-244Environmental Ethics9
Or approved equivalent
Modern Languages

Demonstration of basic competency in a foreign language via one of the three options listed below:

  • Complete one (1) Modern Languages course at the 200 level, with a minimum grade of C, or
  • Achieve a score of 4 or higher in one foreign language Advanced Placement examination, or
  • Demonstrate equivalent proficiency to the satisfaction of the Department of Modern Languages
Study/Work Abroad

Study or engineering internship work abroad for a semester or a summer. The region visited should be consistent with the language and regional culture/history studied.
 

 

Materials Science and Engineering Minor

Paige Houser, Academic Advisor
Location: Wean Hall 3317

The Designated Minor in Materials Science and Engineering provides the CIT student with a background in the field of Materials Science and Engineering.  This minor is open to all CIT students, with the exception of MSE majors.  All required and elective courses are taught within the MSE Department.

Course Requirements

Minimum units required for minor45

The minor requires a minimum of 45 units.

Prerequisites

Students wishing to take the MSE minor must have prerequisite thermodynamics and transport courses.  The prerequisite MSE courses may be substituted for by a thermodynamics and transport course  in another engineering discipline.

Core Courses (21 units)
27-211Structure of Materials (Minor Option)6
27-212Defects in Materials (Minor Option)6
27-227Phase Relations and Diagrams (Minor Option)9

The laboratories with these courses are not required as core but will be counted as elective units if desired.

Elective Courses (24 units minimum)

The student must select a minimum of 24 units from the following list:

27-100Engineering the Materials of the Future12
27-301Microstructure and Properties I9
27-570Polymeric Biomaterials12
27-477Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering9
27-357Introduction to Materials Selection6
27-367Selection and Performance of Materials6
27-433Dielectric, Magnetic, Superconducting Properties of Materials & Related Devices9
27-432Electronic and Thermal Properties of Metals, Semiconductors and Related Devices9
27-421Processing Design6
27-445Structure, Properties and Performance Relationships in Magnetic Materials9
27-591Mechanical Behavior of Materials9
27-454Supervised ReadingVar.
27-533Principles of Growth and Processing of Semiconductors6
27-555Materials Project IVar.
27-565Nanostructured Materials9
27-542Thin Film Technologies9
27-592Solidification Processing9
42-444Medical Devices9


 

 

Mechanical Behavior of Materials Minor

Program Contacts

Paige Houser, Academic Advisor

Paul S. Steif, Mechanical Engineering

An understanding of mechanical behavior is important to both the development of new materials and the selection of appropriate materials for many applications. The mechanical behavior of materials is best investigated and understood by integrating solid mechanics with the microstructural basis of flow and fracture. The purpose of this minor is to allow a formal basis for students to pursue an integrated approach to the mechanical behavior of materials.

Although this minor is open to all CIT students, only students in the departments of Civil Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering can take advantage of the double counting permitted for some courses in their department majors. Students in other departments may have difficulty in fulfilling the requirements in four years.

Course Requirements

Minimum units required for minor51-54

The minor requires six courses: three core courses, two solid mechanics courses, and one materials science course. In satisfying these course requirements, each student must take three out-of-department courses. Each student is required to complete three core courses:

Core Courses:
27-201Structure of Materials9
27-591Mechanical Behavior of Materials9-12
or 27-791 Mechanical Behavior of Materials
12-212Statics9
or 24-261 Mechanics I: 2D Design
Group A: Materials Science Courses

Each student must take one course from this list of Materials Science courses:

27-202Defects in Materials 19
27-357Introduction to Materials Selection 26
27-709Engineering Biomaterials12

1 27-202 cannot be used by MSE students to satisfy the requirements of the minor.

2 27-357 cannot be used by MSE students to satisfy the requirements of the minor.

Group B: Solid Mechanics Courses

Each student must take two of the following Solid Mechanics courses:

12-231Solid Mechanics9
or 24-262 Mechanics II: 3D Design
12-635Structural Analysis12
or 24-351 Dynamics

Students should check with the director of the program or their faculty advisor for an up-to-date list of relevant courses that will count towards this minor. For more information, please consult the Undergraduate Course Catalog and the current Schedule of Classes.

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