Program Accreditation

The Department of Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.

The philosophy of the engineering program at Harvey Mudd College is based on the recognition that there is a professional component that is best addressed through practice gained by working on real problems.  The engineering program philosophy is adopted to produce generalists, able to communicate across disciplines through the use and understanding of mathematics and systems-based analysis, who can design effective and innovative solutions to discipline specific problems. Our goal is to graduate students capable of solving real problems that span multiple engineering disciplines.  This goal is realized through our three main curricular areas of focus (design, systems, and engineering science), as well as through our emphasis on professional practice.  We teach a rigorous theoretical and broad background in these three areas of focus.  Layered on this broad-based education is a professional practice component, which is realized through hands-on experiences in the classroom throughout the program, research opportunities, and our junior/senior capstone industry-sponsored clinic projects.

The Department of Engineering adopted the following program education objectives (PEOs) that are reviewed by our constituencies on a regular basis. Our program educational objectives are consistent with the college mission, our department philosophy, and are broad statements that describe what graduates are expected to attain within a few years after graduation. Program educational objects are based on the needs of the program’s constituencies.

Harvey Mudd College seeks to produce exceptionally competent engineers who will:

  1. Demonstrate breadth and technical excellence in professional activities
  2. Engage in the lifelong process of independent, reflective learning
  3. Lead responsibly through their engineering judgment and practice
  4. Show an awareness of the impact of their work on the world

Updated December 2015

Achievement of PEOs is based on student outcomes (SOs) that are adopted from ABET Criterion 3. SOs describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. These relate to the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the program. These are:

  1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
  2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
  3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
  4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
  5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
  6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
  7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Enrollment and Graduation Data