Department of Physics, Engineering & Geosciences
Rockville Campus
The Engineering Transfer Program
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Still Important Transfer News -- from May '02
The University of Maryland,
College Park has formally published a new policy regarding what they call
the "Gateway Courses" for admission into upper division study in the Clark
School of Engineering. These courses are Chemistry 113 or 135, Math
141 (Calculus II -- our MA182), and Phys 161. All these courses must
be completed with a grade of C or better, with a maximum
of ONE repeat allowed for the set of ALL gateway courses (i.e. NOT
one for each course). The grade of W will
count as a repeat. All attempts count, regardless of where the course
was taken -- i.e. one cannot start with a clean slate by switching to another
community college. |
General Information...
The Engineering Transfer program is designed to provide
students with an efficient transfer into professional engineering programs
at upper division institutions. Our department holds primary responsibility
for curriculum development and for academic advising for such prospective
engineers. The program is articulated quite strongly with the University
of Maryland, College Park, as this is the ultimate transfer destination of
a large fraction of our students. However, our students over the years
have also built an enviable record of successful transfer to many other institutions,
both public and private, throughout the country. More detailed discussion
of transfer planning may be found in the Articulation
section below.
The full-time faculty who serve as
engineering advisors are:
Dr. Don Day
.... Dr. Muhammad Kehnemouyi
.... Dr. James O'Brien
All hold their advanced degrees in either Physics or Engineering.
All have extensive personal experience with direct application of their specialties
in research and industry. Most retain some level of involvement in these
areas even today. They share the classroom duties with a group of Part Time
faculty, including several veterans of many years at the college, who add
their own special expertise on the world beyond academia.
The department occupies the top floor of the Science East
building on the Rockville Campus. The main reception area is in room
311SE -- phone 240-567-5230. Laboratories for Electrical Engineering
and Physics are located on this floor, along with a state-of-the-art, multi-station
computer classroom that is available for individual student use at times when
no class is scheduled. There is also a student work area, with computer
facilities, that remains open for individual and small group use during most
of the business day -- including evening hours.
What is Engineering?
One encounters considerable confusion over the distinctions
between titles like "engineering" and "technology", especially as they are
used in the naming of various educational program options. Here is a rough
glossary that may help to sort things out.
Engineer
First and foremost a designer -- a thinker and planner.
One who makes extensive use of high-level mathematics and scientific understanding
in the creation and development of complex systems or structures. Always
requires at least a Bachelor's degree -- very commonly a Master's degree.
Although there are many exceptions to this statement, it is safe to say that
the average engineer on the job is much more likely to be found at
a desk or computer terminal than at the controls of some exotic and complex
apparatus.
There are many subfields of engineering, based upon
the type of system under study. Civil engineering, which deals with
large structures like roads, dams, and bridges, is no doubt the oldest branch
of the profession with roots going back to antiquity. Mechanical engineering,
which is concerned with mechanisms (i.e. anything with complicated moving
parts) and the fuel-burning engines that power them, dates back at least
to the birth of steam power. Then came Chemical, Electrical, and a
whole host of more specific sub-fields which have burst forth in more modern
times. See concentrations below for more
details.
Technician
One with some degree of expertise to construct, maintain,
operate and/or repair these complex systems. Generally requires a significantly
less rigorous mathematical background than an engineer, but can be much more
sensitive to the need for keeping up to date on the details of specific systems
currently in use (obvious example -- computer technicians). Very commonly
either a one-year certificate program or a two-year associate's degree will
be the minimal entry requirements, but four year degree programs for technicians
do also exist.
Technologist
A middle ground. Originally this title was used to identify
four-year technical degree programs, with the title "technician" limited to
two-year programs, but this distinction is no longer quite so rigorously observed.
Nowadays "technologist" is primarily used as an indicator of greater depth
and complexity in the technical skills involved, or occasionally to indicate
situations where management as well as technical skills are important.
An example...
