Academics

Program Objectives

The mission of SEAS is to empower our undergraduates to become tomorrow's technology leaders. Columbia engineering stands out in its ability to prepare engineering leaders to solve the problems of the next decade, fostering scientific inquiry but never losing sight of its human implications.

The Mechanical Engineering Department at Columbia University is dedicated to graduating mechanical engineers who:
  1. Practice mechanical engineering in a broad range of industries.
  2. Pursue advanced education, research and development, and other creative and innovative efforts in science, engineering, and technology, as well as other professional careers.
  3. Conduct themselves in a responsible, professional, and ethical manner.
  4. Participate as leaders in their fields of expertise and in activities that support service and economic development nationally and throughout the world.
Program Outcomes

An accredited engineering program must define a set of specific program outcomes that relate to its educational objectives, including at least the items listed below. We regularly review the courses in our curriculum to make sure that all these items are covered, and try to measure whether our students are successfully attaining these goals:
  1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
  2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  3. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health, and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
  4. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
  5. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  6. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. An ability to communicate effectively.
  8. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
  9. A recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
  10. A knowledge of contemporary issues.
  11. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Our department periodically reviews these objectives and as part of this review process, encourages comments from all interested parties: current students, alumni, prospective students, faculty, teaching assistants, those who hire or admit our graduates to other programs, members of related professional organizations, and colleagues from other educational institutions. Please send comments to our ABET coordinator Larry Yao at .