Engineering Core Curriculum

THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER

At Stevens, we strive to build well-rounded engineers, instilling you with a broad base of foundational knowledge via a strong core engineering curriculum that emphasizes the complete fundamentals of engineering. In addition to the university's technology-centric core curriculum, engineering majors have their own unique set of features designed to support your learning and prepare you for your future career pathways, including: 

  • The “Design Spine,” a unique, design-focused, hands-on course every semester 

  • Innovation and entrepreneurial thinking courses beginning in the first year 

  • Senior Capstone: Two semesters of experiential learning working as a team on a capstone project to address real-world technical challenges and/or perform cutting-edge research, potentially in collaboration with an external partner 

  • Math and science courses which exceed accreditation requirements 

  • A flexible and tailorable curriculum flexibility through technical and general elective credit 

Scroll down to learn all about the engineering core curriculum or click below to explore Stevens' new core curriculum. 

Stevens Core Curriculum
Students working on design spine projects

The Engineering Core: A Unique Curriculum

The Stevens Engineering Core presents a unified learning foundation in all engineering programs, ensuring the engineers of tomorrow are equipped to excel in their chosen profession. A sequence of courses starting the first semester on campus, the Engineering Core readies you to synthesize, analyze and optimize solutions for open-ended and societally impactful problems across engineering disciplines. These core courses teach engineering fundamentals such as systems thinking, circuits, thermodynamics, materials science, and computer automated design (CAD). They prepare you for program-specific courses which round out your engineering education. Labs and projects are conducted in conjunction with lecture-based education.

Stevens Undergraduate Students in Design Spine Course

The Design Spine

The Design Spine is a subset of the Engineering Core that teaches you to apply technical content knowledge within an interdisciplinary team environment to tackle design challenges. This multi-semester sequence of courses trains you to successfully collaborate in the workforce. These courses also develop professionally attractive skills in creative thinking, problem solving with software-based simulations, the economics of engineering and project management, technical communication and presentation, and engineering ethics.

How It Works

At the heart of the core engineering curriculum is a series of twelve design courses called the Design Spine that makes a Stevens student uniquely prepared for the global workforce.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
A female student standing in front of her project at innovation expo next to a graphic that says year four.
Year 4

In the fourth and final year, the focus shifts toward entrepreneurial-oriented courses. You’ll learn about value proposition, business planning and pitching in close communication with advanced design courses in the senior capstone. At year's end, design teams present at the Innovation Expo and compete in the Ansary Entrepreneurship Competition. Learn more about the Expo and Senior Design below.

A photo of a female student in a classroom next to a graphic that says year one.
Year 1

First-year engineering students in the School of Engineering and Science take courses on engineering design, systems thinking, sensor integration, and entrepreneurial thinking.

a female student in a computer lab pointing at a laptop screen as a male student looks on in the background next to a graphic that says year two.
Year 2

In the second year of engineering training at Stevens, you’ll take courses on statics, engineering mechanics, and the design of dynamical systems.

A male student wearing a Stevens shirt working on an engineering project next to a graphic that says year three.
Year 3

The third year of engineering study focuses on design with materials, engineering economics and project management, and a discipline-specific design course.

A female student standing in front of her project at innovation expo next to a graphic that says year four.
Year 4

In the fourth and final year, the focus shifts toward entrepreneurial-oriented courses. You’ll learn about value proposition, business planning and pitching in close communication with advanced design courses in the senior capstone. At year's end, design teams present at the Innovation Expo and compete in the Ansary Entrepreneurship Competition. Learn more about the Expo and Senior Design below.

A photo of a female student in a classroom next to a graphic that says year one.
Year 1

First-year engineering students in the School of Engineering and Science take courses on engineering design, systems thinking, sensor integration, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Design and Innovation 

The engineering curriculum culminates in the capstone “Senior Design” course. 
 
In the senior capstone courses, Senior Design and Senior Innovation, you'll work in a team to design impactful solutions to significant real-world problems. These projects are presented at the annual Innovation Expo and many are sponsored and nurtured by well-established corporate partners. 

Senior Capstone Projects: Solutions to Real Problems

Intellliveggie team working on their smart greenhouse senior design project in the ABS engineering center

Smart Greenhouse

Developed by a team of software and computer engineers, IntelliVeggie combines a smart sensor network with AI harvestability and disease-detection technology to support the small farmer.