A common model used to make these distinctions more concrete
is to consider various levels of technical expertise that might apply to one's
understanding of the automobile. An engineer could be expected to calculate
the likely improvements in engine performance that would result from changes
in the fuel mixture or the transaxle ratios -- but might be entirely helpless
in repairing a specific car that broke down on the freeway. An expert
mechanic is a sort of technologist, with a great deal of experience at diagnosis
and repair of all sorts of problems on some specific group of engines --
but perhaps with no detailed understanding of the thermodynamic modeling
of the chemical reactions within the engine cylinders. A skilled driver
might be a good example of an operator/technician, capable of getting top
level performance out of this complicated device -- but with no real need
to be able to locate the fuel pump or calculate the compression ratio.
Concentrations...
It is important for students embarking upon the pursuit
of a professional degree in any field of engineering to refine their plans
at the earliest practical opportunity. Some students will find it in
their best interest to complete the A.S. degree in Engineering Science at
MC before attempting to transfer to a 4-year college or university.
Others may be better advised to transfer at some earlier point in order to
optimize their progress toward the Bachelor's degree. In the latter
case, it is particularly important to become aware of the detailed admission
and degree requirements at whichever upper division institution(s) that you
have in mind. While we attempt in this section to lay out as much background
material on this subject as seems practical the student should remain aware
that, in the final analysis, there is no substitute for a one-on-one consultation
with an Engineering advisor.
Here is a link to some descriptions of various subfields of engineering from
the website of the American Society for Engineering Education.
There are ten engineering options listed in the MC Catalog.
Use the following quick links for further information on any of these programs.
Aerospace
... Biological
Resources ... Chemical
... Civil ... Computer ... Electrical
Fire Protection
... General
... Mechanical ... Nuclear
Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering deals with the design of flight vehicles
to operate both inside the earth's atmosphere and beyond. Subdivisions within
this field include: aerodynamics -- the flow of air and the associated
forces, pressures, etc; flight dynamics -- trajectories, rotational
dynamics, sensors and controls; propulsion systems, -- the design
of engines and motors; structures -- issue of weight, stress, strain,
vibration, etc. that constrain the selection of materials; and design
-- the most interdisciplinary field, connected with overview of the design
of a specific vehicle to meet its performance goals.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Aerospace may be found
in the MC catalog. Here is a link that compares MC courses with the
course requirements in the first two years of Aerospace study at U.Md.College Park
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers work to improve the efficiency of chemical
processes, and they design equipment for the chemical industry. Subdivisions
of the field include process engineering, polymer science, biochemical engineering,
petrochemical engineering, energy conversion, and environmental engineering,
to name just a few. Many chemical engineers ultimately find career
opportunities in areas which are quite interdisciplinary, and may be employed
in industry, in an academic setting, or by many public and private institutes
and agencies.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Chemical Engineering
may be found in the MC catalog. Here is a link that compares
MC courses with the Chem. E. requirements in the first two years at U.Md.College Park
Civil Engineering
Civil engineers are concerned with the design of large and
complex structures -- dams, bridges, transportation systems, and the like.
They also deal with hydraulics, pollution control, and surveying. Subdivisions
within the field include: construction management, environmental engineering,
geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering,
and water resources engineering.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Civil may be found
in the MC catalog. Here is a link that compares MC courses with the
requirements in the first two years of Civil at U.Md. College Park
Computer Engineering
Computer engineering, sometimes mixed with systems engineering,
is one of the newest disciplinary specializations to be found in engineering
schools. It deals with all aspects, both hardware and software, of the
computer industry. Many of the topics covered by this field were formerly
spread out among a variety of departments, including electrical engineering
and computer science. Indeed many computer engineering programs are
still handled as subdivisions within an electrical engineering department.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Computer Engineering
may be found in the MC catalog. Here is a link that compares MC courses
with the Computer Engineering requirements in the first two years at U.Md. Baltimore County
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering is by far the largest option in overall
enrollment. It is probably also the discipline with the largest diversity
of sub-specialties. Topics range from the microscopic devices connected
with modern communications and computer design, to the gigantic components
associated with power production and transmission. Many bioengineering
fields also encompass the application of electrical engineering principles.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Electrical may be found
in the MC catalog. Here is a link that compares MC courses with the
EE requirements in the first two years at U.Md. College Park
Fire Protection Engineering
Fire protection includes the design of systems and equipment
for the detection and fighting of fire, as well as the development of fire
retardant materials, and the fire safety of structures. Closely related to
both Chemical and Mechanical engineering, but with a specific emphasis on
applications to fire-related issues.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Fire Protection may
be found in the MC catalog.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical is the remaining member (with electrical and
civil) of the traditional big three options. Mechanical engineers design
mechanisms -- basically anything with lots of interconnected moving parts.
