Undergraduate Catalog
Source: http://coursecatalog.web.cmu.edu/schools-colleges/collegeofengineering/departmentofengineeringandpublicpolicy/ Parent: http://coursecatalog.web.cmu.edu/schools-colleges/schoolofcomputerscience/scsconcentrations/
Department of Engineering and Public Policy
Peter Adams, Department Head\ \ Deanna H. Matthews, Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Affairs\ \ Location: Wean Hall 4101\ www.cmu.edu/epp\
The Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) is a unique department that works on problems at the interface between technology and society. Society is largely responsible for setting the goals and framing the problems that engineers and scientists work on. However, technologies designed by engineers and scientists profoundly change the societies in which they operate. Technology has enabled a healthier, richer, and more productive society. At the same time, technology has contributed to the creation of many of the more serious problems our society faces. In order to do their jobs responsibly and well in today's world, engineers and scientists must develop an understanding of the interface between technology and society and a command of the skills necessary to work at that interface. Our undergraduate programs aim to educate young scholars to be interdisciplinary problem solvers.
The undergraduate degree programs of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) have been designed to allow undergraduate students at Carnegie Mellon University to add this important interdisciplinary dimension to their traditional engineering or science education. Our additional major graduates, for the most part, will enter traditional engineering or science careers, but will carry with them a set of insights and skills that will help them to better deal with issues in technology and policy, and better exercise their ethical and social obligations as practicing professionals. Our program has a long history of 50+ years producing graduates with these critical skills, with alumni serving in all areas of industry and government.
Overview of Our Undergraduate Programs
The undergraduate additional major programs in EPP combine the strong foundation in mathematics and physical sciences, and the development of engineering or science skills with a rigorous preparation in the analysis of social and political problems. The curriculum includes subject matter which is not part of traditional technical or social science curricula, but which contains elements of each. Students complete courses in four core areas: economics, statistics, decision-making, and communication. Breadth is achieved through EPP Technology-Policy elective courses. Finally, students apply their skills in a project preparatory course and two interdisciplinary problem-solving projects. Problem areas for these projects are chosen from local, state, and national situations, and include such topics as climate change, energy systems, technological innovation, telecommunication issues, computer security and privacy, risk analysis and communication, among others. Students from several CMU colleges enroll in these projects courses exposing EPP additional majors to working in truly interdisciplinary situations. Examples of past project course topics and final reports are available.
Additional Major in Engineering and Public Policy
The EPP department offers an additional major in Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) for students completing an undergraduate degree in engineering from any of the five traditional engineering departments in the engineering college. The engineering additional major leads to a fully accredited engineering degree that prepares students for traditional technical careers. EPP additional major engineers are not educated to be a different kind of engineer. Rather, their education is intended to enable them to be better, more socially responsible engineers in the traditional technical fields.
Additional Major in Science, Technology, and Public Policy
The EPP department offers an additional major in Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) for students completing an undergraduate B.S. degree outside of the engineering college. This includes students in the Mellon College of Science, the School of Computer Science, Tepper School of Business, and select majors in the Dietrich College and College of Fine Arts. Similar to the additional major in Engineering and Public Policy, the additional major in Science, Technology and Public Policy is meant to broaden the perspectives on a student’s primary major and provide additional skills for future careers.
Minor in Technology and Policy
The department also offers a minor in Technology and Policy. The Technology and Policy minor exposes students to issues at the interface of science, technology, and society, and how interdisciplinary approaches are needed to solve complex problems.
Minor in Information Security, Privacy and Policy
The department offers a minor in Information Security, Privacy and Policy for all majors in partnership with the School of Computer Science. The Information Security, Privacy and Policy minor offers students an understanding of how to identify potential security and privacy risks and relevant legal and policy issues; a working understanding of security topics as they pertain to design, development and management of new information technologies.
Career Options with Our Additional Majors and Minors
Students who select one of the our additional majors graduate with an accredited engineering degree or complete science degree, and thus have all of the options for traditional technical careers as their single major classmates. A large portion of our additional major students pursue traditional technical careers in industry after graduation in areas such as product development, consulting, project management, etc.
The advantage of the additional major is the added set of skills and perspectives, which allow a graduate of the program to improve the quality, sensitivity, and social responsiveness of their work, and the work of their colleagues. Employers recognize these skills and often view our graduates as more attractive for a traditional engineering or technical position. Firms contact the EPP department every year to recruit EPP graduates because of their satisfaction with the knowledge and skills acquired by EPP students. In addition, the additional major also opens up options for careers in policy analysis in federal, state, and local government or in public policy consulting firms. Alumni pursue careers in a range of companies to deal with issues like government regulation of technological systems, climate change impacts, product liability and safety, environmental control, telecommunications policy, energy systems, financial investment, and the social impact of large technological systems.
Students also choose to continue their formal education, doing graduate work in engineering, the social sciences, law, or interdisciplinary programs.
Faculty Advisors
Faculty in several departments serve as advisors and information resources to students selecting the EPP undergraduate programs. Given the interdisciplinary perspective of EPP, students may find that a faculty member outside their traditional major can provide support and guidance with EPP-related courses and career paths. The EPP Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Affairs is Deanna Matthews. Dr. Matthews can provide general academic advice and guidance for all EPP undergraduates. Other faculty affiliated with the undergraduate programs in EPP are:
- Civil Engineering: Peter Adams, Destenie Nock
- Chemical Engineering: Peter Adams, Neil Donahue
- Economics/Business: Nicholas Muller, Phillip Yu
- Electrical and Computer Engineering: Sarah Cen, Jon Peha, Ramteen Sioshansi
- Engineering and Public Policy: Doron Cohen, Joseph DeCarolis, Erica Fuchs, Paulina Jaramillo, Valerie Karplus, Deanna Matthews, Granger Morgan
- Institute for Strategy and Technology: Baruch Fischhoff
- Mechanical Engineering: Jeremy Michalek, Kate Whitefoot
- Material Science and Engineering: Jay Whitacre
- Software, Systems, and Society Department: Joseph Calandrino, Lorrie Cranor, Nicolas Christin, Sarah Scheffler
EPP Program Educational Objectives
Students who earn an additional major in Engineering and Public Policy at the undergraduate level do so in conjunction with a traditional engineering major. The elements of the EPP undergraduate program broaden the traditional scope of technical analysis to encompass an engineering solution’s potential impact on society. Thus, our graduates have all of the skills as their peers in traditional engineering majors, but with a broader societal perspective and additional analysis skills. This enables our graduates:
- to understand the interface between technology and society and
- to help solve the complex, interdisciplinary systems problems facing our world in their careers.
Students will be able to work in a variety of career fields, including technical and non-technical, in industry, government or elsewhere where these broad skills are needed.
EPP Student Outcomes
By the end of the combined B.S. programs in a traditional engineering program and the EPP program, students should have attained the following:
- an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
- an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
- an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
- an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
- an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
- an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
- an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Course Requirements for the Additional Major in EPP
Minimum units for the additional major106
Students pursuing an additional major in EPP must complete three sets of requirements: courses for the EPP additional major, courses for their traditional engineering major, and general education courses. The student should refer to the relevant sections of this catalog for the required courses in the traditional engineering major. The EPP additional major is designed to be completed with a traditional engineering major in the standard eight-semester time frame. However, additional units or course work may be required. Some courses for the EPP additional major may also satisfy requirements for traditional engineering courses or for general education courses.
Overview
Course | | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-101 | Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy | 12 | | 19-201 | Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Public Policy | 1 | | 73-102 | Principles of Microeconomics | 9 | | or 84-110 | The Economics of Politics and Technology | | | (or other approved economics course) | | | | 36-220 | Engineering Statistics and Quality Control | 9 | | (or other approved statistics course) | | | | 19-301 | Decision Making Methods for Engineers and Scientists | 9 | | or 19-469 | Behavior, Decision and Policy | | | or 84-369 | Decision Science for International Relations | | | or 88-223 | Decision Analysis | | | (or other approved decision science course) | | | | 76-270 | Writing for the Professions | 9 | | (or other approved writing course) | | | | 19-351 | Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis | 9 | | 19-451 | EPP Projects I | 12 | | 19-452 | EPP Projects II | 12 | | Three EPP Technology-Policy Electives | | min. 24 |
Introductory Courses
| | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-101 | Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy | 12 | | 19-201 | Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Public Policy | 1 |
The two introductory courses prepare students for the additional major experience through discussion and assessment of technology-policy interactions. 19-101 Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy may be taken as the second introductory engineering course for engineering students. 19-201 Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Public Policy is required in addition to any corresponding seminar course in a student’s traditional degree program.
Core Area Courses
| EPP Economics elective - one of the following, or other approved course: | ||
| 73-102 | Principles of Microeconomics | 9 |
| 84-110 | The Economics of Politics and Technology | 9 |
| EPP Statistics elective - one of the following, or other approved course: | ||
| 36-220 | Engineering Statistics and Quality Control | 9 |
| EPP Decision Science elective - one of the following, or other approved course (9 units minimum): | ||
| 19-301 | Decision Making Methods for Engineers and Scientists | 9 |
| 19-469 | Behavior, Decision and Policy | 9 |
| 84-369 | Decision Science for International Relations | 9 |
| 88-223 | Decision Analysis | 12 |
| EPP Writing and Communications elective - one of the following, or other approved course | ||
| 76-270 | Writing for the Professions | 9 |
The four core area courses provide the foundational skills in the social sciences that are needed for robust analysis of policy problems. 73-102 Principles of Microeconomics fulfills a CIT General Education course. Students who receive a pre-requisite waiver for 73-102 may take a higher-level economics course as a substitute with approval.
CivE, EnvE, MechE, and MSE students will complete the statistics elective as part of their traditional engineering majors. ChemE students will substitute the statistics elective for the Advanced Chemistry Elective. ECE students, who have a required course in probability for their traditional engineering major are encouraged to take 36-226 Introduction to Statistical Inference to fulfill the EPP statistics requirement. Students should complete the statistics requirement by the end of sophomore year. A statistics course is a prerequisite for the EPP Decision Science elective.
