Integrated Design, Engineering, Arts & Society Minor
Minor Description
The Minor in Integrated Design, Engineering, Arts & Society (IDEAS) prepares students to succeed at the intersection of design, the arts, and engineering in a liberal arts context. Students develop foundational knowledge in these areas by working in collaborative groups and individually on project-based assignments that emphasize making and doing as critical forms of knowledge.
Admission to the Minor
To be considered for admission onto the IDEAS Minor program, students should complete at least one (1) course from the required core courses of the Engineering Foundation Lab or Introductory Design Studio and declare the IDEAS minor through their WesPortal.
Minor Requirements
A minor in IDEAS includes 2 requirements:
-
Courses: 7 credits (comprising of 3 Core and 4 Concentration credits)
The core provides a foundation in the technical, aesthetic, and human dimensions of design and engineering and the elective courses are focused in one concentration area that span design and engineering disciplines.
2. Student Website Portfolio
1. COURSES
Core (3 credits)
The IDEAS Core is designed to introduce students to hands-on, project-based studio, laboratory, and critical coursework in design and engineering. There are multiple possible introductory courses to fulfill Core requirements. Students will take one class from each of the three groups:
- Engineering Foundations Lab (IDEA170 or IDEA175)
- Introductory Design Studio (ARST190, ARST220, ARST221, ARST235, ARST236, ARST243, ARST270, ARST271, IDEA185, THEA185
- Design & Technology Seminar (ARCP275, ARCP360, CSPL235, STS311) or another IDEAS advisor approved Social Science (STS2) course
Elective credits from Concentrations (4 credits)
The concentration courses provide topical focus in the wide array of areas in Design,. Engineering, Arts & Society. Students are required to select an area of concentration when they declare for the IDEAS minor, these include:
- Applied Math
- Archaeology
- Arts and Design
- Biological or Biochemical
- Chemical
- Computer
- Electrical
- Environmental
- Geomechanics / Geological
- Interactive Media & Game Design
- Materials Science
- Mechanical
- Performance Design
Students also have the option to work with their advisor and propose a self-designed concentration. This is a different combination of elective courses chosen in consultation with the IDEAS advisor to help them achieve the appropriate depth of study.
2. STUDENT WEBSITE PORTFOLIO
All IDEAS minors will create a website portfolio encompassing work developed within IDEAS courses. The portfolio should document the student’s work from IDEAS project-based courses, and may include appropriate work from a student’s primary major. At a minimum, a portfolio should include the best work a student has produced from at least three (3) IDEAS courses. Presented using images and text, the projects included should encompass both completed and process work.
The design and presentation of the portfolio comprise a personal statement about its author, their training, interests, and ambitions. Students are strongly advised to add to this portfolio each semester, based on their ongoing work. The portfolio will be reviewed by the student’s advisor as one of the major requirements. Students are encouraged to create a portfolio that can be used to present their work for future employment or graduate studies.
- Applied Math Concentration
- Archaeology Concentration
- Arts & Design Concentration
- Biological or Biochemical Concentration
- Chemical Concentration
- Computer Concentration
- Electrical Concentration
- Environmental Concentration
- Geomechanics/Geosystems Concentration
- Interactive Media & Game Design Concentration
- Materials Science Concentration
- Mechanical Concentration
- Performance Design Concentration
Applied Math Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two engineering lab courses from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| BIOL265 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| One additional course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| MATH229 | Differential Equations | 1 |
| MATH231 | An Introduction to Probability | 1 |
| MATH232 | Mathematical Statistics | 1 |
| PHYS213 | Waves and Oscillations | 1 |
| PHYS217 | Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos | 1 |
| PHYS565 | Mathematical Physics | 1 |
Archaeology Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology introductory course (required) | ||
| ARCP204 | Introduction to Archaeology | 1 |
| One archaeology course (introducing experimental approaches) from the following list: | ||
| ARCP201 | Art and Archaeology of the Bronze Age Mediterranean | 1 |
| ARCP203 | The Secrets of Ancient Bones: Discovering Ancient DNA and Archaeology | 1 |
| ARCP210 | The Technological Primate: Archaeological Approaches to Ancient Technology | 1 |
| ARCP210 | The Technological Primate: Archaeological Approaches to Ancient Technology | 1 |
| ARCP214 | Survey of Greek Archaeology and Art | 1 |
| ARCP233 | 1 | |
| ARCP275 | Introduction to Archaeological Science: Natural Science Approaches to the Human Past | 1 |
