TCNJ School of Engineering
Encyclopedia
The School of Engineering is one of seven schools at The College of New Jersey
(formerly Trenton State College), consisting of roughly 500 students centered in Armstrong Hall. It offers several undergraduate programs in various engineering
disciplines including the traditional mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering fields, but also extending to newer fields such as computer and biomedical engineering.
The current dean
of the program is Dr. Steven Schreiner, who received the post in 2008.
The mechanical engineering
department is chaired by Professor Bijan Sepahpour, the electrical
and computer engineering
departments are chaired by Dr. Orlando Hernandez, and the civil engineering
department is chaired by Dr. Michael Horst. Within the engineering science program, the biomedical engineering
specialization is coordinated by Dr. Connie Hall. The department of Technological Studies is chaired by Dr. John Karsnitz.
An Order of the Engineer
chapter was started in Spring 2009 for all graduating seniors.
The biomedical engineering program at The College of New Jersey is relatively young, having its first graduating class in 2007. Students enrolling in the program have two main decisions - whether to pursue a BS or BA degree, and whether to express a preference in electrical or mechanical engineering. The BS/BA distinction is important - students pursuing a BA have fewer courses to take than those pursuing a BS, and need not perform a senior project. Most students in the BA track are interested in entering medical school or graduate school, and feel that in the long run the exact nature of their undergraduate degree will not be crucial.
Biomedical engineering students take a substantial number of courses in the biology
department, and thus graduate with roughly the same number of credits as the traditional engineering programs, despite being in the engineering science department.
Student-run organizations within the School of Engineering include the American Society of Civil Engineers
, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the National Society of Black Engineers
, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
, and the Society of Women Engineers
, among others.
Armstrong Hall contains two general purpose computer labs, two electrical/computer engineering labs with radio-frequency, optics, imaging, control systems, and other specialized sub-rooms, a robotics lab, woodshop, two machine shops, a thermofluids lab, a materials (and separate biomaterials) lab, a windtunnel, and number of other facilities.
The nature of the senior project is left to the discretion of the student, although each project must have an advisor to help guide the students in their research. A passing grade in the senior project is required for graduation.
Many students choose to work on projects that may be entered in national or international competitions, most of which occur before the end of the school year. Some popular examples of these are listed below.
Many senior projects are multi-disciplinary, requiring one or more students from both the mechanical and electrical/computer engineering departments. Projects are displayed for the community during "Student Achievement Day" at the end of the spring semester of each year.
, Boeing
, Johnson & Johnson
, Lockheed Martin
, Merck
, PSE&G, York International, and the U.S. Army CECOM (Communications and Electronics Command). Many students choose to pursue a graduate degree as well, with Columbia University
, University of Pennsylvania
, Princeton University
, Drexel University
, and others being popular.
The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey, abbreviated TCNJ, is a public, coeducational university located in Ewing Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Trenton....
(formerly Trenton State College), consisting of roughly 500 students centered in Armstrong Hall. It offers several undergraduate programs in various engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
disciplines including the traditional mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering fields, but also extending to newer fields such as computer and biomedical engineering.
The current dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the program is Dr. Steven Schreiner, who received the post in 2008.
The mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
department is chaired by Professor Bijan Sepahpour, the electrical
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
and computer engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
departments are chaired by Dr. Orlando Hernandez, and the civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
department is chaired by Dr. Michael Horst. Within the engineering science program, the biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering
Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine: It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve...
specialization is coordinated by Dr. Connie Hall. The department of Technological Studies is chaired by Dr. John Karsnitz.
An Order of the Engineer
Order of the Engineer
The Order of the Engineer is an association for graduate and professional engineers in the United States that emphasizes pride and responsibility in the engineering profession. It was inspired by the success of The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, a similar Canadian ceremony, and is a common...
chapter was started in Spring 2009 for all graduating seniors.
Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in biomedical engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in engineering science, biomedical engineering specialization, with a mechanical or electrical engineering preference
- Bachelor of arts (BA) in biomedical engineering, with a mechanical or electrical engineering preference
The biomedical engineering program at The College of New Jersey is relatively young, having its first graduating class in 2007. Students enrolling in the program have two main decisions - whether to pursue a BS or BA degree, and whether to express a preference in electrical or mechanical engineering. The BS/BA distinction is important - students pursuing a BA have fewer courses to take than those pursuing a BS, and need not perform a senior project. Most students in the BA track are interested in entering medical school or graduate school, and feel that in the long run the exact nature of their undergraduate degree will not be crucial.