The EPP Decision Science elective fulfills either the CIT General Education Social Analysis and Decision Making requirement or a CIT General Education free elective. The EPP Writing and Communications course fulfills the CIT General Education Writing and Expressions requirement.
Technology-Policy Electives
- At least 3 courses of EPP Technology-Policy electives (24 units minimum)
EPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that belong to three categories. First, EPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that synthesize engineering analysis and social analysis perspectives and apply them to problems with substantial societal and technological components. Specific areas of interest for these courses are (1) energy, resources, and the environment, (2) risk assessment, (3) technology innovation, (4) urban engineering, (5) information and communication technology, and (6) product engineering and design, among others. Second, EPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that teach methods or analysis skills necessary for solving complex problems. Examples include mathematical or statistical courses related to optimization or estimation, or economics courses related to economic analysis. Finally, EPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that provide technical background for policy relevant issues. These courses are fundamental for understanding our current engineering systems and how proposed changes can be implemented. Examples include courses on electricity systems, engine design, or atmospheric systems. A sample of courses for EPP Technology-Policy Electives is below. Other courses with approval.
| 19-211 | Ethics and Policy Issues in Computing | 9 |
| 19-303 | Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains and Applications | Var. |
| 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems | 12 |
| 19-411 | Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Firms, Nations, and Tech | 9 |
| 19-416 | AI Governance: Identifying & Mitigating Risks in Design & Dev of AI Solutions | Var. |
| 19-429 | Climate Change Science and Solutions | 9 |
| 19-433 | Data Science for Technology, Innovation and Policy | 9 |
| 19-608 | Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology | 12 |
| 19-668 | Electric Vehicles: Technology, Economics, Environment and Policy | 12 |
The majority of 19-xxx EPP departmental courses are considered EPP Technology-Policy Electives. Exceptions will be identified when the courses are offered. Courses that are required or used for core area courses for the additional major can not be used as electives. Courses from other departments also are acceptable as electives with approval. Students should work with their advisors to define areas of concentration or a selection of breadth courses for the EPP Technology-Policy Electives.
Students are required to take at least three EPP Technology-Policy electives for a minimum of 24 units. Units may be added in any combination, but a maximum of one 3-unit course is permitted. Up to 9 units of 19-550 Undergraduate Research may be used with approval. Students may not use a required course from their traditional engineering major for these elective units. However, students may use an elective course from their traditional major requirements to meet the requirements of both their traditional engineering major and an EPP Technology-Policy elective, but the units for the course will not be double-counted toward units required for their degree. Some EPP Technology-Policy elective courses may fulfill requirements for CIT General Education categories (e.g., 19-411 Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Firms, Nations, and Tech is an I&I course), otherwise students use Free Elective units to complete this requirement.
Capstone Courses
| | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-351 | Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis | 9 | | 19-451 | EPP Projects I | 12 | | 19-452 | EPP Projects II | 12 |
The capstone courses synthesize the technical skills and knowledge from a student’s traditional major with the social science skills and broad perspective of the EPP major.
19-351 Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis is a preparatory course for EPP Projects sequence. 19-351 may be completed as a co-requisite of 19-451 EPP Projects I. The course fulfills CIT General Education elective units.
19-451 EPP Projects I and 19-452 EPP Projects II are technology/policy projects which deal with research and development of recommendations for solving actual and critical problems currently affecting society. The students, faculty, and graduate student managers for the project are drawn from EPP, Social and Decision Sciences, and the Heinz College, and other CMU departments, and hence bring different areas of expertise to the structuring and solution of the problem. The topics for EPP Projects are drawn from diverse areas such as environmental systems and resources, public transportation, urban engineering problems, energy and fuel utilization, the interaction of law and technology, strategic materials and vulnerability of supply, technical issues in national security, and problems in automation, robotics, and communication technology. Students use Free Elective units to complete this requirement. 19-452 EPP Projects II serves as the capstone engineering design course experience for additional majors.
Notes on EPP additional major requirements
Students should follow the suggested curriculum timelines for completing the math, science, and engineering course requirements of the traditional major with the exception of the statistics elective which should be taken as early as possible and no later then the end of sophomore year.
Some courses as noted above may be used to fulfill requirements of general education courses. Acceptable courses for the CIT General Education requirements are maintained by the CIT Dean's Office. Students must submit a plan during their first-semester as an EPP student (usually Fall sophomore year) for these general education courses demonstrating their relevance to EPP.
Students must complete the minimum number of units as required by their traditional major for graduation. In some cases, students completing the EPP additional major may need to complete additional units to meet all requirements for the traditional major and EPP additional major.
In addition to any other graduation requirements (e.g., regarding course work, minimum QPA, pass/fail course work, etc.) of the student's traditional disciplinary major, students must earn a minimum QPA of 2.0 in all courses required for the EPP major.
Side-by-side curriculum charts of the curricula for the traditional engineering majors alone versus the traditional engineering majors with the EPP additional major can assist students in determining the course requirements and scheduling needed to complete the degree requirements.
A proposed semester plan is below. Students work with their advisors to determine the best sequence of courses given the varied requirements in the traditional engineering majors.
| Course | Semester | | 19-101 Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy | First-year Spring | | EPP Economics Elective | First-year Fall or Spring | | 19-201 Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Policy | Sophomore Fall | | EPP Statistics Elective | Sophomore Fall or Spring | | EPP Writing and Communications Elective | Sophomore Fall or Spring | | EPP Decision Science Elective | Junior Fall | | 19-351 Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis | Junior Spring | | 3 EPP Technology-Policy Electives | Junior and/or Senior year | | 19-451 / 19-452 EPP Projects I and II | Senior Fall and Spring |
Course Requirements for the Additional Major in STPP
Minimum units required for additional major106
Students pursuing an additional major in STPP must complete three sets of requirements: courses for the STPP additional major, courses for their traditional disciplinary major, and general education courses. The student should refer to the relevant sections of this catalog for the required courses in the traditional disciplinary major. The STPP additional major is designed to be completed with a traditional disciplinary major in the standard eight-semester time frame. However, additional units or course work may be required. Some courses for the STPP additional major may also satisfy requirements for traditional disciplinary majors or for general education courses.
Introductory Courses
| | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-101 | Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy | 12 | | 19-201 | Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Public Policy | 1 |
The two introductory courses prepare students for the additional major experience through discussion and assessment of technology-policy interactions. 19-101 Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy may qualify as a general education course in some majors. 19-201 Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Public Policy is required in addition to any corresponding seminar course in a student’s traditional degree program.
Core Area Courses
Economics course - one of the following: | | || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 73-102 | Principles of Microeconomics | 9 | | 84-110 | The Economics of Politics and Technology | 9 | | or other approved economics course | | |
Statistics course — one of the following: | | || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 36-220 | Engineering Statistics and Quality Control | 9 | | 36-226 | Introduction to Statistical Inference | 9 | | or other approved statistics course | | |
STPP Decision Science course — one of the following: | | || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-301 | Decision Making Methods for Engineers and Scientists | 9 | | 19-469 | Behavior, Decision and Policy | 9 | | 84-369 | Decision Science for International Relations | 9 | | 88-223 | Decision Analysis | 12 | | 88-302 | Behavioral Decision Making | 9 | | or other approved decision science course | | |
STPP Writing and Communications course — one of the following: | | || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 76-270 | Writing for the Professions | 9 | | 76-271 | Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing | 9 | | or other approved writing and communications course | | |
The four core area courses provide the foundational skills in the social sciences that are needed for robust analysis of policy problems. For students in SCS and MCS, the economics, decision science, and writing course selections may qualify as general education courses, and the statistics elective may qualify for a math/science requirement. For students in DC and CFA, some core area requirements may be fulfilled by traditional program requirements or general education courses. Students should consult with their advisors in both programs to assure that courses are meeting requirements and providing appropriate depth of content. Students who receive a pre-requisite waiver for 73-102 may complete a higher-level economics course as a substitute with approval.
Technology-Policy Electives
| 3 courses | 24 minimum units |
STPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that belong to three categories. First, STPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that synthesize technical analysis and social analysis perspectives and apply them to problems with substantial societal and technological components. Specific areas of interest for these courses are (1) energy, resources, and the environment, (2) risk assessment, (3) technology innovation, (4) urban engineering, (5) information and communication technology, and (6) product development and design, among others. Second, STPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that teach methods or analysis skills necessary for solving complex problems. Examples include mathematical or statistical courses related to optimization or estimation, or economics courses related to economic analysis. Finally, STPP Technology-Policy Electives include courses that provide technical background for policy relevant issues. These courses are fundamental for understanding our current technical systems and how proposed changes can be implemented. Examples include courses on electricity systems, telecommunication systems, engine design, or atmospheric systems. A sample of courses for STPP Technology-Policy Electives is below.
| 19-211 | Ethics and Policy Issues in Computing | 9 |
| 19-303 | Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains and Applications | Var. |
| 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems | 12 |
| 19-411 | Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Firms, Nations, and Tech | 9 |
| 19-416 | AI Governance: Identifying & Mitigating Risks in Design & Dev of AI Solutions | Var. |
| 19-429 | Climate Change Science and Solutions | 9 |
| 19-433 | Data Science for Technology, Innovation and Policy | 9 |
| 19-608 | Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology | 12 |
| 19-668 | Electric Vehicles: Technology, Economics, Environment and Policy | 12 |
The majority of 19-xxx EPP departmental courses are considered STPP Technology-Policy Electives. Exceptions will be identified when the courses are offered. Courses that are required or used for core area courses for the additional major can not be used as electives. Courses from other departments also are acceptable as electives with approval. Students should work with their advisors to define areas of concentration or a selection of breadth courses for the STPP Technology-Policy Electives.
