Engineering

This three-credit course is an introduction to modern computer drafting and engineering design using a CAD (computer aided design) software system. Fundamental concepts of technical drawing in two and three dimensions are covered including orthographic projections, isometric projections, and three-dimensional modeling and rendering. Emphasis is placed on civil design including integration of survey and 3D elevation data, and use of alignments, profiles, corridors, cross- sections, and surfaces for design and quantity estimation purposes. Three lecture hours per week. There are no prerequisites for the course.

This one-credit course is a broad-brush overview of the various aspects of engineering with emphasis on civil engineering, but with exposure to other areas of engineering. Focus is on three main areas: 1) Being a successful engineering student; 2) understanding engineering in a broad context that includes presentations by professional engineers, and exposure to ethics, licensing, and societies; and 3) working on teams to attain common goals on projects involving surveying and GPS (global positioning system) and bridges made of popsicle sticks or manila file folders. Students will be led through a reverse engineering activity by determining how a simple coffee maker works and the physical processes involved. One or two field trips will take students to various locations in and near Helena to look at engineering in action. One hour of lecture per week. There are no prerequisites for the course.

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.

This one-credit course is an introduction to fluid mechanics and water distribution theory and design practice. The objective of the course is to expose students to basic fluid principles and then put principles to practice on computer-based water distribution piping networks. A final project wraps up the course with a real-life scenario of water distribution problems and solutions using theory learned over the semester. No prerequisites. One hour of lecture per week.

This two-credit course introduces the engineering student to various construction materials that are commonly used in civil engineering projects, such as aggregates, asphalt, concrete, steel, wood, and pipe materials. The purpose of this course is to explore, compare, and contrast the properties and behaviors of these various materials and the raw materials and methods that go into their production or manufacture. A weekly lab or field trip helps to emphasize these topics. No prerequisites. One hour of lecture and one and a half hours lab per week.

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.

Equilibrium of bodies under the action of forces. Force systems and resultants; equilibrium of mechanical systems; trusses, frames, and machines; centroids and centers of mass; shear and moments in beams; hydrostatics; friction; and virtual work. Introduction to mechanics of solids and computer analysis of structures, as time permits. Emphasis on solving practical engineering problems in complete, documented style.

An introduction to the mechanics of deformable solids. Topics covered include stress, strain, rotation-of-axes transformations, constitutive relations, equilibrium, compatibility requirements, stability, and deformation of structural elements. Uni-axial, torsion, bending, and shear loads on and deformations of prismatic bars are also studied together with Euler buckling of slender columns. Three credits of lecture. Three credits of lecture.

Motions of bodies under the action of forces; kinematics and kinetics of particles, systems of particles, and rigid bodies; work-energy and impulse-momentum; area and mass moments of inertia. Emphasis on solving practical engineering problems in complete, documented style.

An introductory survey of the behavior of electrical circuits. Review of current, voltage, and passive circuit elements (resistors, capacitors, and inductors). Kirchhoff's Laws, network theorems, and basic network analysis. General characteristics of amplifiers and electronic instrumentation. Introduction to operational amplifiers and active elements (transistors). Laplace transform analysis of transient (switching) response, and complex phasor analysis of sinusoidal steady-state response. Three hours lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week, in which students build and test circuits and learn how to use typical circuit simulation software (PSPICE).

Electronics and Circuit Analysis I Lab. An introductory survey of the behavior of electrical circuits. Review of current, voltage, and passive circuit elements (resistors, capacitors, and inductors). Kirchhoff's Laws, network theorems, and basic network analysis. General characteristics of amplifiers and electronic instrumentation. Introduction to operational amplifiers and active elements (transistors). Laplace transform analysis of transient (switching) response, and complex phasor analysis of sinusoidal steady-state response. Three hours lecture and one two-hour laboratory per week, in which students build and test circuits and learn how to use typical circuit simulation software (PSPICE).

A continuation of ENGR/PHYS 305. Systematic node-voltage and mesh-current methods of circuit analysis. Net-work transfer functions and frequency spectra. Mutual inductance and transformers. Diode circuits and the behavior of single-transistor amplifiers using field-effect or bipolar-junction transistors. Analysis and design of digital logic circuits. Principles of operation and interfacing of typical laboratory instruments. Three hours lecture and one 2-hour laboratory per week.

