Course Minors

Academic advising. Students interested in pursuing a minor must find a faculty member within the Engineering Department to advise them. If possible, this faculty member should have interests that overlap the area of the minor. Students who encounter difficulties in identifying an adviser should seek the assistance of the chair of the Engineering Department. Students who plan to minor in engineering should regularly consult their engineering advisers. The sophomore papers of engineering minors should indicate the plan to minor and the courses chosen to fulfill the minor.

Requirements. A minimum of 5 credits in engineering is required, of which at least 2 but not more than 3 must be core courses (ENGR 006, 011, 012, 014, 015, or 041 but not ENGR 090). The remainder will be selected from elective course offerings within the department. Only those electives that count toward an engineering major can be counted toward a minor.

• 1. Supporting work in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science is necessary only when designated as a prerequisite to an individual engineering course.
• 2. No directed readings may be used as one of the 5 credits for the minor.
• 3. A maximum of 1 transfer credit that is pre-approved by the Engineering Department will be accepted as partial fulfillment of the minor requirements. Transfer credits will not count for one of the two courses used to fulfill the core course requirement of the minor. Students should be aware that most lecture courses at other institutions carry only 0.75 Swarthmore credits, unless they include a full lab sequence. Students who want to use foreign study or domestic exchange work in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the minor should consult their academic advisers and the chair of the Engineering Department as early as possible to ensure that all requirements are met.
• 4. No culminating experience will be required. Only students pursuing the major in engineering may enroll in ENGR 090.

Areas of study. Although packaged selections of courses will be suggested as options for those interested in an engineering minor, students may tailor their programs to meet individual needs and interests in consultation with their advisers.