Students are required to take at least three STPP Technology-Policy electives for a minimum of 24 units. Units may be added in any combination, but a maximum of one 3-unit course is permitted. Up to 9 units of 19-550 Undergraduate Research may be used with approval. Students may not use a required course from their traditional disciplinary major for these elective units. However, students may use an elective course from their traditional major requirements to meet the requirements of both their traditional engineering major and an STPP Technology-Policy elective, but the units for the course will not be double-counted toward units required for their degree. Some STPP Technology-Policy elective courses may fulfill general education requirements for traditional major programs.
Capstone Courses
| 19-351 | Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis | 9 |
| 19-451 | EPP Projects I | 12 |
| 19-452 | EPP Projects II | 12 |
The capstone courses synthesize the technical skills and knowledge from a student’s traditional major with the social science skills and broad perspective of the STPP additional major.
19-351 Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis is a preparatory course for the EPP Projects sequence. 19-351 may be completed as a co-requisite of 19-451 EPP Projects I.
19-451 EPP Projects I and 19-452 EPP Projects II are technology/policy projects which deal with research and development of recommendations for solving actual and critical problems currently affecting society. The students, faculty, and graduate student managers for the project are drawn from the EPP and STPP programs, Social and Decision Sciences, and the Heinz College, and other CMU departments, and hence bring different areas of expertise to the structuring and solution of the problem. The topics for EPP Projects are drawn from diverse areas such as environmental systems and resources, public transportation, urban engineering problems, energy and fuel utilization, the interaction of law and technology, strategic materials and vulnerability of supply, technical issues in national security, and problems in automation, robotics, and communication technology. These capstone courses may qualify as capstone experience courses or general education courses in some major programs.
Notes on STPP additional major requirements
Students should follow the suggested curriculum timelines for completing the course requirements of their primary major program where necessary and will work with both their primary program advisor and the STPP advisor to assure that requirements for both degrees are met.
Students must complete the minimum number of units as required by their primary major for graduation. In some cases, students completing the STPP additional major may need to complete additional units to meet all requirements for the primary major and STPP additional major.
In addition to any other graduation requirements (e.g., regarding course work, minimum QPA, pass/fail course work, etc.) of the student's primary major, students must earn a minimum QPA of 2.0 in all courses required for the STPP additional major.
Integrated B.S./M.S. Programs
B.S. integrated with M.S. in Engineering and Public Policy
Open to all CMU undergraduates with appropriate interest and undergraduate preparation. Students do not need to be enrolled in our undergraduate additional major or minor to pursue the M.S. in EPP degree.
CMU undergraduate students, regardless of whether they complete an undergraduate additional major in EPP or STPP or not, may plan a course of study that leads to completing both their undergraduate B.S. degree and an MS in Engineering and Public Policy. This course of study will ordinarily require two additional semesters of study beyond that required for an undergraduate degree, although advanced placement or other study may reduce this time. Some coursework towards the MS may be completed during the student's senior year, however no courses taken may count for both a BS program and the MS in EPP. Students interested in the program should contact their advisor for details on the application process and course requirements. See the EPP website for more information about the MS in EPP program requirements including curriculum.
Minors in Engineering and Public Policy
MINOR IN TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY
The department offers a minor in Technology and Policy. This minor allows students to sample the EPP requirements and develop exposure and awareness to issues at the interface of science, technology, and society.
Pre-requisites: Students should have prerequisite knowledge in economics (73-102 Principles of Microeconomics or similar level economics course) and statistics (36-202 Methods for Statistics & Data Science or similar level statistics course) in order to pursue the Technology and Policy Minor.
Course Requirements | | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-101 | Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy | 12 | | 19-301 | Decision Making Methods for Engineers and Scientists | 9 | | or 19-351 | Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis | | | 19-451 | EPP Projects I | 12 | | xx-xxx | Two EPP Technology-Policy Electives | 18 |
EPP Technical Electives include courses that address problems at the society-technology interface and the means of analyzing these issues. A list of qualifying Technology-Policy electives is available from the EPP Department. Example Technology-Policy electives include:
| 19-211 | Ethics and Policy Issues in Computing | 9 |
| 19-303 | Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains and Applications | Var. |
| 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems | 12 |
| 19-411 | Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Firms, Nations, and Tech | 9 |
| 19-416 | AI Governance: Identifying & Mitigating Risks in Design & Dev of AI Solutions | Var. |
| 19-427 | Special Topics: Energy Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 9 |
| 19-429 | Climate Change Science and Solutions | 9 |
| 19-433 | Data Science for Technology, Innovation and Policy | 9 |
| 19-534 | Usable Privacy and Security | 9 |
| 19-608 | Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology | 12 |
Students must earn a cumulative QPA of 2.0 in all courses taken for the minor. Required courses taken for a student’s primary major may not be counted toward the Technology and Policy Minor. Elective courses for a student’s primary major or courses fulfilling general education requirements may be counted, however.
Details of this program are provided in the discussion of CIT minors; see Technology and Policy Minor Description.
MINOR IN INFORMATION SECURITY, PRIVACY AND POLICY
Lujo Bauer, Director
Interdisciplinary minor offered by both CIT and SCS
There is a growing demand for security and privacy experts, and increasing interest among CMU undergraduates in taking security and privacy courses. Security and privacy expertise is an asset in a variety of careers outside, not just in computer science, but also in areas that include business, management, and law. In addition, the policy side of security and privacy is becoming increasingly important and employers are interested in hiring people with an understanding of relevant policy issues, especially in the privacy and security area.
This minor is for undergraduate students across the university who are interested in policy issues related to security and privacy, including those who are planning careers in security/privacy as well as those who plan to focus their careers in other areas. The curriculum has been designed to accommodate students from any major as long as they have taken at least one introductory-level college programming course (such as 15-110 or 15-112).
After completing this minor, students will have a good understanding of how to identify potential security and privacy risks and relevant legal and policy issues; a working understanding of security topics such as cryptography, authentication, and Internet security protocols; as well as broad knowledge of several security- and privacy-related areas as they pertain to the design, development, deployment and management of technologies in a variety of practical contexts (e.g., Web, mobile, Internet of Things, social media, crypto currencies).
Admission
Students are not required to apply to enroll in this minor to start the required courses. However, they are encouraged to consult with the minor director on their elective course selection. In addition, students doing the independent study option must get approval from the minor director prior to enrolling in their independent study course. Finally, students must contact the minor director to certify their completion of the minor.
Curriculum
Students are required to take five courses to complete this minor with a minimum of 48 units.
INTRODUCTORY SECURITY COURSE
| 17-331 | Information Security, Privacy, and Policy | 12 |
Students who have taken 15-213 Introduction to Computer Systems may substitute 15-330 Introduction to Computer Security/18-330 Introduction to Computer Security
PRIVACY AND POLICY COURSE
| 17-333 | Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology | 9 |
Students may substitute 12-unit version of this course: 19-608, 17-733, or 95-818.
PRIVACY ELECTIVES
Complete a minimum of 9 units: | | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-534/17-334/05-436 | Usable Privacy and Security | 9 | | 19-602/17-702 | Current Topics In Privacy Seminar | 3 | | 17-731 | Foundations of Privacy | 12 |
TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY ELECTIVES
Complete a minimum of 9 units: | | Units || | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 19-211 | Ethics and Policy Issues in Computing | 9 | | 17-562 | Law of Computer Technology | 9 | | 19-101 | Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy | 12 | | 19-403 | Policies of Wireless Systems | 12 | | 19-639 | Policies of the Internet | 12 | | 84-387 | Remote Systems and the Cyber Domain in Conflict | 9 |
Crosslisted courses are also allowed.
ADDITIONAL APPROVED ELECTIVE
Students must complete an additional elective of 9 units or more. Students may choose an additional privacy elective or technology policy elective from the list above, or the one of the following security electives:
| 15-316 | Software Foundations of Security and Privacy | 9 |
| 15-356 | Introduction to Cryptography | 12 |
| 19/17-303 | Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains and Applications | Var. |
| 19-534/17-334 | Usable Privacy and Security | 9 |
| 18-334 | Network Security | 12 |
| 18-435 | Foundations of Blockchains | 12 |
*Course 18-733 Applied Cryptography is also an approved security elective.
Students who have the necessary prerequisites may choose any approved elective from the SCS or ECE security and privacy undergraduate concentration. Check with the minor program director to determine which category of elective each course will fulfill.
Students should be careful to choose electives for which they have appropriate prerequisites. New elective options are expected as more courses are offered. Students may petition to count a course not on this list as an elective. Students should request permission before taking a course that is not on this list. Students may not count multiple electives that overlap substantially.
Optional Project: Subject to approval by the minor director, students may optionally count towards one of the elective requirements 9 units of an independent study or research project course in the security or privacy area, under the supervision of a faculty member in any department. In order to receive credit towards the minor, students must submit a brief project proposal to their project advisor and to the minor director and have it approved prior to conducting the project. Depending on the topic of the project, the minor director may approve credits counting towards privacy electives, technology policy electives, security electives, or some combination of these. Students may work individually, with other undergraduates, or as part of project teams with graduate students or research staff. Students involved in a group project must identify specific project components for which they are responsible. In addition, they must submit a final project report to their project advisor and the minor director that includes a literature review and describes the work they completed. Students working on a group project must each submit their own final report, which should also situate their contribution in the context of the larger project. Note, students are expected to work approximately 1 hour per week for each unit of project in which they are enrolled (e.g. 9 units = 9 hours/week of project work).
Double Counting: At most 2 of the courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be counted towards any other undergraduate major or minor program. This rule does not apply to courses counted for general education requirements.
