# Design Engineering

**Source**: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs/design-engineering-scb
**Parent**: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs

Our world’s problems are increasingly complex, complicated, and integrated technologically, physically, environmentally, socially, politically, and in many other dimensions. Therefore, there is an increasing need for people who can approach problems from multiple perspectives and think across several disciplines.

Degree Type

Sc.B.

school

[School of Engineering](https://engineering.brown.edu/undergraduate/concentrations/design-engineering)

[More information](https://engineering.brown.edu/undergraduate/concentrations/design-engineering)

[All Programs](https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs)

CIP Code

14.3501ℹ

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to categorize educational programs in the U.S. for a variety of reporting purposes. Each program at Brown is assigned a CIP code that best matches its academic curriculum.

[Current STEM Eligible CIP Codes](https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/stem-opt-hub/additional-resources/eligible-cip-codes-for-the-stem-opt-extension)

- [Advanced Materials Research](https://www.brown.edu/a-z/center-advanced-materials-research)
- [Computer Science](https://www.brown.edu/a-z/department-computer-science)
- [Visual Art](https://www.brown.edu/a-z/department-visual-art)

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# Design Engineering

Our world’s problems are increasingly complex, complicated, and integrated technologically, physically, environmentally, socially, politically, and in many other dimensions. Therefore, there is an increasing need for people who can approach problems from multiple perspectives and think across several disciplines.

The growing interdependence of design and technology is creating a new field of educational and professional opportunities called Design Engineering (DE).

Design Engineering is often confused with other fields; it is neither the traditional Engineering Design (an essential element of the traditional engineering ScB programs) nor Human-Centered Design or Design Thinking which is mainly focused on ethnographic research to better understand problems before beginning a design process. Whereas teaching in traditional Engineering Design begins with a statement of a problem to be solved, Design Engineering requires the student to discover the problem. Design Thinking, without the depth of engineering training, can lack technical rigor in its approach to solving identified problems. Design Engineering will teach students to understand not just the How and What, but the Why and Why Not, of what is being created, the strategic implications and consequences, as well as the suitability of proposed solutions.

The Design Engineering Sc.B. concentration prepares students to:

- Effectively apply engineering and scientific principles, and quantitative analysis, to make design decisions
- Utilize complementary and conflicting principles from domains other than engineering in design decisions
- Achieve fluency in human-centered and systems design processes and principles, enabling the students to analyze and synthesize responses to complex real-world problems
- Prepare students to engage across diverse teams to identify problems and develop solutions in ways that benefit from distinct experiences, backgrounds and points of view
- Develop approaches to create solutions for selected stakeholders, but which broadly improve outcomes and advance equity, in the latter case recognizing that not all those potentially impacted may have equal voice in shaping the decisions.
- Effectively communicate design analyses and solutions to both expert and non-expert stakeholders
- Demonstrate critical and liminal thinking by creating a pathway to develop expertise in a specific field or domain and then apply design engineering principles to problems in that area

- [List of requirements](https://bulletin.brown.edu/the-college/concentrations/dese)
- [Honors website](https://engineering.brown.edu/undergraduate/concentrations/concentration-options/honors)

## Student Goals

Students in this concentration will:

- Effectively apply engineering and scientific principles, and quantitative analysis, to make design decisions
- Utilize complementary and conflicting principles from domains other than engineering in design decisions
- Achieve fluency in human-centered and systems design processes and principles, enabling the students to analyze and synthesize responses to complex real-world problems
- Prepare students to engage across diverse teams to identify problems and develop solutions in ways that benefit from distinct experiences, backgrounds, and points of view
- Develop approaches to create solutions for selected stakeholders, but which broadly improve outcomes and advance equity, in the latter case recognizing that not all those potentially impacted may have equal voice in shaping the decisions
- Effectively communicate design analyses and solutions to both expert and non-expert stakeholders
- Demonstrate critical and liminal thinking by creating a pathway to develop expertise in a specific field or domain and then apply design engineering principles to problems in that area

## Graduating Class

| Class Year | Total Students | Honors Graduates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 |

The Director of Undergraduate Studies is typically the first point of contact for prospective concentrators. Once students have declared, they may be assigned a specific concentration advisor from within the department or program.

- [Indrek Kulaots](mailto:Indrek_Kulaots@brown.edu)

- [Ian Gonsher](mailto:Ian_Gonsher@brown.edu)