northeastern university engineering tour

Academic Catalog 2023-2024

College of engineering.

Gregory D. Abowd , D.Phil., Dean

Susan Freeman , PhD, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education 

Richard Harris, MS, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Candace A. Martel, MEd, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs 

Undergraduate Academic Advising Office 147 Snell Engineering Center 617.373.2154 [email protected]

The mission of the College of Engineering is to provide a teaching, learning, and research environment that results in the highest-quality education for our students. Consistent with this goal, while providing a practice-oriented, experiential, and interdisciplinary program, the College of Engineering seeks to prepare students to contribute to the accumulation and application of technical knowledge. The college further seeks to help students master the fundamental mathematical and scientific principles underlying a particular branch of engineering; develop and demonstrate competence in analysis and design appropriate to an engineering specialization; reason clearly and communicate effectively; and recognize the need to continue professional development.

Through laboratory exercises, senior design projects, professional association activities, cooperative work assignments, and other experiential opportunities, students put theory into practice and clarify their professional goals.

The college offers a Bachelor of Science degree with specializations in bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering. There are also a number of combined majors offered within the college and between the College of Engineering and other colleges.  Combined majors are continually being developed in response to student interest. In addition, students can pursue accelerated master’s program offerings.

Students have options available to participate in cooperative education experiences as they pursue  completion of  Bachelor of Science degree programs. Those seeking an 18-month co-op work experience may wish to enroll in the PlusOne accelerated master's program. Four-year programs are available for all majors and combined majors in the college.  

The college encourages students to study the arts, sciences, business, and other areas outside engineering to allow for an increased awareness of the social, economic, political, aesthetic, and philosophical influences that shape the world in which graduates will practice their professions. Students may complete a minor in different areas such as business, computer science, biomedical engineering, math, or music. In many cases, the minor can be completed without course overloads.

The college also offers an array of international educational experiences, including a number of study-abroad options, international co-op experiences, and Dialogue of Civilizations classes (which offer a four- to six-week opportunity to study engineering or a related field in the context of an international experience).

In addition to a full array of university services, specialized advising and other support services (including tutoring) are provided. Students in the University Honors Program may participate in honors sections of a number of courses. Students are encouraged to become involved in a broad range of student organizations offered within the college as an enriching addition to academic studies and co-op experience. There are over 50 student organizations in the College of Engineering that offer a broad array of experiences and opportunities. Students are also encouraged to explore research opportunities and participate in experiences that complement classroom learning.  

Undergraduate Academic Standards

Effective September 6, 2023

Academic Progression Standards

In addition to meeting university progression standards, it is expected that undergraduate engineering students enroll in four (4 credit) courses, with corresponding labs and recitations, and successfully complete at least 12 semester hours each academic semester (fall, spring) with an acceptable grade-point average as noted below.  

Criteria for Academic Probation

Students will be placed on academic probation effective for the following academic semester for any of the reasons noted below:

• Not earning a semester GPA of at least a 1.800 at the end of an academic semester (fall, spring)
• Not earning at least 12 semester hours at the end of an academic semester (fall, spring)

Upper-level and transfer students:

• Not earning at least 12 semester hours in an academic semester (fall, spring)
• Not maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 at the end of an academic semester (fall, spring)
• Accumulating three or more outstanding course deficiencies (grades of F, I, W, NE, U, or missing grades, excluding 1 semester hours courses, labs, and recitations)

A notation of the academic probation action will appear on the internal record but not on the permanent transcript.

Criteria for Academic Dismissal

Students who earn below a 1.000 GPA or earn fewer than 4 semester hours in any academic semester (fall, spring) may be dismissed, regardless of their prior academic status. After two semesters (fall, spring) on academic probation, students may be academically dismissed if they fail to meet academic progression standards.

A notation of the academic dismissal action will appear on the permanent transcript.

Pass/Fail Coursework

Students may elect to take courses on a pass/fail basis in accordance with university policy. A maximum of 8 semester hours may be taken pass/fail toward fulfillment of degree requirements in the College of Engineering. A maximum of 4 semester hours of pass/fail coursework is allowed per semester. Only general electives taken outside the College of Engineering may be taken on a pass/fail grading basis.

Graduation Requirements

A minimum cumulative GPA requirement of 2.000 in major coursework and a minimum cumulative GPA requirement of 2.000 overall are required for graduation.  

The college reserves the right to amend programs, courses, and degree requirements to fulfill its educational responsibility to respond to relevant changes in the field.

Students must complete all of the requirements in the degree program in which they are candidates. Degree requirements are based upon the year of graduation, determined by the date of entry or reentry into the College of Engineering. Degree requirements and the year of graduation for a degree candidate who fails to make normal academic progress will be subject to review and possible change.