Notes on EPP Undergraduate/Graduate Level Courses
Many courses taught by the department (19-XXX courses) are offered to undergraduate and graduate students. These “dual level” courses are offered in two formats:
- Some courses are taught under both an undergraduate and graduate number. An example is 19-403 Policies of Wireless Systems, also offered as 19-713. In these types of courses, students who sign up under the 700-level (graduate) course number may be expected to perform the same coursework at a higher level, and/or complete additional coursework, compared to 400-level students. Undergraduates who choose to take the course under the graduate number will be also be expected to work at the higher expectation/coursework level.
- Other courses are taught under a 600 level number. An example is 19-668 Electric Vehicles: Technology, Economics, Environment and Policy. These courses may be taken by undergraduates as a senior level course, or by graduate students as a graduate level course. As with dual number courses, graduate level students or undergraduates taking the course for graduate credit may be required to perform coursework at a higher level and/or complete additional coursework. Undergraduates who are taking a 600 level course for graduate credit should identify this fact to both the course instructor and to their EPP department advisor.
Students who have questions about the requirements of a specific EPP 400/700, or 600 level course, should contact the course instructor. Some courses have pre-requisites which may be waived for students given prior background.
Course Descriptions
About Course Numbers:
Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.
19-101 Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy : Fall and Spring: 12 units\ This course examines interactions between technology and society, and the related processes of public and private decision-making. Classes involve a mix of lecture, discussion, and hands-on activities where students tackle interdisciplinary issues with both quantitative and qualitative methods. Students complete individual and group assignments that build skills in analysis and communication relevant for future careers. Past project topics include: using drone imaging to assess algal blooms in Lake Erie, incorporating renewable electricity generation on campus, reducing credit card fraud through data analytics, and creating standards for additive manufacturing of critical airplane parts.\
19-201 Professional Issues in Engineering, Science, Technology and Public Policy : Fall: 1 unit\ The course provides an overview of the academic and professional domain of technology-centered policy. Content includes career exploration, networking practice, ethics and professional responsibilities, academic advising, alumni speakers, and other topics as relevant. Intended for sophomores enrolling in the Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) Additional Major and the Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) Additional Major.\
19-211 Ethics and Policy Issues in Computing : Spring: 9 units\ Should autonomous robots make life and death decisions on their own? Should we allow them to select a target and launch weapons? To diagnose injuries and perform surgery when human doctors are not around? Who should be permitted to observe you, find out who your friends are, what you do and say with them, what you buy, and where you go? Do social media and personalized searches restrict our intellectual horizons? Do we live in polarizing information bubbles, just hearing echoes of what we already know and believe? As computing technology becomes ever more pervasive and sophisticated, we are presented with an escalating barrage of decisions about who, how, when, and for what purposes technology should be used. This course will provide an intellectual framework for discussing these pressing issues of our time, as we shape the technologies that in turn shape us. We will seek insight through reading, discussion, guest lectures, and debates. Students will also undertake an analysis of a relevant issue of their choice, developing their own position, and acquiring the research skills needed to lend depth to their thinking. The course will enhance students' ability to think clearly about contentious technology choices, formulate smart positions, and support their views with winning arguments.\
19-213 The American Railroad: Decline and Renaissance in the Age of Deregulation : Intermittent: 6 units\ Railroads in the USA are often considered as a subject for nostalgia or public sector failure, an image largely based on passenger service. However, the USA's private sector freight rail industry is considered a model for the world as the result of its renaissance following deregulation in 1980. This is a "stealth" industry whose history and economics are both intertwined and complex. Students will gain a basic understanding of the industry's history and economics and its role in the national transportation network, with special attention to the past half-century. In addition, students will participate in small group research projects in particular areas of special interest - for example, economic history, industry and safety culture, network economics, utility regulation or transportation policy.\
19-301 Decision Making Methods for Engineers and Scientists : Fall: 9 units\ This course covers various economic, statistical, and decision analysis techniques used for examining complex decisions where technology, society, and policy interconnect. Topics covered include: estimation techniques, benefit-cost analysis, decision trees, dealing with uncertainty, risk perception and analysis, survey design and implementation, utility theory, heuristics and biases in inference and prediction, methods for combining information from different sources and dealing with conflicting objectives.\ Prerequisites: 36-219 Min. grade C or 19-250 Min. grade C or 36-217 Min. grade C or 36-220 Min. grade C\
19-303 Cryptocurrencies, Blockchains and Applications : Spring: 9 units\ Note: Previously offered as 19-355. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have gained large popularity in recent years, in no small part due to the fantastic potential applications they could facilitate. This course will first provide an overview of the technological mechanisms behind cryptocurrencies and distributed consensus and distributed ledgers ("blockchains"), introducing along the way the necessary cryptographic tools. It will then focus on more advanced blockchain applications, such as "smart contracts," that is, contracts written as code. Finally, the course will also introduce some of the legal and policy questions surrounding cryptocurrencies. Prerequisites: Introduction to Computer Systems or equivalent strongly recommended\
19-351 Applied Methods for Technology-Policy Analysis : Spring: 9 units\ This course synthesizes concepts from economics, statistics, decision analysis, and other humanities and social science areas as they relate to analysis of technology and public policy issues. Students will focus on applying skills, tools, and techniques of social science to critically examine issues of current importance to society that have engineering systems at the core, and how public policy can be informed by the results of these analyses. Students will discover the relationship between formulating research questions considering a wide range of perspectives (e.g., political, ethical, social, economic, and legal aspects) and implementing the appropriate research methods for answering them. The course will emphasize interpretation and communication of analysis results in written and oral presentation, especially to non-technical audiences. As a precursor to the EPP Project courses, the course also prepares EPP juniors for structuring real-world problems into a feasible work plan, and to deal with revising work plans as work proceeds.\ Prerequisite: 36-220
19-403 Policies of Wireless Systems : Intermittent: 12 units\ This course will address public policy issues related to wireless systems. It investigates policies related to a wide variety of emerging wireless systems and technologies, including current and next-generation cellular systems, wifi and white space devices, emerging methods of accessing spectrum, communications systems for emergency responders (firefighters, police, emergency medical services), current and next-generation television, and satellite communications. This can include the government role in facilitating the creation of infrastructure, in advancing competition among broadcasters and communications service providers, in using scarce spectrum efficiently, in promoting public safety and homeland security, and in protecting privacy and security. Because these are inherently interdisciplinary issues, the course will include detailed discussions of technology, economics, and law, with no prerequisites in any of these areas. Senior or graduate standing required.\
19-411 Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Firms, Nations, and Tech : Fall: 9 units\ Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century introduces students to the fundamental principles surrounding global competitiveness and technological change in the 21st century. The course is broken into three sections. The first section introduces students to competing economic, sociological, and political science theories on the structures supporting technological change. The second section presents contemporary literature on technological change. The concluding section leverages lessons from the preceding two sections to evaluate national innovation systems, and the factors that lead to national comparative advantage. Students should leave the class able to reflect competently on what the existing literature tells us about the factors influencing global technology competitiveness, and on how modern changes in the structures supporting innovation as well as technology itself may be changing the rules of the game for firms and for nations. The course is open to undergraduate juniors, seniors and amp; graduate students.\
19-416 AI Governance: Identifying & Mitigating Risks in Design & Dev of AI Solutions : Fall and Spring\ With AI and ML finding their way into an increasingly broad range of products and services, it is important to identify and mitigate the risks associated with the adoption of these technologies. This course reviews the different types of risks associated with AI and discusses methodologies and techniques available to identify and mitigate these risks. The course introduces students to ethical frameworks available to identify and analyze risks. It also examines best practices emerging from both government and industry efforts in this area. This includes looking at new regulations such as the EU AI Act as well as emerging frameworks such as the one developed by NIST. The course also examines frameworks developed by leading companies and how these frameworks combine both technical and non-technical approaches. It further discusses changes that need to be enacted by organizations to adopt more systematic approaches to AI governance. This course combines a mix of technical, policy, and management discussions.\
19-427 Special Topics: Energy Innovation and Entrepreneurship : Fall: 9 units\ Want to be an energy innovator, business entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, or intrapreneur? Students in this class will learn the fundamentals of energy innovation and entrepreneurship, and how innovation and entrepreneurship in energy differs from that in other fields. Students will then develop a business and non-market strategy for an idea of their own, or in response to a real-world challenge proposed by a business, industry, or a non-governmental organization. The resulting strategy can, if students wish, be submitted for student competitions that typically take place each spring throughout the United States.\ \ Course Website: https://cmu.box.com/s/zjvqn8ne12sjwqmtvev2w49s78ij5sm5
19-428 Special Topics: Market Engineering and Applications : Intermittent: 9 units\ An introduction to market-engineering concepts and applications to contemporary market-design problems such as resource allocation, information aggregation, and decentralized control. Concepts apply the theory of linear algebra, optimization and statistics. Course reservations for Seniors and Juniors with permission. Application areas include: - energy systems, - environmental management (e.g., cap-and-trade systems), - wildlife management (e.g., fishing licenses), - oil-development leases, - exchanges for organ transplants, - information markets, and - matching systems for medical-residency programs.\
19-429 Climate Change Science and Solutions : Fall and Spring: 9 units\ This course consists of four parts. The first part will provide a primer for those who are curious about the physical mechanisms by which climate is determined, and by which climate change occurs. The treatment of these mechanisms will not be overly quantitative, and no knowledge of meteorology or atmospheric science is needed. College-level physics, as well as basic calculus and basic chemistry, is, however, needed. The second part will describe the projected consequences of climate change, as well as those that are already occurring. This part will also familiarize students with how societies might adapt to these changes. The third part will explore (and critique) some of the tools that decision-makers use to quantify and compare the damages caused by these consequences. The final part of the course will discuss some of the technologies that could be used to prevent dangerous climate change.\
