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MDP Courses: Courses & Substitutions


The Multidisciplinary Design Program hosts ENGR 255, 355, 455, and 599 – a series of lab courses that represent your multidisciplinary project team involvement on your academic transcript. The program works with both students and faculty mentors to determine the most appropriate enrollment level for each student.

ENGR 255: Introductory Multidisciplinary Engineering Project

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. (1-3 credits)

Intro course in which students acquire, develop, and refine skills for success in the modern engineering design process using mentored, multidisciplinary, team-based, project work. Students will integrate: (1) knowledge from previous courses;(2) knowledge of engineering design process; and (3) professional skills (e.g., teamwork, project planning, communications, etc.).

ENGR 355: Intermediate Multidisciplinary Engineering Project

Enforced Prerequisite: Permission of instructor (1-4 credits)

Intermediate course in which students acquire, develop, and refine skills for success in the modern engineering design process using mentored, multidisciplinary, team-based, project work.

Students will integrate: (1) knowledge from previous courses; (2) knowledge of engineering design process; and (3) professional skills (e.g., teamwork, project planning, communications, etc.).

ENGR 455: Advanced Multidisciplinary Engineering Project

Enforced Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. (2-5 credits)

Advanced course in which students acquire, develop, and refine skills for success in the modern engineering design process using mentored, multidisciplinary, team-based, project work.

Students will integrate: (1) knowledge from previous courses; (2) knowledge of engineering design process; and (3) professional skills (e.g., teamwork, project planning, communications, etc.).

ENGR 599: Special Topics in Engineering

Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor. (1-4 credits)

Special topics in interdisciplinary engineering.

ENGR 456: Mentorship-Leadership in Multidisciplinary Design

Enforced Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. (2 credits)

Mentoring and/or leadership of engineering team projects for multidisciplinary design at junior or senior level. Students participate in reflective and integrated learning exercises while simultaneously providing guidance based on previous participation in team based multidisciplinary engineering projects. Students offer technical knowledge, interpersonal/group dynamics, and project management skills to teams.

This course is open only to those declared in the Minor in Multidisciplinary Design.

MDP Course Substitutions


Many majors are able to apply MDP/ENGR credits toward specific degree requirements (typically Flexible Technical Electives, Engineering Electives, etc.) or General Electives. Additionally, some Partner Sponsored projects are pre-approved to fulfill additional degree requirements (such as Major Design Experience, Capstone, etc.). Additionally, MDP project credits can count toward the minor in Muldisciplinary Design.

Please review the info below and connect with your academic advisor about how MDP credits might fit into your specific degree plan.

Art & Design

Credits for MDP projects typically count as academic/experiential, under the 'non-studio', 'non-Stamps', and/or 'Free Elective Courses' credit requirements for Stamps students. Where they count will depend on a student's specific degree and unique path through the Stamps curriculum. Before enrolling, students should consult with their academic advisor to review how MDP credits would fit on in their Progress Toward Degree sheet.

Click here to see all projects with roles for Art & Design students.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering undergraduate students may earn up to 3 credit hours of Engineering Elective credit towards their degree by participating on any MDP project team (no departmental approval necessary). Note: this applies toward all credit levels – ENGR 255, 355, and 455.

Click here to see all projects with roles for Chemical Engineering students.

Computer Engineering

Computer Engineering students may be eligible to earn Major Design Experience credit on MDP projects.

Click here to see requirements to earn MDE substitution on an MDP Project.
Click here to see all projects with roles for Computer Engineering students.

Computer Science

Computer Science undergraduate students who meet the pre-requisites are eligible to earn degree substitutions on a pre-approved MDP Project Team.

Click here to see requirements and degree substitutions for CS-ENGR students.
Click here to see requirements and degree substitution for CS-LSA students.

CSE Master's Students on pre-approved MDP projects are eligible to earn up to four hours of Technical Elective credits towards their degree requirements. Please follow up with the CSE Graduate Programs Office at csegradstaff@umich.edu for more details.

Click here to see all projects with roles for Computer Science students.

Data Science
Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering students may be eligible to earn Major Design Experience (MDE) substitution on MDP projects.

Click here to see requirements to earn MDE substitution on an MDP Project.
Click here to see all projects with roles for Electrical Engineering students.

Engineering Honors Capstone
Undergraduate students in the Engineering Honors Program are eligible to use any MDP Project to fulfill the Honors Capstone requirements.