This 3.5-hour course is the application of civil engineering principles to earth materials, including soil, rock, and some man-made materials that are like soil. Geotechnical Engineering has its roots in geology, which is where this course begins but then moves quickly to topics of interest to the engineer, including the characteristics and classifications of soils and rock, and their mechanical properties such as stress and strain, compaction, compressibility, shear strength, cohesion, permeability, and stability. In addition, the student will be introduced to the science of site exploration and safety. A weekly lab helps to emphasize these topics. Two hours of lecture and one and a half hour of laboratory per week.

This is the first in a series of 3 courses in structural analysis and design. The primary objective of this course is to introduce the principles and methods of analysis for trusses, beams, and frames so that students develop the understanding and the skills necessary to analyze and design statically determinate as well as statically indeterminate structures. While emphasis is on modern computer methods of analysis, elementary methods are also studied so students gain an understanding and "feel" for the behavior of structures.

This course introduces students to matrix methods for analyzing determinate and indeterminate plane truss and plane frame structures, and how these methods are implemented on a computer. The programming architecture used in modern structural analysis programs is presented. This includes: 1) Input of the geometry of the structure, material properties of members, and loads; 2) assembly of the system equations to be solved; 3) solving the system equations for basic unknowns; 4) recovering values of interest from the values for the basic unknowns; and 5) generating output of the results. Students work with the instructor to develop programs to analyze a resistive electrical circuit network, a plane truss, and a plane frame. The programs are tested using problems that have solutions available to test the programs.

This three-credit course is an introduction to the fundamentals of hydrologic science. The components of the hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, infiltration, groundwater, and surface water are studied. The need and methods for collecting basic data for the components are presented. The primary focus is to learn and understand how the components of the hydrologic cycle interact to produce surface runoff and streamflow. The purpose of the course is to present methods for solving typical engineering problems relating to water management and design considering both water scarcity and flooding.

This course covers vehicle characteristics, geometric design of highways, earthwork calculations, pavement design, networks, and statistical applications in transportation. Two class hours per week.

This two-credit course teaches sampling methods, analytical techniques, and principles associated with environmental engineering applications. Topics include designing a sampling, groundwater and surface water sampling, field methods, carbonate equilibrium, isotope applications, pathogens in public water, and groundwater and surface-water contamination issues. Students will be guided through these topics with homework problems, field excursions, assigned readings, handouts, guest speakers, and exams. Two hours of lecture and field experiences per week.

This two-credit course will provide engineering students with sufficient background and tools to understand the principle issues associated with air quality. They will gain an understanding of the science of air pollution and the pollutants of concern, including greenhouse gases, and their chemistry. Students will understand the structure and why laws were formed and needed to regulate the air industry. Students will have experience with air-quality monitoring and the equipment used. Students interested in air quality will be able to be trainable in air quality methods and evaluations.

This three-credit course is a basic junior-level hydrogeology course with fundamentals as the primary focus. Students taking the course will be prepared to work in industry and solve problems associated with groundwater resources, environmental clean-up, restoration, and protection of water rights. An emphasis is placed on applications. For this reason, the course is ideally suited to professionals who work in the Helena area, such as personnel at DEQ, DNRC, and other state agencies. Topics include groundwater flow and hydraulic head, aquifer tests and analysis, including slug testing, water-quality applications are emphasized. Class activities include weekly homework problems, lectures, applied problems, exams, and a design project. Three hours of lecture per week.

Cultural Diversity. This three-credit course will look at the role that energy plays in our modern world. Students will learn about the physics of energy so that they can calculate the energy content of a variety of systems, such as: gasoline, other fossil fuels, nuclear, solar, wi bio mass and so on. Applications of the energy schemes in our lives will then be explored. We will discuss the global use and needs of energy and the environmental problems that have resulted from energy development and how we can improve our community and the world. Three hours of lecture and field trips per week.