19-433 Data Science for Technology, Innovation and Policy : Intermittent: 9 units\ Students will learn how to use R to collect, organize, and analyze data in technology, innovation, and policy-related domains. The focus will be on the practical issues faced when conducting data analyses, correctly implementing and interpreting statistical models, and summarizing results for clients and research purposes.\
19-440 Combustion and Air Pollution Control : Intermittent: 9 units\ Formation and control of gaseous and particulate air pollutants in combustion systems. Basic principles of combustion, including thermochemical equilibrium, flame temperature, chemical kinetics, hydrocarbon chemistry, and flame structure. Formation of gaseous and particulate pollutants in combustion systems. Combustion modifications and postcombustion technologies for pollutant control. Relationship between technology and regional, national, and global air pollution control strategies. The internal combustion engine and coal-fired utility boiler are used as examples.\
19-451 EPP Projects I : Fall and Spring: 12 units\ Students work in multidisciplinary teams (engineers and scientists, humanities and social scientists, public policy and management graduates) on a cutting edge project topic with very little in the way of pre-digested analysis or solutions. Topics include both technical and social dimensions, multiple constraints on the solutions, and require multi-dimensional analyses. Students are given a general goal, and are expected to discover existing knowledge on the topic, and to research existing technologies and relevant policies. Using this background and their technical and social analysis education as appropriate, students then create new knowledge on the subject and analyzing technology impacts, policy alternatives, or other relevant options as topics necessitate. This knowledge is communicated to an external advisory panel, selected from experts and constituencies of importance to the issue through formal presentations and a written report. #19451 is the first of two EPP Projects course experiences for EPP additional majors, students taking EPP Projects I are learning how to use their skills from prior EPP courses in solving complex, unstructured problems and developing skills for effective project completion.\
19-452 EPP Projects II : Fall: 12 units\ Students work in multidisciplinary teams (engineers and scientists, humanities and social scientists, public policy and management graduates) on a cutting edge project topic with very little in the way of pre-digested analysis or solutions. Topics include both technical and social dimensions, multiple constraints on the solutions, and require multi-dimensional analyses. Students are given a general goal, and are expected to discover existing knowledge on the topic, and to research existing technologies and relevant policies. Using this background and their technical and social analysis education as appropriate, students then create new knowledge on the subject and analyzing technology impacts, policy alternatives, or other relevant options as topics necessitate. This knowledge is communicated to an external advisory panel, selected from experts and constituencies of importance to the issue through formal presentations and a written report. The second of two EPP Projects course experiences for EPP additional majors, EPP Projects II is the capstone course. Students apply their skills and knowledge from EPP Projects I, demonstrating project framing, decomposition, and developing analyses. Students in this second course are expected to be course leaders, assisting students taking the course for the first time in navigating project communications and tasks.\
19-469 Behavior, Decision and Policy : Intermittent: 9 units\ Behavioral science can inform policy making in three ways: (a) improving two-way communication between the public and policy makers; (b) creating policies that make realistic assumptions about human behavior; (c) disciplining the expert judgment needed to analyze risks. The course will introduce and discuss the technical and ethical foundations of behavioral research and risk analysis, setting them in their historical, social, and political context. It will apply them to a wide variety of technology-related policies, including energy (e.g., conservation, nuclear power), environment (e.g., climate, pollution), health (e.g., vaccines, COVID-19), national security (e.g., terrorism, intelligence analysis), and others, including ones proposed by students. Students will acquire a critical perspective on policies in their lives, society, and profession. The course is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students, who have not taken 84369/84669.\
19-488 Special Topics: Behavioral Mechanism and Design : Fall: 9 units\ This course will focus on attempts to reduce behavioral and social problems using behavioral research. We will review and discuss behavioral phenomena from three distinct perspectives - economist, psychologist, and behaviorist - mapping out the basic constructs and fundamental assumptions each entail. A point of focus will be understanding basic models of learning and the challenges of predicting behavior. Throughout the semester we will see that in many cases, there is high sensitivity to economic incentives, but not always in the expected direction. Thus, an intelligent design of the reward system can allow for better coping with systematic social and organizational issues. Classes will blend lectures, active discussions, and group projects. Each project begins with a practical problem defined in class, and groups use the tools discussed to develop policy or intervention proposals and presentations. Students will learn to analyze empirical phenomena in decision science and behavioral economics, appreciate the importance of theory-driven predictions, and take first steps in designing environments aiming to minimize social conflicts.\
19-500 Directed Study in EPP: Undergraduate : All Semesters\ Students may do undergraduate research as one course for EPP technical elective credit, with an EPP faculty member, or on an approved project with a faculty member from another department. The research credits must be pre-approved by your advisor, and should result in a written product, one copy of which should be sent to EPP.\
19-534 Usable Privacy and Security : Spring: 9 units\ There is growing recognition that technology alone will not provide all of the solutions to security and privacy problems. Human factors play an essential role in these areas, and it is important for security and privacy experts to have an understanding of how people will interact with the systems they develop. This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of usability and user-interface problems related to privacy and security and to give them experience in understanding and designing studies aimed at helping to evaluate usability issues in security and privacy systems. The course is suitable both for students interested in privacy and security who would like to learn more about usability, as well as for students interested in usability who would like to learn more about security and privacy. Students will also work on a group project throughout the semester. The course is open to all students who have technical backgrounds. The 12-unit course numbers (17-734, 5-836, 19-734) are for PhD students and masters students. Students enrolled in these course numbers will have extended homework assignments and will be expected to play a leadership role in a group project that produces a paper suitable for publication. The 9-unit course numbers (17-334, 5-436, 19-534) are for undergraduates and masters students (if permitted by their program).\
19-550 Undergraduate Research : Intermittent\ Students may do undergraduate research as one course for EPP technical elective credit, with an EPP faculty member, or on an approved project with a faculty member from another department. The research credits must be pre-approved by your advisor, and should result in a written product, one copy of which should be sent to EPP.\
19-602 Current Topics In Privacy Seminar : Fall and Spring: 3 units\ In this seminar course students will discuss recent papers and current public policy issues related to privacy. Privacy professionals from industry, government, and non-profits will deliver several guest lectures each semester.\
19-603 Data Science for Technology, Innovation and Policy : Intermittent: 12 units\ Students will learn how to use R to collect, organize, and analyze data in technology, innovation, and policy-related domains. The focus will be on the practical issues faced when conducting data analyses, correctly implementing and interpreting statistical models, and summarizing results for clients and research purposes.\
19-608 Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology : Fall: 12 units\ This course focuses on policy issues related to privacy from the perspectives of governments, organizations, and individuals. We will begin with a historical and philosophical study of privacy and then explore recent public policy issues. We will examine the privacy protections provided by laws and regulations, as well as the way technology can be used to protect privacy. We will emphasize technology-related privacy concerns and mitigation, for example: social networks, smartphones, behavioral advertising (and tools to prevent targeted advertising and tracking), anonymous communication systems, big data, and drones. This is part of a series of courses offered as part of the MSIT-Privacy Engineering masters program. These courses may be taken in any order or simultaneously. Foundations of Privacy (Fall semester) offers more in-depth coverage of technologies and algorithms used to reason about and protect privacy. Engineering Privacy in Software (Spring semester) focuses on the methods and tools needed to design systems for privacy. This course is intended primarily for graduate students and advanced undergraduate students with some technical background. Programming skills are not required. 8-733, 19-608, and 95-818 are 12-unit courses for PhD students. Students enrolled under these course numbers will have extra assignments and will be expected to do a project suitable for publication. 8-533 is a 9-unit course for undergraduate students. Masters students may register for any of the course numbers permitted by their program. This course will include a lot of reading, writing, and class discussion. Students will be able to tailor their assignments to their skills and interests. However, all students will be expected to do some writing and some technical work.\
19-617 Infrastructure Management : Intermittent: 12 units\ All civilizations depend on infrastructure - the underlying, often hidden foundation of a society's wealth and quality of life. This course provides an introduction and overview of global infrastructure issues as framed against the essential role of infrastructure in supporting sustainable and equitable development. The course offers a wide perspective on infrastructure and infrastructure systems including transportation, energy, water, and communications, and places a heavy focus on interdependence, resiliency, and supply/demand management. Covered topics range from condition, needs, and performance assessment methods to discussions of the infrastructure life cycle—planning, construction, and operations. An independently developed student project provides an opportunity for students to explore areas of infrastructure management of personal interest. Our overarching purpose is for students to develop an understanding of the essential role of infrastructure systems in enabling human communities to thrive.\
19-627 Special Topics: Energy Innovation and Entrepreneurship : Fall: 12 units\ Want to be an energy innovator, business entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, or intrapreneur? Students in this class will learn the fundamentals of energy innovation and entrepreneurship, and how innovation and entrepreneurship in energy differs from that in other fields. Students will then develop a business and non-market strategy for an idea of their own, or in response to a real-world challenge proposed by a business, industry, or a non-governmental organization. The resulting strategy can, if students wish, be submitted for student competitions that typically take place each spring throughout the United States.\
19-629 Climate Change Science and Solutions : Fall and Spring: 12 units\ This course consists of four parts. The first part will provide a primer for those who are curious about the physical mechanisms by which climate is determined, and by which climate change occurs. The treatment of these mechanisms will not be overly quantitative, and no knowledge of meteorology or atmospheric science is needed. College-level physics, as well as basic calculus and basic chemistry, is, however, needed. The second part will describe the projected consequences of climate change, as well as those that are already occurring. This part will also familiarize students with how societies might adapt to these changes. The third part will explore (and critique) some of the tools that decision-makers use to quantify and compare the damages caused by these consequences. The final part of the course will discuss some of the technologies that could be used to prevent dangerous climate change.\