Biomedical engineering students take a substantial number of courses in the biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
department, and thus graduate with roughly the same number of credits as the traditional engineering programs, despite being in the engineering science department.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in electrical engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in computer engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in engineering science, engineering management specialization, with an electrical engineering preference
Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in mechanical engineering
- Bachelor of science (BS) in engineering science, engineering management specialization, with a mechanical engineering preference
Department of Technological Studies
- Bachelor of science (BS) in technology education
- Bachelor of arts (BS) in math, science, and technology, with a specialization in early childhood, elementary, or deaf and hard of hearing education
Students
Like most of the nation's engineering schools, the School of Engineering at TCNJ is predominantly male, but at approximately 25% female it has one of the highest percentages of women in the nation. Additionally, 12% of TCNJ engineers are minorities.Student-run organizations within the School of Engineering include the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the National Society of Black Engineers
National Society of Black Engineers
National Society of Black Engineers , founded in 1975 at Purdue University, is one of the largest student-run organizations in the US, centered on improving the recruitment and retention of African-American engineering students.-History:...
, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles. Their objective was to form a national organization of professional engineers to serve as role models in the Hispanic community.Social...
, and the Society of Women Engineers
Society of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers , founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for...
, among others.
Courses and facilities
Like many engineering schools, the courseload can be very heavy, with most students requiring exemptions from college credit limits to fulfill a four-year graduation plan. The traditional mechanical and electrical engineering departments focus almost entirely on courses within the engineering department - typically only the minimum number of non-engineering courses required for graduation can be taken without deviating from a four-year plan. Other programs, such as the computer and biomedical engineering and engineering management fields include courses from other departments (computer science, biology, and business, respectively).Armstrong Hall contains two general purpose computer labs, two electrical/computer engineering labs with radio-frequency, optics, imaging, control systems, and other specialized sub-rooms, a robotics lab, woodshop, two machine shops, a thermofluids lab, a materials (and separate biomaterials) lab, a windtunnel, and number of other facilities.
Senior Capstone Project
All graduating seniors in programs intended to procure a BS degree are required to do a senior capstone project. Projects can be performed in a group or individually. The project is divided into two courses, "Senior project I" and "Senior project II", and includes a formal presentation at the end of each course. Many graduating students consider the senior capstone project to be the most intensive coursework in the engineering department at TCNJ - stories of students being evicted from the engineering building at odds hours of the night and early morning by campus police while working on their senior projects are popular.The nature of the senior project is left to the discretion of the student, although each project must have an advisor to help guide the students in their research. A passing grade in the senior project is required for graduation.
Many students choose to work on projects that may be entered in national or international competitions, most of which occur before the end of the school year. Some popular examples of these are listed below.
- Baja SAEBaja SAEBaja SAE is an intercollegiate design competition run by the Society of Automotive Engineers . Teams of students from universities all over the world design and build small off-road cars. The cars all have engines of the same specifications...
- Solar Splash
- SAE Aero Design
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Great Moonbuggy Race - IEEE High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design Competition
- New Jersey Autonomous Vehicle (NJAV) for Competition in the IGVC
- MicromouseMicromouseMicromouse is an event where small robot mice solve a 16x16 maze. It began in late 1970s, although there is some indication of events in 1950. Events are held worldwide, and are most popular in the UK, U.S., Japan, Singapore, India and South Korea....
- Engineers Without BordersEngineers Without BordersEngineers Without Borders – International is an international association of some national EWB/ISF groups, whose mission is to facilitate collaboration, exchange of information, and assistance among its member groups that have applied to become part of the association...
related project
Many senior projects are multi-disciplinary, requiring one or more students from both the mechanical and electrical/computer engineering departments. Projects are displayed for the community during "Student Achievement Day" at the end of the spring semester of each year.
Post-graduation
TCNJ Engineering students who pursue post-graduation employment enjoy a near 100% placement rate within 6 months of graduation. Many students choose to remain within New Jersey, where major employers of TCNJ graduates include AECOMAECOM
AECOM Technology Corporation is a professional technical and management support services firm. The company is ranked as the number one design firm for 2010 and 2011 by Engineering News-Record and number one by Architectural Record. It provides services in the areas of transportation, planning,...
, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
, Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, Merck
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
, PSE&G, York International, and the U.S. Army CECOM (Communications and Electronics Command). Many students choose to pursue a graduate degree as well, with Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
, and others being popular.