| ARCP350 | Animals in Archaeology | 1 |
| Two archaeology project-based courses from the following list: | ||
| ARCP233 | 1 | |
| ARCP257 | Environmental Archaeology | 1 |
| ARCP285 | Off with its Pedestal! The Greek Vase as Art and Artifact | 1 |
| ARCP291 | East Asian Archaeology | 1 |
| ARCP352 | Ancient Medicine: Potions, Poisons, and Phytochemistry in the Ancient Mediterranean | 1 |
| ARCP355 | Decoding the Stone Age: Analysis of Lithic Technology | 1 |
| ARCP360 | Experimental Archaeology: Material Science and Past Behaviors | 1 |
Arts & Design Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Three design studio courses from the following list: | ||
| ARST220 | Ecological Design I: Being at Home in the World | 1 |
| ARST221 | A Thousand Years of Iteration: Design for an Uncertain Future | 1 |
| ARST233 | Studies in Computer-based Modelling and Digital Fabrication | 1 |
| ARST235 | Architecture I | 1 |
| ARST236 | Fast & Furious | 1 |
| ARST270 | Fundamentals of Design I | 1 |
| ARST271 | Designing With Living Systems: Soft + Hairy | 1 |
| ARST320 | Ecological Design II: Worn Out/Broken In | 1 |
| ARST336 | Architecture II | 1.5 |
| ARST370 | Regenerative Design II | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| THEA185 | Text & Visual Imagination: Introduction to Eco Design for Performance | 1 |
| THEA359 | Space Design for Performance | 1 |
| One course in the history of architecture from the following list: | ||
| ARHA109 | Introduction to Western Art I: Ancient to Medieval | 1 |
| ARHA151 | European Architecture and Urbanism to 1750 | 1 |
| ARHA210 | Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture | 1 |
| ARHA213 | Cross, Book, Bone: Early Medieval Art, ca. 300-1100 | 1 |
| ARHA220 | Northern Renaissance Art | 1 |
| ARHA221 | Early Renaissance Art and Architecture in Italy | 1 |
| ARHA224 | Italian Art and Architecture of the 16th Century | 1 |
| ARHA233 | Art and Culture of the Italian Baroque | 1 |
| ARHA241 | Introduction to European Avant-Garde, 1880-1940 | 1 |
| ARHA244 | European Architecture and Urbanism, 1750-1910 | 1 |
| ARHA246 | American Architecture and Urbanism, 1770-1914 | 1 |
| ARHA254 | Architecture of the 20th Century | 1 |
| ARHA258 | Contemporary World Architecture | 1 |
| ARHA263C | Curatorial Workshop: The Northern Renaissance Print | 1 |
| ARHA276 | Eccentricity, Gender, and Occidentalism in Edo-Period Art (1615-1868) | 1 |
| ARHA284 | Buddhist Art and Architecture | 1 |
| ARHA352 | Energy and Modern Architecture, 1850-2020 | 1 |
Biological or Biochemical Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One engineering lab course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| Two biological/biochemical electives from the following list: | ||
| BIOL212 | Principles and Mechanisms of Cell Biology | 1 |
| BIOL263 | Demystifying Data: Introductory Data Analysis and Modeling | 1 |
| BIOL265 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| BIOL267 | Engineering Biology: Cells and Tissues | 1 |
| BIOL270 | Systems Biology with Programming | 1 |
| BIOL310 | Genomics Analysis | 1 |
| CHEM396 | Molecular Modeling and Design | 1 |
| IDEA261 | Science Materials For a Malagasy Classroom | 1 |
| MB&B228 | Medical Biochemistry | 1 |
| MB&B325 | Introduction to Biomolecular Structure | 1 |
| MB&B377 | Advanced Genetics | 1 |
| MB&B381 | Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences | 1 |
Chemical Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One engineering lab course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP116 | Introduction to Programming and Machine Knitting | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| Two additional courses from the following list: | ||
| CHEM251 | Organic Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM252 | Organic Chemistry II | 1 |
| CHEM337 | Physical Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM338 | Physical Chemistry II | 1 |
| CHEM377 | Chemistry of Materials and Nanomaterials | 1 |
| CHEM381 | Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences | 1 |
| CHEM396 | Molecular Modeling and Design | 1 |
Computer Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One engineering lab course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP116 | Introduction to Programming and Machine Knitting | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| Two additional computer electives from the following list: | ||
| COMP212 | Computer Science II | 1 |
| COMP301 | Automata Theory and Formal Languages | 1 |
| COMP312 | Algorithms and Complexity | 1 |
| COMP321 | Design of Programming Languages | 1 |
| COMP331 | Computer Structure and Organization | 1 |
| COMP355 | Computational Design and Fabrication | 1 |
| IDEA285 | Digital Projects Lab | 1 |
| IDEA350 | Computational Media: Videogame Development | 2 |
Electrical Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One engineering lab course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| Two additional courses from the following list: | ||
| ASTR240 | Radio Astronomy | 1 |
| PHYS213 | Waves and Oscillations | 1 |
| PHYS214 | Quantum Mechanics I | 1 |
| PHYS324 | Electricity and Magnetism | 1 |