Progression Toward Fulfillment of Degree Requirements

Students are expected to develop and follow a program of study outlining scheduled coursework to complete degree requirements. If changes to the year of graduation are to be made after completion of the third year of study in the major program curriculum, revised plans should be submitted to an academic advisor for review and approval. Students pursuing a minor course of study should declare their minor no later than the third year.

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World-recognized research across the broad spectrum of electrical and computer engineering while being dedicated to the education and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students

Experiential learning is the heart of a Northeastern education--in the classroom, in the lab, and in the real-world while on co-op.

Pursue your path alongside highly accomplished faculty across eight research areas and 10-plus ECE-led interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, including some of the most innovative facilities in the nation.

Join a welcoming and engaged community in the hub of innovation with industry at your fingertips, including the top hospitals in the world, as well as a range of student organizations, and a network of faculty, alumni, and industry professionals.

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Andrew Ashdown, PhD’27, electrical engineering, was selected as one of the recipients of the U.S. Department of Defense National Defense...

Computer engineering graduate student Rohan Basu Roy, PhD'24, won the prestigious ACM/IEEE CS George Michael Memorial HPC Fellowship for...

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member

University Distinguished Professor Eduardo Sontag, ECE/BioE, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for his career that has made breakthroughs in the mathematics of nonlinear and complex systems, with repercussions for biomedicine, systems biology, and neural networks.

NSF CAREER Award to Strengthen Federated Learning

ECE Assistant Professor Lili Su received a $611,000 NSF CAREER Award to consolidate the theoretical foundations and enrich the algorithmic toolbox of distributed machine learning.

NSF CAREER Award to Design Robots to Navigate Crawlspaces

ECE Assistant Professor Alireza Ramezani received a $681,000 NSF CAREER Award for “Dynamic Locomotion with Plasticity for Remote Sensing in Crawlspaces.”

NSF CAREER Award to Design a Platform for Ultra-Compact Signal Processing

ECE Assistant Professor Siddhartha Ghosh received a $540,082 NSF CAREER Award to design a “Semiconductor on Nitride PhoXonic Integrated Circuit (SONIC) Platform for Chip-Scale RF and Optical Signal Processing.” He also received a DARPA Young Faculty Award.

Engineering in Action

Making notable advancements in neuro-engineering.

Electrical & Computer Engineering student Spencer Lake Jacobs-Skolik shares his experience leading research, becoming a published author, and earning a Goldwater Scholarship – all as an undergraduate. Learn how Northeastern University’s College of Engineering provides research opportunities you can’t find anywhere else, and how those experiences prepare passionate students for successful careers.

Co-op for a Wireless World

Sara Garcia Sanchez (PhD in Electrical Engineering) came to Northeastern University from Spain to study wireless communications in a high-level international environment. In addition to cutting-edge research, her experimental work brought her to a co-op with IBM, studying the use of the extremely high-frequency Millimeter Wave Band for sensing and communication.

World Renowned Co-op Program

Sofia Vanessa Benitez Quevedo, BS, electrical engineering, completed three co-ops near and far including iRobot as a systems engineer, Flex in California working on emerging tech on the internet of things, and Starry, a start up in Boston using cutting-edge technology for the next generation.

Getting a Competitive Edge on Co-op

Noah Lichtenstein, BS, computer engineering and computer science, says the integrated way of learning and experience with co-op will allow him to jump in to a job when he graduates. So far he’s had a co-op at Starry, an internet startup, and Amazon Robotics as a firmware engineer, and feels this experience will give him a decent leg up.

Recent News

NanoSystems Innovation Launch Party Kicks Off Bicoastal Collaboration

The Institute for NanoSystems Innovation, a first-of-its-kind research institute located on both U.S. coasts, is developing nano-scale technologies to drive innovation and miniaturization of chip-level technology advancements and applications. ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi is the institute’s director and ECE Professor David Horsley is deputy director. 

Sontag Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Celebrating Affinity Student Groups at the 18th Annual Joint Recognition Banquet

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate partners were recognized for their commitments to several COE affinity student groups at the 18th Annual Joint Recognition Banquet. The groups represented included SHPE, SWE, BESS, SASE, and DICE.

Patent for Innovative Thin Film Heterostructures

ECE Distinguished Professor Nian Sun was awarded a patent for “Sputter deposited crystalline ordered topological insulator/ferromagnet (TI/FM) thin film heterostructures for spintronics applications.”

Northeastern University announces speakers for global campus commencements, and college and school ceremonies

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Northeastern previously announced the speakers for its undergraduate and graduate commencement exercises at Fenway Park in Boston on Sunday, May 5. Here’s a rundown of the rest of the speakers.

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Northeastern University recently announced the speakers for its undergraduate and graduate commencement exercises on Sunday, May 5, at Fenway Park in Boston.