Tyler Brunqell with his engineering project

Wave-Powered Autonomous Robot

Developed in partnership with Virginia Tech, this renewable energy-harvesting vessel competed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Marine Energy Collegiate Competition.

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Wireless Monitor for Military Working Dogs

Four Stevens students designed a wireless body temperature and stress monitoring device to help reduce health risks posed to military working dogs.

A photo of Ed Whittaker and Khalid Musa talking in front of a big screen with physics equations

Fiber-Optic Cable Enhancements

This optical engineering Senior Design project uses rare-Earth metals to amplify the power of fiber-optic cable transmissions.

The Black Mass Separation Team 2023 stand outside in front of the New York City skyline

Sustainable Recycling Process for EV Batteries

Chemical engineering seniors explore particle density separation as a sustainable way to recover precious metals from lithium-ion battery black mass.

New York City buildings as seen from the north as the sun begins to set

Energy Harvesting for City Subways

Seniors dedicated their capstone project to developing a sustainable plan to harvest wasted thermal energy from the NYC subway system and provide hot water to local buildings.

Stevens graduate student Samantha Weckesser

Using AI for Safer Seas, Ships and Ports

Stevens master’s student and startup founder Samantha Weckesser ’23 develops AI to spot cargo-ship containers packing hazardous materials — before disaster strikes

Four female students standing in front of Babbio Center.

Engineering vs. The Opioid Crisis

Rooted in a systems engineering approach, Team Opioid Project created an innovative model to help doctors and patients safely manage opioid prescriptions.

The Software Engineering GuiDAR team at the 2023 Innovation Expo. From left to right: Tyler Seliber, Francesca Severino, Nylayah Jones, Hyeonu Ju and Mehrab Syed.

A Guiding Light for the Visually Impaired Community

A team of software engineering majors wanted to create a product for the visually impaired that could be affordable, accessible and interactive. That's how GuiDAR, a free iOS app, was conceived.

Students pose alongside their senior capstone project during Innovation Expo 2023 at Stevens.

The Innovation Expo: An Ingenuity Showcase

Each spring, the Innovation Expo highlights our students’ ingenuity. Student teams show off their design prowess and compete for a $10,000 prize in the Ansary Entrepreneurship Competition where they pitch a startup business based on their Senior Capstone project.

Fabrication Facilities

You’ll have access to on-campus facilities which provide the tools and technologies STEM students and researchers need to prototype and build physical systems.
MakerCenter
MakerSpace
Machine Shop
ProOF Lab
Student working on a white robot wearing a black Stevens hat with wires showing in its back
ProOF Lab

The Prototype Object Fabrication (PROOF) Lab offers large and multi-material 3D printing to create functional prototypes and produces small lots for demonstrations and testing. The laboratory supports robotic, composite materials, and manufacturing development.

Prototype Object Fabrication (ProOF Lab)
A student using the MakerCenter tool chest
MakerCenter

The MakerCenter is a collection of facilities across campus which provide testing and fabrication services, equipment, and resources to enrolled students. These services include 3D printing, quantum testing, machining, electronic prototyping, laser cutting, welding, and more.

Visit the MakerCenter
student wearing a black hoodie building his project
MakerSpace

As the main facility of the MakerCenter, the MakerSpace provides worktables, tools, fasteners, small-bed 3D printing capabilities, a soldering station, and small machines for designing and building prototypes.

Read about the Women's MakerSpace Workshop
A student and professor working on building a prototype
Machine Shop

Staffed by full-time designers and machinists and supported by student workers, the Machine Shop at Stevens is where students gain hands-on experience, turning concepts into functional prototypes.

Read about the MakerCenter
Student working on a white robot wearing a black Stevens hat with wires showing in its back
ProOF Lab

The Prototype Object Fabrication (PROOF) Lab offers large and multi-material 3D printing to create functional prototypes and produces small lots for demonstrations and testing. The laboratory supports robotic, composite materials, and manufacturing development.

Prototype Object Fabrication (ProOF Lab)
A student using the MakerCenter tool chest
MakerCenter

The MakerCenter is a collection of facilities across campus which provide testing and fabrication services, equipment, and resources to enrolled students. These services include 3D printing, quantum testing, machining, electronic prototyping, laser cutting, welding, and more.

Visit the MakerCenter