| PHYS342 | Experimental Optics | 0.5 |
| PHYS345 | Electronics Lab | 0.5 |
Environmental Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One engineering lab course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| Two additional courses from the following list: | ||
| BIOL216 | Ecology | 1 |
| E&ES244 | Soils | 1 |
| E&ES246 | Hydrology | 1 |
| E&ES250 | Environmental Geochemistry | 1 |
| E&ES275 | Remote Sensing for Natural Hazards | 1 |
| E&ES280 | Introduction to GIS | 1 |
| E&ES283 | Drones and Change | 1 |
| E&ES329 | Fire Ecology and Management | 1 |
| E&ES361 | Living in a Polluted World | 1 |
| E&ES375 | Modeling the Earth and Environment | 1 |
| E&ES395 | Quantitative Chemical Analysis | 1 |
Geomechanics / Geosystems Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One engineering lab course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| Two additional courses from the following list: | ||
| E&ES213 | Mineralogy | 1 |
| E&ES215 | Earth Materials | 1 |
| E&ES223 | Structural Geology | 1 |
| E&ES280 | Introduction to GIS | 1 |
| E&ES375 | Modeling the Earth and Environment | 1 |
Interactive Media & Game Design Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Media Electives (1 Required, up to 3 may be counted towards the minor) | ||
| COMP333 | Software Engineering | 1 |
| DDC228 | The Evolution of Audio in Interactive Entertainment; Creating Music with Limiting Technology | 0.5 |
| DDC229 | Creating Audio in Interactive Worlds | 0.5 |
| IDEA185 | Form and Code | 1 |
| IDEA243 | Introduction to Graphic Design | 1 |
| IDEA360 | Media for Performance | 1 |
| MUSC220 | Composing, Performing, and Listening to Experimental Music | 1 |
| MUSC221 | Live-Electronics for Composition, Improvisation, and Sound Art | 1 |
| MUSC223 | Music, Recording, and Sound Design | 1 |
| Game Design Electives (1 required, up to 3 may be counted) | ||
| FILM331 | Video Games as/and the Moving Image: Art, Aesthetics, and Design | 1 |
| IDEA209 | Educational Gaming Lab: Project-Based, Game-Based Pedagogy Approaches | 1 |
| IDEA350 | Computational Media: Videogame Development | 2 |
| IDEA351 | Videogame Architecture and Programming in Unity | 1 |
| IDEA419 | Student Forum (Interactive Prototype Studio) | 1 |
| IDEA420 | Student Forum (Interactive Prototype Studio) | 1 |
(Or other game-focused student forum with approval of minor advisor) | ||
Materials Science Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two engineering lab courses from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course form the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| One statics and dynamics course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA212 | Metal Manufacturing Through the Ages: The Science Behind Metal and Impact of Metal in Society | 1 |
| IDEA213 | Molded For a Purpose: The Nuts and Bolts of Mass Manufacturing | 1 |
Mechanical Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two engineering lab courses from the following list: | ||
| IDEA170 | Introduction to Mechanical Design and Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA175 | Introduction to Electrical Design & Engineering | 1 |
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA215 | Introduction to Sensors, Measurement, and Data Analysis | 1 |
| IDEA292 | Interdisciplinary Project Lab | 1 |
| One computing and programming foundations course from the following list: | ||
| COMP112 | Introduction to Programming | 1 |
| COMP113 | Bioinformatics Programming | 1 |
| COMP114 | How to Talk to Machines | 1 |
| COMP115 | How to Design Programs | 1 |
| COMP211 | Computer Science I | 1 |
| PHYS340 | Computational Physics | 0.5 |
| One statics and dynamics course from the following list: | ||
| IDEA210 | How Things Fail: Mechanics and Materials | 1 |
| IDEA211 | Materials and Design Concepts for Structures | 1 |
| IDEA212 | Metal Manufacturing Through the Ages: The Science Behind Metal and Impact of Metal in Society | 1 |
| IDEA213 | Molded For a Purpose: The Nuts and Bolts of Mass Manufacturing | 1 |
Performance Design Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two performance design courses form the following list: | ||
| ARST233 | Studies in Computer-based Modelling and Digital Fabrication | 1 |
| THEA185 | Text & Visual Imagination: Introduction to Eco Design for Performance | 1 |
| THEA305 | Lighting Design for the Theater | 1 |
| THEA359 | Space Design for Performance | 1 |
| THEA360 | Media for Performance | 1 |
| THEA383 | Introduction to Costume Design for Performance | 1 |
| One history of design course from the following list: | ||
| ARHA151 | European Architecture and Urbanism to 1750 | 1 |
| ARHA244 | European Architecture and Urbanism, 1750-1910 | 1 |
| ARHA246 | American Architecture and Urbanism, 1770-1914 | 1 |
| ARHA248 | Frank Lloyd Wright: Myth and Fact | 1 |
| ARHA254 | Architecture of the 20th Century | 1 |
| ARHA284 | Buddhist Art and Architecture | 1 |
| ARHA287 | Islamic Art and Architecture | 1 |
| One practicum: | ||
| THEA434 | Applied Scenography: From Idea to the Stage | 0.5 |
and | ||
| THEA435 | Performance Practice in Design A | 0.5 |
or | ||
| THEA437 | Performance Practice in Design B | 1 |