Sethuraman Panchanathan , director of the National Science Foundation, will address the graduate students at 10 a.m., while Pam Melroy , a trailblazing astronaut and deputy administrator for NASA, will address the undergraduates at 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, Northeastern has also announced the speakers for commencement ceremonies at its global campuses, as well as college and school ceremonies and celebrations. Additional speakers may be added.

GLOBAL CAMPUS COMMENCEMENTS

Oakland, california.

10 a.m. PT, Saturday, April 27

Holmgren Meadow on campus

Speaker: Miriam Warren, chief diversity officer at Yelp and board chair of the Yelp Foundation. A Mills College graduate, she joined Yelp in 2007, serving in a variety of marketing and operational roles, including vice president of new markets.

4 p.m. PT, Tuesday, May 7

Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle

Silicon Valley, California

4 p.m. PT, Thursday, May 9

Heritage Theater, 1 West Campbell Ave., Campbell, California

3 p.m. PT, Saturday, May 11

The Hyatt Regency, 655 Burrard St., Vancouver

Speaker: Brenda Bailey, minister of jobs, economic development and innovation of British Columbia. She previously worked in the video game industry and co-founded the first Canadian women-owned and operated video game studio.

4 p.m., Thursday, May 23

Meridian Hall, 1 Front St East, Toronto

Speaker: Olutoyin Oyelade, founding partner and CEO of InVcap Corp., an investment advisory firm. She’s also president and CEO of the Casa Foundation, a nonprofit promoting social change for African youth and women. 

Charlotte, North Carolina

3 p.m., Saturday, June 1

2151 Hawkins St., Charlotte

Speaker: Stephanie Kirkland, CEO of Identity Dynamics and Northeastern Ed.D. graduate. She has over 20 years of experience in personal, professional and organizational leadership development — with a focus on women of color.

Portland, Maine

4 p.m., Friday, June 14

Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, Maine

COLLEGE AND SCHOOL CEREMONIES

Doctor of philosophy hooding and graduation.

3 p.m., Monday, April 29

Speaker: Dario Gil, a Ph.D. and senior vice president and director of research at IBM.

D’Amore-McKim School of Business (graduate)

4 p.m. Tuesday, April 30

Speaker: Kerri Bernstein, a Northeastern graduate and executive vice president and corporate treasurer for American Express.

D’Amore-McKim School of Business (undergraduate)

9 a.m., Thursday, May 2

Speaker: Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization.

Khoury College of Computer Sciences (undergraduate)

2 p.m. Thursday, May 2

Khoury College of Computer Sciences (graduate)

6 p.m. Thursday, May 2

College of Arts, Media and Design 

9 a.m. Friday, May 3

Featured Stories

NSF funds groundbreaking research project led by Northeastern to ‘democratize’ artificial intelligence

Teaching elementary schoolchildren the rights and wrongs of AI is just as important as sex and drug education, Northeastern expert says

From right swipe to writing: How this Northeastern professor wrote a book with a fellow entrepreneur she met on a dating app

Musi, a new, free music streaming app, begs the question: Can anything compete with Spotify?

College of science (undergraduate).

1:30 p.m. Friday, May 3

Speaker: Northeastern trustee Deborah Dunsire, chair of the board of directors of Neurvati Neurosciences and former CEO of H. Lundbeck A/S, a bio pharmaceutical company.

College of Science (graduate)

6 p.m. Friday, May 3

Bouve College of Health Sciences 

9 a.m. Saturday, May 4

Speaker: Northeastern trustee Chris Viehbacher, president and CEO of Biogen, a multinational biotechnology company.

College of Engineering (undergraduate)

1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4

Speaker: Marc Raibert, a Northeastern graduate and executive director of The AI Institute and founder of Boston Dynamics.

College of Social Sciences and Humanities 

6 p.m. Saturday, May 4

College of Professional Studies (Ceremony 1)

10 a.m. Wednesday, May 8

Speaker: Ed DiSanto, a Northeastern graduate and former executive vice president at American Tower Corp.

College of Professional Studies (Ceremony 2)

3 p.m. Wednesday, May 8

Speaker: Ed DiSanto

School of Law 

2 p.m. Friday, May 10

Speaker: Mo Cowan, a Northeastern Law graduate and former U.S. senator for Massachusetts.

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Graduate School of Engineering Campus Tour (In Person)

December 9, 2023 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

One event on October 14, 2023 at 10:00 am

One event on October 28, 2023 at 10:00 am

One event on November 11, 2023 at 10:00 am

One event on November 25, 2023 at 10:00 am

One event on December 9, 2023 at 10:00 am

Want to learn more about the Graduate School of Engineering on the Boston campus? Then we welcome you to sign up for a Graduate School of Engineering campus tour! Led by one of our expert Graduate Student Ambassadors, we’ll show you key locations on campus, in addition to resources specific to Engineering, and answer your questions about Boston. Please complete the registration form linked below to select the date and time that works best for you. Tours are open to both newly admitted and prospective students. We can’t wait to meet you!