19-639 Policies of the Internet : Fall: 12 units\ This course will address public policy issues related to the Internet. This may include policy issues such as network neutrality and the open Internet, Internet governance and the domain name system (and the role of the United Nations), copyright protection of online content, regulation of indecency and pornography, universal access to Internet and Internet as a "human right", government surveillance of the Internet, Internet privacy and security, and taxation of electronic commerce. It will also teach some fundamentals of Internet technology. Because these are inherently interdisciplinary issues, the course will include detailed discussions of technology, economics, and law, with no prerequisites in any of these areas. Senior or graduate standing required.\
19-640 Dynamic Network Analysis : Spring: 12 units\ Who knows who? Who knows what? Who communicates with whom? Who is influential? How do ideas, diseases, and technologies propagate through groups? How do social media, social, knowledge, and technology networks differ? How do these networks evolve? How do network constrain and enable behavior? How can a network be compromised or made resilient? Such questions can be addressed using Network Science. Network Science, a.k.a. social network analysis and link analysis, is a fast-growing interdisciplinary field aimed at understanding simple and amp; high dimensional networks, from both a static and a dynamic perspective. Across an unlimited application space, graph theoretic, statistical, and amp; simulation methodologies are used. An interdisciplinary perspective on network science is provided, with an emphasis on high-dimensional dynamic data. The fundamentals of network science, methods, theories, metrics and amp; confidence estimation, constraints on data collection and amp; bias, and key research findings and amp; challenges are examined. Illustrative networks discussed include social media based (e.g., twitter), disaster response, organizational, semantic, political elite, crises, terror, and amp; P2P networks. Critical procedures covered include: basic centralities and metrics, group and community detection, link inference, network change detection, comparative analytics, and big data techniques. Applications from business, science, art, medicine, forensics, social media and amp; numerous other areas are explored. Key issues addressed: Conceptualization, measurement, comparison and amp; evaluation of networks. Identification of influential nodes and hidden groups. Network emergence, evolution, change and amp; destabilization. Graduate course taught every other year. Prerequisite: Undergraduate-level statistics course or instructor permission. Linear algebra is recommended. Students are encouraged to bring and amp; use their own data, or to use provided data.\
19-654 Regulation of Internet Edge Platforms : Fall: 6 units\ Social media, search and e-commerce platforms are under attack all over the world: antitrust lawsuits, complaints about "fake news," partisan bias, and disinformation on social media, calls to remove liability protections for platforms that post user-provided content, to regulate content and online marketplaces. In this course we will examine competing economic and policy approaches to the treatment of these platforms. We will examine where these companies fit in the Internet ecosystem; how these firms make money (e.g. targeted advertising); traditional principles of antitrust and their application to multi-sided platforms; issues of Free Speech versus Disinformation on social networks, and how these firms differ from traditional media; and a comparison of proposals for structural versus behavioral regulation. Readings will be drawn from technical, economic, legal and policy sources. Students will be encouraged to contrast competing approaches to these issues via in-class debates and written assignments.\
19-658 Corporate Venturing & Innovation : Intermittent: 6 units\ : Startups aren't the only career destination for aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs - large, established companies need entrepreneurs more than ever to help them avoid the risk of being disrupted. The future survival of many large companies is in the hands of entrepreneurs who understand both technology and business - learn the skills you will need to engage corporate executives on the topic of corporate venturing. This course is created to help entrepreneurs design corporate venturing programs for large companies who want to avoid being disrupted by innovative and more nimble startups *How can you convince corporate executives to invest in corporate venturing capabilities? *How can you be successful as an entrepreneur inside a large company that is set on its ways? *How can a large company compete with faster and more nimble startups by building their own?\
19-659 Economic Regulation of Networked Industries : Fall: 6 units\ Economic Regulation of Networked Industries; This course will examine principles of economic regulation of networked industries such as gas, electricity, water and telecommunications, including economic justifications for price regulation (e.g. natural monopoly); alternative approaches to price regulation (Rate of Return, Price Caps), cost allocation and pricing in multiproduct industries (e.g. Ramsey prices); tariff design (single and multipart tariffs, capacity charges, peak load pricing); regulation in the presence of competition (cross subsidy and predatory pricing; access pricing); and institutional issues in regulatory agencies (design of independent regulatory agencies, incorporation of public input, public choice theory, regulatory capture).\ Prerequisite: 73-102
19-664 Special Topics: Advancing Low Carbon Transition in Industry : Intermittent: 12 units\ As a widely used and globally traded product, steel is essential to modern life, but its production is highly energy intensive and accounts for roughly 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project course will work with a major U.S. and Pittsburgh-based steel producer to assess technology pathways for the decarbonization of their organization. Students will learn and apply engineering economic approaches as well as perspectives from organizational processes and business strategy to analyze and compare decision alternatives. Skills to be acquired include deep understanding of industrial processes and decarbonization technologies, engineering cost and real options analysis, business strategy and organization, the role of public policy, and project workflow management and presentation skills. The course will involve regular interaction with the executive sponsor and technical lead, as well as experts on steelmaking technology and climate policy, with high potential for impact.\
19-668 Electric Vehicles: Technology, Economics, Environment and Policy : Intermittent: 12 units\ In this course, students will read academic literature, government documents, and popular press to develop a broad understanding of the technology, economic, environmental and policy dimensions of electric vehicles. Topics may include (1) TECHNOLOGY: Battery technology, design, application, degradation and innovation; electric vehicle technologies and designs; the electric power grid; (2) ECONOMICS: cost; consumer behavior; infrastructure; electricity dispatch; automotive externalities; the Gruenspecht effect; (3) ENVIRONMENT: life cycle assessment; air pollution; greenhouse gas emissions; marginal grid emission factors; renewables; vehicle to grid; hydrogen; (4) POLICY: effectiveness, efficiency, uncertainty and equity; short-run versus long-run effects; fleet standards; incentives; mandates; policy interactions; intellectual property; and policies in the US, China, EU, Japan, and local jurisdictions. Fundamentals covered at an introductory level to support readings may include time value of money, economies of scale, social welfare analysis, externalities, valuation of reduced mortality risk; choice modeling, regression, life cycle assessment, optimization, game theory, and other topics. Fluency with algebra and calculus is assumed.\
19-669 Behavior, Decision and Policy : Intermittent: 12 units\ Behavioral science can inform policy making in three ways: (a) improving two-way communication between the public and policy makers; (b) creating policies that make realistic assumptions about human behavior; (c) disciplining the expert judgment needed to analyze risks. The course will introduce and discuss the technical and ethical foundations of behavioral research and risk analysis, setting them in their historical, social, and political context. It will apply them to a wide variety of technology-related policies, including energy (e.g., conservation, nuclear power), environment (e.g., climate, pollution), health (e.g., vaccines, COVID-19), national security (e.g., terrorism, intelligence analysis), and others, including ones proposed by students. Students will acquire a critical perspective on policies in their lives, society, and profession. The course is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students, who have not taken 84369/84669.\
19-671 Tech Start-up: Market Discovery : Spring: 6 units\ The first three years of a technology start-up are the most critical; when the company's DNA or trajectory is set. Too few entrepreneurs appreciate this fact and, as a result, many start without the essential skills talents and capabilities needed to set the company on a successful path. Some of these entrepreneurial skills can only be learned through starting and growing a business while others can be learned. This course attempts to bridge the challenging gap between learning and doing entrepreneurship. We introduce you to an essential skill of market discovery or learning to create, develop and evaluate your concept of your business. Is my idea a real innovation? Is it also a business or a product or neither? How do I know how big the market is for my product? What are the technology market and competitive risks in my idea and how do I assess them? Can I compete? Can I sell it? How? When? Where? Students will have the opportunity to apply their newfound practical skills gathered in part from lectures from experienced entrepreneurs and investors to case studies role-playing and solving actual problems of local tech businesses. The best way to learn entrepreneurship is by doing, which is why this course will use 'true-to-life' scenarios as the anchor for the course. The class will be divided into 4 teams will focus on a company that is either (1) a student idea for new start-up, (2) an existing start-up (ideally local) or (3) a hypothetical start-up proposed/conceived by the students, the professor or both\
19-672 Special Topics: Tech Start-up: Building Your Own Company : Fall: 6 units\ (Session 2) - The first year or two of a tech start-up set the trajectory and character of that company for years to come. Too few entrepreneurs appreciate this reality and, as a result, many carry forward misperceptions and misconceptions about creating and building a successful tech company that set it on the path for failure. This class attempts to remedy that challenge by exposing the student the practical reality of building a team and funding a start-up team. This class should help the student answer (or know how to find the answer) to the following questions: How do I find manage and evaluate a start-up team Do I have the skill motivation and ability to be a tech entrepreneur? Can I build a company from scratch (really?)? Should I be the CEO Sales Account Manager VP of Engineering or something else altogether? How much money do I raise and where and when do I raise it? Students will have the opportunity to apply their newfound practical skills gathered in part from lectures from experienced entrepreneurs and investors to case studies.\
19-680 ETIM Seminar on Innovation Management in Practice : Intermittent: 6 units\ A definition of innovation is the combination of technology and commercialization to deliver social and economic value. Corporations utilize innovation to establish a competitive advantage and to differentiate in the marketplace. Public policy makers view innovation as a critical driver for economic development. This course will cover the fundamentals of innovation, and the many challenges associated with it. How are opportunities identified? What are the strategies used, and how can they then be implemented? What roles are played by processes, technologies, and the business environment, as well as by individuals in organizations? This course will include active classroom discussions and readings from the innovation literature to reinforce concepts, develop critical thinking and hone analysis skills. This is a core ETIM course, and as such other students will need instructor permission to enroll.\