They are also concerned with the engines and motors which power these mechanisms.
Many mechanical engineers work in the areas of heating & air conditioning,
automotive, industrial, or manufacturing engineering.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Mechanical may be found
in the MC catalog. Here is a link that compares MC courses with the
Mech.E. requirements in the first two years at U.Md. College Park
Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear engineers work on design, maintenance and repair
of nuclear power facilities. Fluid dynamics is a very fundamental component
of this program, because the proper functioning of nuclear reactors is critically
dependent upon the precise control of liquids (coolant, moderator, lubricants)
and gasses (steam, coolant, etc.) -- often at extremes of temperature, pressure,
and flow velocity.
The program of study leading to an A.S. degree with specialization in Nuclear Engineering
may be found in the MC catalog.
Courses...
Required engineering courses taught in this department fall under
three different catalog prefixes.
Electrical Engineering
(EE) ... Engineering Science
(ES) ... Physics (PH)
The EE prefix appears on several courses that are required
only for the Electrical Engineering Option. ES is used for all the remaining
engineering courses, most of which are required in more than one of the program
options.
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Check current Class Schedule
for exact times and instructors.
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For current Textbook information
-- including prices
follow the "booklists" link on the Rockville Bookstore web page
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Electrical Engineering Courses -- MC Rockville
Campus
Below is NOT "official" language.
This link for
formal
Catalog Descriptions
EE 114 -- Programming Concepts for Engineers New in Fall'01 !!
4 credits -- 3 hours of lecture and two hours
of laboratory/discussion each week. Introduction to programming
in the C or C++ languages with specific emphasis on techniques required in
Electrical Engineering. Required for all intended majors in Electrical
Engineering. Pre-requisites: ES100, MA180
EE 204 -- Basic Circuit Analysis
3 credits -- 3 hours of lecture per week. (formerly numbered
EE205). Mathematically rigorous introduction to techniques for analysis
of electrical circuits. Required of all intended majors in electrical
engineering.
Pre-requisite: PH262 (former 231) Physics II.
Co-requisite: MA282 (former 221) Differential Eqns.
EE 206 -- Fundamental Digital Circuits & Laboratory
2 credits -- 1 hour lecture and 2 hours lab each week.
Intro to use of modern laboratory instrumentation for the design, simulation,
and testing of electrical circuits. Required of all intended majors in electrical
engineering. Pre-requisite: EE244. Co-requisite: EE204 (former 205).
EE 244 -- Digital Logic Design
3 credits -- 3 hours lecture per week. Introduction
to basic building blocks of digital circuits. Required of all intended
majors in electrical engineering. Pre-requisite: ES100, or consent of instructor.
Engineering Science Courses -- MC Rockville
Campus
Below is NOT "official" language.
This link for
formal
Catalog Descriptions
3 credits -- 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab each week.
Basic tools and techniques for engineering design and graphic communication.
Topics include CAD, spread-sheet, presentation graphics & report preparation.
End of semester group project REQUIRED. Required of ALL intended majors in
engineering. Pre-requisite: MA100 (Intermediate Algebra) or higher.
