Design through Engineering: Exploring Innovations and Engineering Pathways
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Program
Summary
How do engineers improve existing designs and develop innovative solutions to real-world problems? This hands-on course invites students to explore the dynamic world of engineering through the iterative design process while gaining insight into the academic disciplines, majors, and career pathways that shape the profession. Building upon foundational engineering knowledge and skills, students will investigate how engineers identify design constraints, evaluate alternatives, and make informed decisions to improve the performance, efficiency, and functionality of products, systems, and technologies. Through collaborative experimentation, hands-on design challenges, prototyping, and data-driven problem-solving, students will explore how changes to a design influence its performance. Students will collect and analyze data to evaluate their ideas, test solutions, and guide improvements while considering practical constraints such as materials, cost, sustainability, safety, and usability. Along the way, they will gain experience applying the engineering mindset to challenges similar to those faced by professionals in a variety of engineering fields. As students explore engineering at UW–Madison, they will gain exposure to a wide range of engineering majors and fields of study, including mechanical, civil, electrical, biomedical, chemical, environmental, industrial, and computer engineering. Through projects, discussions, and exploration of real-world applications, students will discover how engineers contribute to advancements in technology, infrastructure, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and environmental sustainability while learning about the educational pathways and career opportunities available within these fields. The course culminates in a collaborative engineering project in which students apply the iterative design process to redesign and improve an existing solution. Through a final presentation, students will showcase their designs, explain their engineering decisions, and reflect on how experimentation, innovation, and engineering principles shape both technological advancement and the diverse careers within the engineering profession.
Student profile
Important dates
Application deadlines
Application opens: Jan. 12, 2027
Deadline: Apply by May 1, 2027
Tuition deadlines
The first half of tuition is due by May 15. The second half of tuition is due by June 1.