Click here to see requirements to fulfill Engineering Honors requirements on an MDP Project.
Click here to see all projects with roles for Engineering Honors students.

Industrial Operations Engineering (IOE)
Materials Science + Engineering

Materials Science + Engineering undergraduate students may earn Science and Technical Electives credit by participating on any MDP project team (no departmental approval necessary). Note: this applies toward all credit levels – ENGR 255, 355, and 455.

Click here to see all projects with roles for Materials Science + Engineering students.

Nuclear Engineering
School of Information (SI)

School of Information undergraduates/Bachelor of Science in Information (BSI) students who are eligible to enroll in ENGR 355 or ENGR 455 for their MDP project may apply these credit hours toward these General/Free Electives.

School of Information Master's Students can use MDP Projects toward their Cognate requirement.

Click here to see all projects with roles for School of Information students.

ECE Cognate (Master's Students Only)

ECE Master’s students may count all 4 of the credits earned within any Pre-Approved MDP Partner Sponsored or Pre-Approved Faculty Research Team course toward their Cognate requirement.

Click here to see all projects eligible for ECE Cognate Credit.

Master of Public Health

Public Health Master’s students may count all 4 of the credits earned within any pre-approved MDP Project as an Open Elective for the MS program requirements.

Click here to see all projects approved for MPH Open Elective Credit.

What if my degree is not listed?
The course substitutions listed here are those that were pre-approved through the various academic departments. MDP likely does not yet have a formal agreement with your department. Please speak with your home departmental advisor to see what substitution options might be available for you.

Please note: course substitutions are not a requirement for participating in MDP projects. Many students find space to participate in these projects without using them for course substitutions or to fulfill degree requirements. See below for the standard enrollment plans for undergraduate and graduate students.

Sample Enrollment Plan: Sponsored Project Teams (undergraduate students)
Winter semester Fall semester
ENGR x55 (3 credit hours) ENGR x55 (4 credit hours)
Sample Enrollment Plan: Faculty Research Teams (undergraduate students)
Winter semester Fall semester
ENGR x55 (2 credit hours) ENGR x55 (2 credit hours)
Sample Enrollment Plan: (graduate students -all project types)
Winter semester Fall semester
ENGR 599 (2 credit hours) ENGR 599 (2 credit hours)

To Register for MDP Courses (ENGR 255/355/455/599)

 

For Partner-Sponsored Projects & Faculty Research Student Team students

Partner-Sponsored Projects & Faculty Research Student Team course overrides (ENGR 255/355/455/599) will be automatically sent when you are first accepted to a team. For alternative enrollment options, please see the MDP Course Substitutions list below.

For students returning to Faculty Research Student Teams beyond the original two-semester commitment: please contact MDP during course registration to request your override.

 

For Student Organization Team and Independent Projects

Student Organization Team Project and Independent Project students need to plan ahead to curricularize your project work and learning. Work with your team leads and your faculty advisor/mentor to define and document your plans for the coming semester. Create a strong proposal for credit (view a sample proposal) and follow these steps to earn credit through MDP:

  • Define your work and role with your team leads
  • Draft your objectives, outcomes, and deliverables
  • Obtain agreement from your team’s faculty advisor to supervise and grade your work
  • Review this proposal with the team’s faculty advisor to confirm the scope and depth of your contribution and to determine the appropriate course level (255, 355, 455) and the number of credits to be earned
  • Ask your advisor to send his/her approval to the MDP Academic Advisor (mlangill@umich.edu) to receive your permission to register for your course
  • Be sure to register by the Third Week Drop/Add Deadline
What if my degree is not listed?
The course substitutions listed here are those that were pre-approved through the various academic departments. MDP likely does not yet have a formal agreement with your department. Please speak with your home departmental advisor to see what substitution options might be available for you.

Please note: course substitutions are not a requirement for participating in MDP projects. Many students find space to participate in these projects without using them for course substitutions or to fulfill degree requirements. See below for the standard enrollment plans for undergraduate and graduate students.

Sample Enrollment Plan: Sponsored Project Teams (undergraduate students)
Winter semester Fall semester
ENGR x55 (3 credit hours) ENGR x55 (4 credit hours)
Sample Enrollment Plan: Faculty Research Teams (undergraduate students)
Winter semester Fall semester
ENGR x55 (2 credit hours) ENGR x55 (2 credit hours)
Sample Enrollment Plan: (graduate students -all project types)
Winter semester Fall semester
ENGR 599 (2 credit hours) ENGR 599 (2 credit hours)