ES 102 -- Statics
3 credits -- 3 hours lecture per week. (formerly numbered
ES212) Statics of rigid bodies, systems of forces, analysis of structures.
Required of intended majors in aerospace, chemical, civil and mechanical engineering.
All others should carefully check their own program requirements AND the
requirements at their intended transfer institution. Pre-requisite: MA181
(Calculus I)
ES 220 -- Mechanics of Materials
3 credits -- 3 hours of lecture per week. Mechanical
and thermal stress/strain relationships for engineering materials. Elementary
applications to beams, columns, shafts, tanks, trusses & connections.
Required of all intended majors in civil or mechanical engineering. Pre-requisite:
ES102 (Statics). Co-requisite: MA182 (Calculus II).
ES 221 -- Dynamics
3 credits -- 3 hours of lecture per week. Kinematics
and kinetics of particles and of rigid bodies in a variety of coordinate systems.
Forces and acceleration, impulse and momentum, work and energy. Required
of all intended majors in aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering.
All others should carefully check their own program requirements AND the requirements
at their intended transfer institution. Pre-requisites: ES102 (Statics),
MA182 (Calculus II), and PH161 (former 130)
ES 232 -- Thermodynamics
3 credits -- 3 hours of lecture per week. (formerly numbered
ES217). Properties, characteristics and fundamental equations for substances
in the solid, liquid and vapor states, as well as the basic laws of work
and heat transfer. Applications to heat engines, refrigeration systems,
gas mixtures, and reactions. Required of all intended majors in aerospace
and mechanical engineering. Others should carefully check their own
program requirements AND the requirements at their intended transfer institution.
Pre-requisite: PH161 (former 130).
ES 240 -- Scientific and Engineering Computation
3 credits -- 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab each week.
Introduction to fundamental methods of numerical analysis including roots
of equations, linear systems, interpolation, curve fitting, integration, and
ordinary differential equations. Applications to sample engineering
problems using a variety of software techniques, including structured code
and high-level tools such as Matlab. Required of intended majors in
aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
All others should carefully check their own program requirements AND the requirements
at their intended transfer institution.
Pre- or Co-requisite: MA182 (Calculus II) or higher.
This course involves extensive individual practice with
the use of the computer as a tool in the solution of engineering problems,
and is taught in the department's multi-station computer classroom.
MATLAB is the principal tool used to implement these solutions, and the early
weeks of the course are heavily devoted to gaining familiarity with its capabilities.
Many powerful features of this language allow for the performance of quite
sophisticated tasks with a surprisingly small number of lines of code.
The primary goal of the main body of this course, however,
is to develop an understanding of certain general techniques of numerical
analysis that are of great importance in all fields of science and engineering.
The MATLAB language serves here simply as a tool for efficient investigation
and experimentation with these numerical methods, and is no longer itself
the primary subject of study. In other words, this is NOT simply a
computer programming course for the MATLAB language.
Laboratory activities include the completion of several
required computational projects which count significantly in the overall grading.
Examinations, particularly in the second half of the course, require computations
to be performed on the computer during the test, and are therefore scheduled
to allow an extended time block in the lab for their completion.
Engineering Physics Courses
Below is NOT "official" language.
This link for
formal
Catalog Descriptions
The complete, 3-semester sequence of physics courses has
traditionally been required for ALL intended majors in any branch of engineering.
The only current exception for transfer within the University of Maryland
system is for intended majors in Computer Engineering, who are not required
to take Physics III.
This is an integrated sequence of presentation, with
steadily increasing mathematical sophistication. It is designed to
expose the student to a broad variety of analytic techniques that have application
in many different fields, while simultaneously building a strong background
in the basic scientific principles that underlie all of modern engineering
and technology.
PH161 starts off with extensive use of plane trigonometry,
and moves rapidly onward to differential and integral calculus. By the end
of PH263, solutions of ordinary differential equations, and the algebra of
complex numbers are relatively commonplace. The listed pre-requisites in
this sequence therefore must be taken VERY seriously.
