Physics Professor聽Dr. Fred Browning聽gets excited when he talks about the research, creativity, synergy and problem-solving he expects to see in Palm Beach Atlantic鈥檚聽Bachelor of Science in Engineering. The program launches in fall of 2023, reflecting a robust job market for engineers and a growing number of students seeking engineering education within a Christian worldview.
鈥淎ll the pieces are in place,鈥� said Browning, who has led the development of the new engineering curriculum. It鈥檚 a challenging major of 130 credit hours, offering four concentrations: computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics and general engineering.
The four-year curriculum will emphasize hands-on work and group projects, Browning said. 鈥淚n every class that has a lab component, there鈥檚 going to be a group of students learning how to work together.鈥� Under the guidance of their professors, he said, groups will study problems, then design and implement solutions, with group members taking the lead in different areas.
鈥淎nd then in their senior year,鈥� Browning said, 鈥渢hey鈥檒l really take the training wheels off, in a two-semester capstone design course.
鈥淓mployers are looking for students with that kind of experience,鈥� he said, noting that in recent years Palm Beach County鈥檚 booming economy has attracted numerous firms needing graduates from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting a lot of inquiries and a lot of enthusiasm from prospective students,鈥� said聽Dr. Robert Lloyd, dean of the聽. He expects more than 20 students to enroll as freshmen engineering majors in the fall. In preparation, two classrooms will be revamped to become engineering labs. Architects have finished their drawings for the spaces: an electronics lab in MacArthur Hall and a prototyping lab in Borbe Hall.
Entering students will need strong math skills, as they鈥檒l 鈥渟tart right off with Calculus 1,鈥� said Browning. In their first semester they鈥檒l also take Introduction to Engineering, along with general education classes. The second semester will add a prototyping design class, using computer-aided design and 3D printers.
海角在线鈥檚 engineering grads will be well-rounded, Lloyd said, with a program 鈥渆mbedded in a liberal arts university鈥� and taught in small classes by professors integrating their Christian faith into their teaching. One of those classes in particular, Engineering Seminar, will tackle subjects such as ethics and how one鈥檚 faith impacts design and purpose.
In sophomore year, key classes will include physics and chemistry, with the upper-level engineering courses beginning in junior year. As students work their way up through the curriculum of this new major, the university will expand its faculty with new hires in engineering. In addition, Lloyd and Browning have established a collaborative relationship with nearby Florida Atlantic University, so that 海角在线 students might take some very specialized courses at the FAU campus.
海角在线鈥檚 program received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in October of 2022. Lloyd credited Browning for his 鈥渢enacious and enthusiastic鈥� research and program development leading up to that milestone. 鈥淚 was just thrilled at how Fred has risen to the occasion on this,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd I think engineering will be a great success here.鈥�
Photo above: Physics Professor Dr. Fred Browning in lab with students Sebastian Darocha and Allison Cool. 聽