The Course

Welcome to EG1003, NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Introduction to Engineering and Design. This course has been planned to provide you with an informed understanding of what technical professionals do. You will be exposed to experimental techniques, design skills, teamwork, and the tools of the trade in order to establish a foundation for further study. In this context, it is critical to develop communication skills: both oral and written.

EG1003 was created as a survey course for students to demonstrate what technical professionals do and what software and hardware tools they use. Various experimental techniques will be presented. Design and construction skills are developed as you participate in a semester-long project. Disciplines that may be different from your major will be introduced. Our goal is to provide a solid foundation for success as you proceed in your educational career.

You will be required to submit a written lab report almost every week. Along with the members of your project team, you will also be required to report on the development of your semester-long design project as the semester progresses.

Something you may have noticed in the preceding paragraphs is the frequent use of the word team and teamwork. This is a key concept in EG1003. The stereotype of an engineer or scientist being a loner could not be more incorrect. Whether it's mapping the human genome, designing and building an aircraft, or exploring the depths of space using human or robotic exploration, the people involved work in teams measured in thousands of people. Looking back at antiquity at the Seven Wonders of the World, all of them were team efforts involving massive numbers of people. The ability to work in teams will be one of the most important career skills that you will develop in EG1003.

When you work in teams, communication is important. Technical professionals generate many communications products from weekly status reports, to presentations, to detailed technical papers. The ability to communicate clearly and persuasively is a critical skill to any career. EG1003 is the first course that will help you develop these skills.

You will be assigned the two main types of professional communication: lab reports, and PowerPoint presentations. Each of these assignments is intended to provide you with a sample of the type of work that is required of technical professionals.