PH 161 -- Engineering Physics I
3 credits -- 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of small group
discussion each week. (formerly numbered PH130) Fundamental
concepts of mechanics and heat. Quantitative description of motion in rectangular
coordinates; vectors; force and acceleration; work and energy; momentum; rotation
of rigid bodies; heat transport & introductory thermodynamics. Pre-requisite:
MA181 (Calculus I). Pre- or Co-requisite: MA182 (Calculus II).
PH 262 -- Engineering Physics II
4 credits -- 3 hours of lecture, 3 hours of lab, and 1 hour
of small group discussion each week. (formerly numbered PH231)
Fundamentals of Electricity and Magnetism. Forces and fields; DC & AC
circuits; energy transformations; EM radiation. Pre-requisites: A grade
of C or better in PH161 (former 130) and MA182 (Calculus II). Pre-
or Co-requisite: MA280 (Multivariable Calculus)
Almost from the beginning, Physics II relies much more
heavily upon the usage of the integral calculus than was the case in Physics
I. The co-requisite of MA280 is very serious, because the techniques of multivariable
calculus are applied with increasing frequency in the middle portion of the
physics course.
This course is designed as an integrated presentation,
with the laboratory exercises coordinated as closely as practical with the
topics currently under discussion in lecture. As the semester goes on, there
are times when lecture and lab must drift apart to some degree -- but physical
concepts are almost never encountered in a lab setting before they have been
covered in lecture. By the same token, it is a common occurrence for lecture
presentations to build upon information and examples recently encountered
in the lab. In other words -- each is indispensable to the other. These are
not two independent learning experiences that have been tacked together
for administrative convenience.
The laboratory grade is based upon the writing of several
extended professional reports, and at least one "practical" exam where individual
understanding of lab techniques and equipment must be demonstrated in a testing
environment.
PH 263 -- Engineering Physics III
4 credits -- 3 hours of lecture, 3 hours of lab, and 1 hour
of small group discussion each week. (formerly numbered PH232)
Waves, Optics & Modern Physics. Unifying concepts of all types of wave
behavior including mechanical waves, sound and light; resonances; reflection
and refraction; interference and diffraction phenomena; phasor algebra; fundamental
quantum concepts; nuclear reactions; energy resources. Pre-requisites:
A grade of C or better in PH262 (former 231) and MA280 (Multivariable Calculus).
Pre- or Co-requisite: MA282 (Differential Equations) or consent of department.
Articulation...
Formal articulation agreements exist for effective transfer
of MC credits to professional engineering programs at several upper division
schools, including University
of Maryland and Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute. Less formal arrangements, built upon successful
records of previous students, also exist with a number of other schools nationwide,
including the two private universities in DC which have engineering departments
-- Catholic and George Washington Universities.
By far the largest proportion of our transfers go to the
the University of Maryland system -- and most of them to the
Clark School of Engineering
on the College Park Campus. Effective articulation agreements between
upper and lower division public institutions have always been an important
commitment in this state, and regular meetings are held for each discipline
to ensure that these arrangements remain up to date.
We also have a well established formal agreement, of which
we are quite proud, with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. RPI was
founded in 1824 in Troy, NY – and holds the distinction of being the first
College founded in this country to award degrees in Science and Engineering
– predating Union College (just across the river in Schenectady) by 20 years,
and MIT by almost 50. MCR executed a formal articulation agreement
with Rensselaer in the early 1980s -- at that time one of only 16 community
colleges nationwide to be granted this special status, which includes important
opportunities for scholarship support
at RPI. Even today, this select group has only expanded to 38 institutions,
and our names are explicitly listed as "affiliated colleges" in RPI’s undergraduate
catalog .
MC engineering students over the years have also transferred
with great success to a wide variety of other well known institutions, both
public and private. A partial list would include Cal. Tech, Cornell,
Ga. Tech., MIT, Northwestern, Purdue, Stanford, Union, & VPI/SU.
Articulated (or closely related) Engineering Programs:
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