19-684 Engineering and Technology Innovation Management in Practice : Intermittent: 6 units\ In this course, we will apply the fundamentals of innovation principles and practices to sponsored projects from corporations. You will work in teams to address the sponsors' objectives, using concepts such as six levers of innovation, seven innovation rules, design roadmapping, etc. Working closely with the sponsor is required so engaging in an appropriate professional manner is expected. Moreover, understanding how to approach team projects, manage team dynamics, and developing presentation skills will also be a part of the curriculum. The course is a culmination of utilizing your learnings from the ETIM program to address customers' needs.\
19-685 Engineering Optimization without Project : Intermittent: 9 units\ This course introduces students to 1) the process of formally representing an engineering design or decision-making problem as a mathematical problem and 2) the theory and numerical methods needed to understand and solve the mathematical problem. Theoretical topics focus on constrained nonlinear programming, including necessary and sufficient conditions for local and global optimality and numerical methods for solving nonlinear optimization problems. Additional topics such as linear programming, mixed integer programming, global optimization, and stochastic methods are briefly introduced. Model construction and interpretation are explored with metamodeling and model reformulation techniques, study of model boundedness, constraint activity, and sensitivity analysis. Matlab is used in homework assignments for visualization and algorithm development, and students apply theory and methods to a topic of interest in a course project. Fluency with multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and computer programming is expected. Students who are unfamiliar with Matlab are expected to learn independently using available tutorials and examples provided. 4 hrs lecture Prerequisites: None 19785 and 24785: 12-units including the team-based engineering optimization project 19685 and 24685: 9-units excluding the project\
19-687 Managing Research, Development and Innovation : Intermittent: 6 units\ This course considers key issues and trade-off in R and amp;D strategy and organization, paying attention to dynamic competitive contexts where technology plays a key role. These topics are treated assuming the perspective of the decision maker. It addresses typical problems of large, medium and small firms having a structured R and amp;D and operating businesses where R and amp;D is the source of competitive advantages. Although we will heavily focus on R and amp;D, emphasis is placed on viewing R and amp;D as a part (although, a key part) of the process of technological innovation; therefore, as an activity to be strongly and appropriately integrated with other functions to make innovation successful.\
19-688 Tech Start Up: Market Discovery & Building Your Own Company : Intermittent: 12 units\ The first year or two of a tech start-up set the trajectory and character of that company for years to come. Too few entrepreneurs appreciate this reality and, as a result, many carry forward misperceptions and misconceptions about creating and building a successful tech company that set it on the path for failure. This class attempts to remedy that challenge by exposing the student the practical reality of building a team and funding a start-up team. This class should help the student answer (or know how to find the answer) to the following questions: How do I find, manage and evaluate a start-up team? Do I have the skill, motivation and ability to be a tech entrepreneur? Can I build a company from scratch (really?)? Should I be the CEO Sales Account Manager VP of Engineering or something else altogether? How much money do I raise and where and when do I raise it? Students will have the opportunity to apply their newfound practical skills gathered in part from lectures from experienced entrepreneurs and investors to case studies. Previously this course was offered as two mini's #19671 and #19672\
19-690 M.S. Project : Fall and Spring\ For E and amp;TIM and EPP MS students only, with faculty approval.\
19-701 Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis : Intermittent: 12 units\ This course reviews and critically examines a set of problems, assumptions and analytical techniques that are common to research and policy analysis in technology and public policy. Topics covered include the difference between science, trans-science and policy analysis, policy problems formulated in terms of utility maximization, issues in the valuation of intangibles, uncertainty in policy analysis, selected topics in risk analysis, limitations and alternatives to the paradigm of utility maximization, issues in behavioral decision theory, issues related to organizations and multiple agents, and selected topics in policy advice and policy analysis for the federal government. The objective is to look critically at the strengths, limitations and underlying assumptions of key policy research and analysis tools and problem framing and sensitize students to some of the critical issues of taste, professional responsibility, ethics, and values that are associated with policy analysis and research.\
19-702 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis : Intermittent: 12 units\ Economic framework for identifying and analyzing investment and operation options facing agencies and firms, (both in theory and in practice); economic efficiency, utilization, pricing, and investment; and multi-objective evaluation.\
19-703 Applied Data Analysis 1 : Intermittent: 6 units\ Students will gain a basic understanding of the estimation, interpretation, and diagnostic assessment of the most widely used statistical models in the social sciences. This includes: graphical and inferential statistics, multiple regression with interactions, logistic regression, multi-level models, and panel data. Assignments include six data analysis projects in R. 19703 is part 1, 19704 is part 2.\
19-704 Applied Data Analysis 2 : Intermittent: 6 units\ Students will gain a basic understanding of the estimation, interpretation, and diagnostic assessment of the most widely used statistical models in the social sciences. This includes: graphical and inferential statistics, multiple regression with interactions, logistic regression, multi-level models, and panel data. Assignments include six data analysis projects in R. 19703 is part 1, 19704 is part 2.\ Prerequisite: 19-703
19-705 Workshop Applied Policy Analysis : Intermittent: 6 units\ This workshop course is about learning how to structure messy un-structured policy problems. It is designed to provide experience in setting up, analyzing, and writing about policy problems of the type that are used in the EPP Part B qualifying exam. Over the course of the semester, the class works through six or seven policy case problems. Much of the work is done in small groups. The principal focus is on integrating the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the problems and on identifying and practicing general problem-solving strategies. Remote option is only with permission of instructor. Students are expected to attend in person.\
19-711 Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Firms, Nations, and Tech : Fall: 12 units\ Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century introduces students to the fundamental principles surrounding global competitiveness and technological change in the 21st century. The course is broken into three sections. The first section introduces students to competing economic, sociological, and political science theories on the structures supporting technological change. The second section presents the contemporary literature on technological change. The concluding section leverages lessons from the preceding two sections to evaluate national innovation systems, and the factors that lead to national comparative advantage. Students should leave the class able to reflect competently on what the existing literature tells us about the factors influencing global technology competitiveness, and on how modern changes in the structures supporting innovation as well as technology itself may be changing the rules of the game for firms and for nations. The course is open to undergraduate juniors, seniors and amp; graduate students.\
19-713 Policies of Wireless Systems : Intermittent: 12 units\ This course will address public policy issues related to wireless systems, and to the Internet. It begins by investigating policies related to a wide variety of emerging wireless systems and technologies, including wifi computer networks, broadband to the home, broadcast radio and television, and satellite communications. This can include the government role in facilitating the creation of infrastructure, in advancing competition among broadcasters and communications service providers, in managing spectrum, and in protecting privacy and security. The course will then address Internet policy issues, which can include Internet governance and the domain name system, taxation, privacy and security, and intellectual property. Because these are inherently interdisciplinary issues, the course will include detailed discussions of technology, economics, and law, with no prerequisites in any of these areas. Note: ECE students must take this course under #18-650 only\
19-716 AI Governance: Identifying & Mitigating Risks in Design & Dev of AI Solutions : Fall and Spring\ With AI and ML finding their way into an increasingly broad range of products and services, it is important to identify and mitigate the risks associated with the adoption of these technologies. This course reviews the different types of risks associated with AI and discusses methodologies and techniques available to identify and mitigate these risks. The course introduces students to ethical frameworks available to identify and analyze risks. It also examines best practices emerging from both government and industry efforts in this area. This includes looking at new regulations such as the EU AI Act as well as emerging frameworks such as the one developed by NIST. The course also examines frameworks developed by leading companies and how these frameworks combine both technical and non-technical approaches. It further discusses changes that need to be enacted by organizations to adopt more systematic approaches to AI governance. This course combines a mix of technical, policy, and management discussions.\
19-717 Sustainable Engineering Principles : Fall: 12 units\ This course presents an overview of the concept of sustainability, including changing attitudes and values toward technology and the environment through the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Relevant issues in sustainable engineering, including population growth, urbanization, energy, water, food and material resources are discussed. Tools for sustainable engineering are presented, including metrics of sustainability, principles of design for the environment, and use of material and energy balances in sustainable systems. Publicly available data sets and computational models will be explored to assess sustainability. A team-based project is required.\
19-726 Mathematical Modeling of Environmental Systems : Spring: 12 units\ Development and application of mathematical models for environmental systems. Material balance formulations and their solutions, computer implementation, model validation, uncertainty analysis, and use for projection and policy analysis. Applications to surface water, groundwater, atmospheric transport, indoor air pollution, and human exposure and risk.\
19-728 Special Topics: Market Engineering and Applications : Intermittent: 12 units\ An introduction to market-engineering concepts and applications to contemporary market-design problems such as resource allocation, information aggregation, and decentralized control. Concepts apply theory of linear algebra, optimization and statistics. Application areas include: - energy systems, - environmental management (e.g., cap-and-trade systems), - wildlife management (e.g., fishing licenses), - oil-development leases, - exchanges for organ transplants, - information markets, and - matching systems for medical-residency programs. All students are automatically placed on the wait list, EPP and ESTP students will be given first priority to enroll in the course. You will be notified once you are enrolled.\
19-751 Air Quality Engineering : Intermittent: 12 units\ The course provides a quantitative introduction to the processes that control atmospheric pollutants and the use of mass balance models to predict pollutant concentrations. We survey major processes including emission rates, atmospheric dispersion, chemistry, and deposition. The course includes discussion of basic atmospheric science and meteorology to support understanding air pollution behavior. Concepts in this area include vertical structure of the atmosphere, atmospheric general circulation, atmospheric stability, and boundary layer turbulence. The course also discusses briefly the negative impacts of air pollution on society and the regulatory framework for controlling pollution in the United States. The principles taught are applicable to a wide variety of air pollutants but special focus is given to tropospheric ozone and particulate matter. The course is intended for graduate students as well as advanced undergraduates. It assumes a knowledge of mass balances, fluid mechanics, chemistry, and statistics typical of an undergraduate engineer but is open to students from other scientific disciplines.\