This three-credit course strives to provide a knowledge and understanding of the current land and stream restoration practices. To achieve this objective, students participate in filed excursions, study earth moving methods and equipment, analyze soil erosion processes, design hydrologic control structures, and study revegetation and stream restoration methods. Three hours of lecture and field experiences per week.

An introduction to classical thermodynamics and statistical descriptions of many-particle systems. The first five weeks of the course provide an introduction to thermodynamics: definition of the fundamental state variables (temperature, pressure, energy, enthalpy, entropy) and formulation of the three laws of thermodynamics. Subsequent topics include diffusion and the random-walk problem, characterization of statistical ensembles and the meaning of equilibrium, partition functions, free energies, and entropy. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for classical systems is contrasted with the Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions of quantum-mechanical systems. Three hours lecture per week.

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.

This a 16 day study abroad to trace the history of structural design in Europe from the time of the Mycenaean civilization in Greece (~1600 BC) through the Industrial Revolution (~1850 AD) to include the Golden Age of Greece, the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. The course will also study the civilizations and cultures that persisted during each era of structural advancement through the period of study. Art, government structures, social structures, and the economics of Western European civilizations and their interconnec- tions with advancement of structural designs are also studied, together with the rise and fall of several empires and cultures in Western Europe. During the study abroad program, students visit four major European cities (Athens, Rome, Paris, and London), as well as less urban areas in Italy (Florence) and in the United Kingdom (Wales). Students will see West- ern Europe in its modern contexts of art, culture, and social structures. The importance of various structures in the contexts of the history and modern circumstances in Europe are also studied. Students will also be guided in developing their international travel skills. The course will consist of 4 pre-trip preparation classes in April, the study abroad program, and the follow-up submission of a travel and study journal together with an exploration and discovery paper.

Hydraulic engineering is the application of fluid mechanic principles to deal with collection, storage, conveyance, distribution, control, regulation, measurement, and use of water. This course will focus primarily on analysis and design of pipelines, pumps, and open channel flow systems. The course will also have a design project to provide an opportunity to apply the information in a real engineering situation. Three class hours per week.

This three-credit course is primarily for engineering and environmental science students (all students meeting prerequisite requirements are welcome) and is a broad overview of environmental engineering and problem solving. The course focuses on environmental problems, including their causes, the scientific background needed to understand them, and the methods used to solve them. The fundamental principles of environmental engineering, including sources of water and air pollution, water and wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, and regulatory issues are presented. Three hours of lecture per week.

The purpose of this course is to learn the philosophies and methods of AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) and AISC Allowable Stress Design (ASD) of steel structures. Emphasis is on the determination of loads and load distribution, and the design of structural components (i.e., tension members, compression members, beams, and beam-columns) and their connections, in accordance with the AISC Design Specification and the AISC Manual of Steel Construction. The function and behavior of simple frame structures is also introduced and each student works on a team to complete a design project. Three hours of class per week.

This four-credit course focuses on the fundamental principles for analysis and design of water processing, water supply planning, wastewater collection planning, wastewater treatment, and sludge processing systems. Laboratory periods include two types of activities. First, in-lab experiments related to water quality are performed and tests are conducted with a pilot plant for water treatment. Seco presentations are given by professional engineers on the design of regional water and wastewater treatment plants, followed by class field trips to the plants. Three class hours and 2 lab hours per week.

The purpose of this course is to learn the philosophy and methods of ACI strength design of reinforced concrete structures. Emphasis is the design of concrete structural elements including beams, one-way slabs, and columns. The student works on a team to complete a simple design project. There are two class hours per week.

This course covers the basics of traffic engineering, traffic control, human characteristics as they relate to transportation, engineering transportation standards, planning, public policy, and contemporary and future transportation issues. Three class hours per week.

Advanced Writing. This two-credit course is the first of a two-semester sequence for the culminating capstone design course for engineering students. This course requires senior-level students, working in teams and working with sponsoring engineers, to take an actual engineering project from the initial proposal stage through the preliminary design phase. Students will conduct the necessary activities and prepare the various documents needed to complete the preliminary design. Students establish scopes of work, design criteria, design constraints, impacts to society and the environment, consider sustainable solutions, and conduct analyses to compare alternatives with the goal of determining a preferred alternative. Other topics such as professional licensure and engineering ethics are covered. One hour of lecture per week.

