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Minor in Engineering Communications

The Engineering Communication minor emphasizes that effective communication enhances the utility, understanding, deployment, and engagement of engineering work. Students explore communicative practice, design, context, and professional identity through various modalities.

Format

In-Person

Page Contents

Eligibility and Academic Standards

Open to all Cornell Engineering undergraduates. Students must be affiliated with the college in a specific undergraduate major. Pre-approval is required. Students intending to earn this minor should seek early guidance as soon as their sophomore year by contacting the Director of the Engineering Communications Program. Students should speak with their advisor to obtain the application form. Each application will be reviewed for its completion plan, a statement of intent, and the student advisor’s consent.

Students must complete the Engineering Communication minor’s 18 minor credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00 (not overall GPA); all courses for the minor must be finished with a letter grade of C or better. A reviewed e-portfolio will be required before the minor is granted. The completed e-portfolio must be submitted electronically by these dates, depending on graduation:

  • December 5: December/winter graduates
  • May 5 for May graduates
  • August 5 for summer graduates

Note: Students undertaking a minor are normally expected to complete the requirements during the time of their continuous undergraduate enrollment at Cornell. Courses at graduate-level (5xxx) cannot be considered for the minor, even via petition. As well, pursuant to an agreement with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, students will not be permitted to declare both the Engineering Communication Minor and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Communication and Public Engagement minor (known as SCoPE or SciComm).

Course Requirements

At least 18 credits, chosen as follows:

  • Category A; Engineering Communications courses (7 credits, with items 1, 2, and 3 all required. Offered every spring and fall semesters).
  • Category B: Engineering and Technical Professionalism (minimum of 5 credits required, student choice from approved listing, below).
  • Category C: Engineering, Technical, or Scientific Communication Electives (minimum of 6 credits required, student choice).
    • Any ENGRC partner classes (no limit) for 1 credit each. This list may change due to partnerships in majors.
    • Other courses at Cornell
    • Statistics, language, or study abroad credits

Category A: Engineering Communications

  • ENGRC 3350 or ENGRC 3500

    Organizational Communication for Engineers or Engineering Communications

  • COMM 2450 or COMM 2850

    Communication and Technology or Communication, Science, Environment, and Health

  • ENGRC 4900

    Engineering Communication Minor Capstone

Category B: Engineering and Technical Professionalism

  • ENGRG 2500

    Technology in Society

  • ENGRC 2720

    Data Science for Engineers

  • ENGRG 3010

    Explorations in Leadership

  • ENGRC 3023

    Communication Intensive Opportunity: Practicum in Technical Writing

  • ENGRC 3024

    Engineering Communication Internship

  • ENGRC 3025

    Communicating Your Digital Professionalism

  • ENGRC 3030

    Green Business Lab

  • ENGRC 3340

    Independent Study (general)

  • ENGRC 3340.602

    Social Justice and Engineering: Communication at the Intersection of Practice

  • ENGRG 3400

    Engineering in Reality

  • ENGRC 3600/ECE 3600/STS 3601

    Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice

  • ENGRG 3900

    Essentials of Engineering Leadership (must be admitted to Leadership Certificate Program)

  • ENGRG 3910

    Engineering Leadership Lab (must be admitted to Leadership Certificate Program)

  • ENGRG 4990

    Teaching in Engineering Leadership

Category C: Engineering, Technical, or Scientific Communication Electives

*Courses marked with an asterisk below will also fulfill the Engineering Communication requirement on their own; however, they are part of the elective count for the Engineering Communication minor only.

  • ENGRC/MSE 3111

    Communications for Junior Lab 1*

  • ENGRC/ORIE 3120

    Communications for Practical Tools for Operations Research, Machine Learning and Data Science*

  • ENGRC/CS/INFO 3152

    Communications for Games Design*

  • ENGRC/CE 3610

    Communication for Transportation Engineering*

  • ENGRC/AEP 3640

    Technical Communication for Applied Engineering Physics*

  • ENGRC/CS/INFO 4152

    Communications for Advanced Games Design*

  • ENGRC 4590/BEE 4590

    Communications for Physical Design in Biological Engineering

  • AEM 2500

    Environmental and Resource Economics

  • AEM 3245

    Organizational Behavior

  • AEM 3249

    Entrepreneurial Marketing and Strategy

  • BEE 4530

    Computer-Aided Engineering: Applications to Biological Processes (W-I or C-I semesters only)*

  • BEE 4730

    Watershed Engineering (W-I or C-I semesters only

  • BEE 4590

    Biosensors and Bioanalytical Techniques*

  • BME 4440

    Science Policy Bootcamp: Concept to Conclusion

  • CHEME 4320

    Chemical Engineering Laboratory (W-I or C-I offerings only)*

  • COMM 2450/INFO 2450

    Communication and Technology (cannot be taken to fulfill both Category A and Category C)

  • COMM 2850

    Communication, Science, Environment and Health (cannot be taken to fulfill both Category A and Category C)

  • COMM/IINFO 3200

    New Media and Society

  • COMM/INFO 4450

    Computer-Mediated Communication

  • ENGL 2880

    Expository Writing (non-fiction)

  • ENVS 2000

    Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Colloquium

  • ILRLR 2060

    Writing Seminar in Law

  • ILRLR 2080

    Writing Seminar in Labor Relations

  • ILROB 2230

    Leadership in Organizations

  • ILROB 2290

    Organizational Cultures

  • INFO 2950

    Intro to Data Science

  • INFO 4200

    Information Policy: Research, Analysis, and Design (additional info in Appendix B)

  • INFO 4240

    Designing Technology for Social Impact

  • INFO 4270

    Ethics and Policy in Data Science

  • INFO 4310

    Interactive Information Visualization

  • INFO 4430

    Teams and Technology

  • INFO 4561

    Stars, Scores, and Rankings: Evaluation and Society

  • MAE 4272

    Fluids/Heat Transfer Laboratory (W-I or C-I offerings only)

  • MSE 3010

    Materials Chemistry

  • MSE 4030 and MSE 4040

    Senior Experimental Thesis I and Senior Experimental Thesis II (both; W-I or C-I semesters only)*

  • NBA 5070

    Entrepreneurship for Scientists and Engineers

  • NTRES/AIIS/AMST 3330

    Ways of Knowing: Indigenous and Place-Based Ecological Knowledge

  • PHIL 3340

    Modal Logic

  • PSYCH/VISST 3420

    Human Perception: Application to Computer Graphics, Art, and Visual Display

  • STS/ANTRO/COGST 4330

    How Do We Know Nature? Language, Knowledge, and the Environment

  • STS/GOVT 4451

    Making Science Policy: The Real World (meets in Washington DC, spring term)

  • Statistics Courses

    One of these courses may count towards the minor: AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY 6010, CEE 3040, ENGRD 2700, HADM 2010, ILRST 2100, ILRST 6100, MATH 1710, ORIE 3500, PAM 2100, PAM 2101, PSYCH 2500, SOC 3010, STSCI 2100, STSCI 2150, STSCI 2200

  • Language Courses

    Any language course, besides English, at 3xxx level or above. Up to four credits can be taken in this category. Students who pass a Cornell CASE sitting may petition for credit in this category. Department of Romance Studies: Placement, Testing, and Transfer Credit

  • Study Abroad

    Students may petition to have Study Abroad communication courses, up to three credits, count towards the minor. Formal petition required, approved in advance of the Study Abroad experience, not after.