19-785 Engineering Optimization : Fall: 12 units\ This course introduces students to 1) the process of formally representing an engineering design or decision-making problem as a mathematical problem and 2) the theory and numerical methods needed to understand and solve the mathematical problem. Theoretical topics focus on constrained nonlinear programming, including necessary and sufficient conditions for local and global optimality and numerical methods for solving nonlinear optimization problems. Additional topics such as linear programming, mixed integer programming, global optimization, and stochastic methods are briefly introduced. Model construction and interpretation are explored with metamodeling and model reformulation techniques, study of model boundedness, constraint activity, and sensitivity analysis. Matlab is used in homework assignments for visualization and algorithm development, and students apply theory and methods to a topic of interest in a course project. Fluency with multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and computer programming is expected. Students who are unfamiliar with Matlab are expected to learn independently using available tutorials and examples provided. 4 hrs lecture Prerequisites: None 19785 and 24785: 12-units including the team-based engineering optimization project 19685 and 24685: 9-units excluding the project\
19-788 Special Topics: Behavioral Mechanism and Design : Fall: 12 units\ This course will focus on attempts to reduce behavioral and social problems using behavioral research. We will review and discuss behavioral phenomena from three distinct perspectives - economist, psychologist, and behaviorist - mapping out the basic constructs and fundamental assumptions each entail. A point of focus will be understanding basic models of learning and the challenges of predicting behavior. Throughout the semester we will see that in many cases, there is high sensitivity to economic incentives, but not always in the expected direction. Thus, an intelligent design of the reward system can allow for better coping with systematic social and organizational issues. Classes will blend lectures, active discussions, and group projects. Each project begins with a practical problem defined in class, and groups use the tools discussed to develop policy or intervention proposals and presentations. Students will learn to analyze empirical phenomena in decision science and behavioral economics, appreciate the importance of theory-driven predictions, and take first steps in designing environments aiming to minimize social conflicts.\
19-819 A/B Testing, Design, and Analysis : Spring: 6 units\ This course looks at how to use A/B testing to measure causal effects in online platforms in the era of big data analytics. We aim at answering questions such as how does the demand for a product change when the price does or the ratings do? How can we anticipate how sales and profits change if the firm changes its business strategy? Facebook, Google, Amazon and similar firms ask and answer questions of this kind everyday using their large online platforms. This course introduces fundamental concepts to correctly ask this type of question. We study frameworks to measure causal effects and we discuss their pros and cons. Every tool is discussed in the context of a specific example that students work on using real world datasets. Significant effort is placed on understanding how to design randomized experiments (aka A/B tests) to measure causal effects. We also discuss the most common challenges that arise when trying to design such experiments in the wild and in network settings. The concepts and tools discussed in this course are general in nature and can be applied in settings other than online platforms such as energy, transportation and education. The examples in class will be mostly drawn from our own work at the Heinz College on the media industry. Lectures are 3 hours long. In the first half of each lecture we go over concepts behind A/B tests and what to do when A/B tests are unavailable. The discussion is based on the ideas and intuition behind these concepts. In the second half of each lecture we go over specific examples and #8212; we study the associated datasets and the code used to analyze them properly. Student evaluation is based on five weekly homeworks and a brief term project to be developed in teams. Instructor: Pedro Ferreira, www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/pedrof Pre-requisites: Knowledge of R or STATA. A class in statistics and regression analysis or permission of the instructor.\
19-867 From Data to Action : Intermittent: 6 units\ This course introduces modeling frameworks and computational tools to address complex, ill-defined, large-scale decision-making problems that arise in policy and business. Through lectures and case studies, it covers advanced methods of decision-making under uncertainty in these major areas: (large-scale) deterministic optimization, stochastic/robust optimization, and sequential decision making. It will focus on modeling (how to formulate models to address policy or business problems), computation (how to solve large-scale problems), and applications in policy and business (how to integrate viewpoints of different stakeholders, how to select the scope of the model, etc.). Applications are drawn from a variety of real-world settings in transportation, energy, health, supply chain management, etc. Participants are expected to take "active learning" roles in the computational application of the materials presented in class using the python programming language and the Gurobi optimization solver. A term project simulates realistic and challenging issues where new solutions need to be developed, implemented and communicated. The prerequisites are an introductory course in Operations Research, such as Management Science I and II or Decision-Making under Uncertainty, and an intermediate Python course.\ Prerequisites: 90-819 and 90-760 and 90-722\
Faculty
PETER ADAMS, Thomas Lord Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Engineering and Public Policy; Department Head, Engineering and Public Policy (until October 31, 2025) – Ph.D., California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2001–
TIMOTHY BROWN, Professor of Engineering and Public Policy; Director of Research, Carnegie Mellon University Africa – Ph.D., California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2013–
JOSEPH CALANDRINO, Assistant Professor, Software and Societal Systems / Engineering and Public Policy / CyLab – PhD, Princeton University; Carnegie Mellon, 2025–
KATHLEEN M. CARLEY, Professor, Software and Societal Systems / Engineering and Public Policy / Social and Decision Sciences / Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy / Tepper School of Business – Ph.D., Harvard University; Carnegie Mellon, 1984–
SARAH CEN, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy / CyLab (starting January 2026) – PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2026–
NICOLAS CHRISTIN, Department Head and Professor, Software and Societal Systems; Professor, Engineering and Public Policy / CyLab – Ph.D., University of Virginia; Carnegie Mellon, 2005–
DORON COHEN, Assistant Professor, Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2024–
CHRISTOPHE COMBEMALE, Assistant Research Professor, Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2023–
LORRIE FAITH CRANOR, Director and Bosch Distinguished Professor in Security and Privacy Technologies, CyLab; FORE Systems Professor, Engineering and Public Policy / Software and Societal Systems – D.Sc., Washington University, St. Louis; Carnegie Mellon, 2003–
JOSEPH DECAROLIS, Department Head and Professor, Engineering and Public Policy (starting November 1, 2025) – PhD, Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2025–
NEIL M. DONAHUE, Thomas Lord Professorship in Chemistry; University Professor of Chemical Engineering / Chemistry / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., MIT; Carnegie Mellon, 2000–
PEDRO FERREIRA, Professor, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2010–
BARUCH FISCHHOFF, Howard Heinz University Professor, Professor of Engineering and Public Policy / Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology – Ph.D., Hebrew University; Carnegie Mellon, 1987–
ERICA R. H. FUCHS, Professor, Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2007–
PAULINA JARAMILLO, Professor, Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2007–
VALERIE KARPLUS, Professor, Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2020–
RAMAYYA KRISHNAN, William W. and Ruth F. Cooper Professor of Management Science and Information Systems, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; Carnegie Mellon, 1987–
DEANNA MATTHEWS, Teaching Professor and Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Affairs, Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Mellon, 2001–
JEREMY J. MICHALEK, Professor of Mechanical Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., University of Michigan; Carnegie Mellon, 2005–
M. GRANGER MORGAN, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering, Engineering and Public Policy / Electrical and Computer Engineering / Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy – Ph.D., University of California, San Diego; Carnegie Mellon, 1974–
NICHOLAS MULLER, Lester and Judith Lave Professor of Economics, Engineering, and Public Policy, Tepper School of Business / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., Yale University; Carnegie Mellon, 2017–
DESTENIE NOCK, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering/ Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Carnegie Mellon, 2019–
JON M. PEHA, Professor of Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1991–
SARAH SCHEFFLER, Assistant Professor, Software and Societal Systems / Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, Boston University; Carnegie Mellon, 2024–
RAMTEEN SIOSHANSI, , Professor and Associate Department Head for Graduate Affairs, Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D, University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon, 2023-–
JAY WHITACRE, Trustee Professor in Energy, Materials Science and Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., University of Michigan; Carnegie Mellon, 2007–
KATE WHITEFOOT, Professor, Mechanical Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy – Ph.D., University of Michigan; Carnegie Mellon, 2016–
PHILLIP YU, Associate Teaching Professor and Executive Director of Master's Programs, Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, Tufts University; Carnegie Mellon, 2023–
Emeriti Faculty
JAY APT, Professor, The Tepper School of Business/Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 2000-–
ALFRED BLUMSTEIN, J. Erik Jonsson University Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research; Professor of The H. John Heinz III College / Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D., Cornell University; Carnegie Mellon, 1969–
ELIZABETH CASMAN, Associate Research Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – PhD, The Johns Hopkins University; Carnegie Mellon, 1997–
PAUL FISCHBECK, Professor, Social and Decision Sciences / Engineering and Public Policy – PhD, Stanford; Carnegie Mellon, 1990–
JAMES GOODBY, Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus – A.B., Harvard ; Carnegie Mellon, 1989–
MICHAEL GRIFFIN, Research Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – PhD, University of Rhode Island; Carnegie Mellon, 2000–
CHRISTOPHER T. HENDRICKSON, Hamerschlag University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy / Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Emeritus – PhD, MIT; Carnegie Mellon, 1978–
DAVID A. HOUNSHELL, David M Roderick Professor of Technology and Social Change; Professor of Social and Decision Sciences / Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D., University of Delaware; Carnegie Mellon, 1991–
MARIJA ILIC, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – D.Sc., University of Washington, St. Louis; Carnegie Mellon, 2002–
INDIRA NAIR, Vice Provost for Education, Carnegie Mellon University; Professor of Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – PhD, Northwestern University; Carnegie Mellon, 1978–
EDWARD S. RUBIN, The Alumni Chair Professor of Environmental Engineering and Science; Engineering and Public Policy/Mechanical Engineering, Emeritus – Ph.D, Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1969–
MARVIN SIRBU, Professor, Engineering and Public Policy / Industrial Administration – Sc.D, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon, 1985–
MITCHELL J. SMALL, The H. John Heinz III Professor of Environmental Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering/ Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D, University of Michigan; Carnegie Mellon, 1982–
SAROSH TALUKDAR, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D., Purdue University; Carnegie Mellon, 1974–
JOEL A. TARR, Richard S. Caliguiri University Professor of Urban and Environmental History and Policy, History/Engineering and Public policy/Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D, Northwestern University; Carnegie Mellon, 1967–
ROBERT M. WHITE, University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering / Engineering and Public Policy, Emeritus – Ph.D., Stanford University; Carnegie Mellon, 1993–