Advanced Writing. Sed Vitae. This two-credit course is the second of a two-semester sequence for the culminating capstone design course for engineering students and is a continuation of ENGR 411. In this course, the design process will continue from the preliminary phase to the final design of the project. ("Final" design in this context is the design taken to the level of completion appropriate for engineering students. The design products are not stamped as record drawings and are not ready for construction.) The students, working in the same teams as in the first semester, will prepare a design report with accompanying technical specifications and special provisions, standard contract and bid documents, and representative engineering drawings of the project's major components. Students develop a construction cost estimate and a bid sheet for construction. Other topics include discussions and guidance on preparing for and registering to take the Fundamentals of Engineering examination. One hour of lecture per week.

This course provides a hands-on experience in converting hydrogeologic data, using GIS-like tools, into a simulated groundwater-flow system, using state-of-the-art software. This course presents sufficient theory and allows practical application in the lab to correctly conceptualize, construct, and calibrate groundwater-flow models. This start-to-finish experience will allow the participant to perform applications in government, industry, and academic settings.

Internship Experiences recognize that learning can take place outside the classroom. Carroll College allows its students to participate in opportunities that relate to their area of study. This opportunity must relate directly a student's program of study in order to qualify for an internship. Close cooperation among Carroll and the participating organizations ensures an experience that contributes significantly to the student's overall growth and professional development. Juniors and seniors in any major area may participate with the approval of faculty internship advisor and/or department chair, Career Services, and a site supervisor. Students will receive academic credit and may or may not receive monetary compensation for an internship. A student may apply a maximum of 12 semester hours to degree requirements; academic departments will determine the number of credits that may count toward the major (most majors accept 6 hours total). Enrollment in the course must be during the same semester in which the experience takes place. Interested students should contact their academic advisor and Career Services prior to the start of an experience.

This course gives a general introduction to numerical solution techniques for ordinary and partial differential equations. Most examples are applications in structural mechanics; however, the techniques are generally applicable to all areas of engineering. The first part of the course is devoted to solving ordinary differential equations by approximate methods including finite differences, direct variational methods, weighted residuals, and energy based approximations both global and local (finite element) approximating functions. In the second part of the course, the preceding techniques are extended to obtain approximate solutions for partial differential equations for mixed boundary and initial boundary value problems.

Independent study is open to junior and senior students only. At the time of application, a student must have earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. A student may register for no more than three (3) semester hours of independent study in any one term. In all cases, registration for independent study must be approved by the appropriate department chairperson and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Special Topics courses include ad-hoc courses on various selected topics that are not part of the regular curriculum, however they may still fulfill certain curricular requirements. Special topics courses are offered at the discretion of each department and will be published as part of the semester course schedule - view available sections for more information. Questions about special topics classes can be directed to the instructor or department chair.

The senior thesis is designed to encourage creative thinking and to stimulate individual research. A student may undertake a thesis in an area in which s/he has the necessary background. Ordinarily a thesis topic is chosen in the student's major or minor. It is also possible to choose an interdisciplinary topic. Interested students should decide upon a thesis topic as early as possible in the junior year so that adequate attention may be given to the project. In order to be eligible to apply to write a thesis, a student must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 based upon all courses attempted at Carroll College. The thesis committee consists of a director and two readers. The thesis director is a full-time Carroll College faculty member from the student's major discipline or approved by the department chair of the student's major. At least one reader must be from outside the student's major. The thesis director and the appropriate department chair must approve all readers. The thesis committee should assist and mentor the student during the entire project. For any projects involving human participants, each student and his or her director must follow the guidelines published by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Students must submit a copy of their IRB approval letter with their thesis application. As part of the IRB approval process, each student and his or her director must also complete training by the National Cancer Institute Protection of Human Participants. The thesis is typically to be completed for three (3) credits in the discipline that best matches the content of the thesis. Departments with a designated thesis research/writing course may award credits differently with approval of the Curriculum Committee. If the thesis credits exceed the full-time tuition credit limit for students, the charge for additional credits will be waived. Applications and further information are available in the Registrar's Office.