Course Descriptions
For a full listing of all University of Pennsylvania courses check the Course Register.
Background Course Descriptions
Engineering Basics
MEAM 101. Introduction to CAD/CAM. (B)
This course covers the fundamentals of engineering design and manufacturing, engineering practice and the application of computer aided tools. The topics include: Graphical representation of machinery and machine drawing, Product definition and Computer Aided Design (CAD) 3-D wire frame and solid modeling using Pro/ENGINEER; System Assembly; Tolerancing; Introduction to Computer Aided Engineering analysis techniques including finite element modeling (FEM); Fundamentals of manufacturing processes and machine tools; Introduction to CNC machines and rapid prototyping using modern manufacturing techniques. The course includes tours of engineering and manufacturing facilities and a design project.
MEAM 150. Fundamentals of Mechanical Prototyping.
Prototype development techniques are an intrinsic part of the design process. This includes design layout, measurement as well as part generation, machining, lathing, laser cutting and manufacturing processes. Design projects are chosen, designed, and fabricated by students. Students will learn the necessary design processes, the basic shop skills for preliminary designs of new concepts and creating prototypes, and working knowledge of computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies. Limited enrollment with consent of instructor.
Design Arts Basics
IPD 403. (ARCH 403) Design Fundamentals.
An introduction to the basic concepts of applied arts in the design of simple three-dimensional objects of use. The description, projection, and fabrication of objects are studied through a series of workshop exercises and seminar discussions. Hand sketching, parametric solid modeling computer-aided design software, and fabrication technologies are used to create and develop virtual models, drawings, and simple prototypes.
Marketing/Finance
EAS 445. (EAS 545) Engineering Entrepreneurship I.
Prerequisite(s): Junior, Senior or Graduate Standing.
Engineers and scientists create and lead great companies, hiring managers when and where needed to help execute their vision. Designed expressly for students having a keen interest in technological innovation, this course investigates the roles of inventors and founders in successful technology ventures. Through case studies and guest speakers, we introduce the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and seize a high-tech entrepreneurial opportunity - be it a product or service - and then successfully launch a startup or spin-off company. The course studies key areas of intellectual property, its protection and strategic value; opportunity analysis and concept testing; shaping technology-driven inventions into customer-driven products; constructing defensible competitive strategies; acquiring resources in the form of capital, people and strategic partners; and the founder's leadership role in an emerging high-tech company. Throughout the course emphasis is placed on decisions faced by founders, and on the sequential risks and determinants of success in the early growth phase of a technology venture. The course is designed for, but not restricted to, students of engineering and applied science and assumes no prior business education.
MKTG 101. Introduction to Marketing. (C)
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the concepts, analysis, and activities that comprise marketing management, and to provide practice in assessing and solving marketing problems. The course is also a foundation for other Wharton courses, and for advanced electives in Marketing. Topics include marketing management, pricing, promotion, channels of distribution, slaesforce management, and competitive analysis.
Core Course Descriptions
IPD 511. (MEAM 511) Creative Thinking & Functional Iteration in Design.
This is a creative & iterative problem solving course that uses a series of mechanical design challenge projects to move students into the broad realm of unpredictable often incalculable time-constrained problem solving. It explores a wide variety of problem definition, exploration and solving "tools," and a variety of surrounding "design thinking" topics, such as ethics and the design of experience. Drawing and prototyping are used in the projects for ideation, iteration, speculation and communication.
IPD 515. (MEAM 515, MEAM 415, OPIM 415) Introduction to Product Design.
This course provides tools and methods for creating new products.
The course is intended for students with a strong career interest in new product
development, entrepreneurship, and/or technology development. The course follows
an overall product design methodology, including the identification of customer
needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturing.
Weekly student assignments are focused on the design of a new product and culminate
in the creation of a prototype.
Breadth Course Descriptions
Engineering Breadth
IPD 501. Integrated Computer-Aided Design, Manufacturing, and Analysis.
The majority of today's engineered products move through an advanced computer-aided workflow which greatly speeds design and process time. This course will explore the fundamental components of this workflow through a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, and a semester design project. General course topics include: fundamental design principles, project definition and needfinding, advanced computer-aided design, rapid prototyping techniques, computer-controlled machining, and an in-depth exploration of the modern analysis and simulation tools that have revolutionized the way in which products are designed.
MEAM 510. (MEAM 410) Design of Mechatronic Systems.
Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing in mechanical engineering and a first course in programming, or permission of the instructor.
This course is cross-listed with an advanced level undergraduate course.
It may be taken by M.S.E. students for credit. M.S.E. students will be required
to do some extra work, they will be graded on a different grade scale than
B.S. students, and they will be required to demonstrate a higher level of maturity
in their class assignments. MEAM doctoral students will not be able to count
400/500 courses as a part of their degree requirements.
In many modern mechanical systems, mechanical elements are tightly coupled with electronics used for control or for sensing and possibly with microprocessors. Mechatronics is the study of computer-controlled electromechanical systems. This course is intended to provide an integrated introduction to the design of such systems. The course is intended for juniors and seniors in computer science and engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and systems engineering. The central focus of this course will be the completion of a team-based project, to be tested in an in-class competition during the final week of the course. Topics to be covered include: a review of mechanics; instrumentation, sensing and measurement; actuation and actuator dynamics; analog and digital interfacing; micro-processor technology and programming; basic control theory.
IPD 514. (MEAM 514) Design for Manufacturability.
This course is aimed at providing current and future product design/development engineers, manufacturing engineers, and product development managers with an applied understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) concepts and methods. The course content includes materials from multiple disciplines including: engineering design, manufacturing, marketing, finance, project management, and quality systems.
Design Arts Breadth
IPD 526. (ARCH 726) Furniture Design.
Course Description coming soon.
IPD 527. (ARCH 727) Industrial Design I.
(Note: This couse was previously listed as MEAM 512. Prior to 2008, it was a Background Course. For MEAM undergraduates, this course will only count as a Free Elective.)
This course provides an introduction to the ideas and techniques of Industrial Design, which operates between Engineering and Marketing as the design component of Integrated Product Development. The course is intended for students from engineering, design, or business with an interest in multi-disciplinary, needs-based product design methods. It will follow a workshop model, combining weekly lectures on design manufacturing, with a progressive set of design exercises.
IPD 528. (ARCH 728) Industrial Design II.
This course was designed to explore intersections of functionality and performance using an experimental platform to uncover opportunities within the built environment to create domestic products. Provides practical insights into the material manipulation and aesthetic experimentation that are essential for the design and fabrication of products. Lectures and case studies help students to learn from examples and develop their own designs. Through a series of exercises, students design and fabricate a prototype using actual materials. The course addresses problems unique to product design, such as scale, weight, cost and production.
IPD 544. (ARCH 744) Digital Fabrication (in Architecture).
A seminar and design workshop that explores associative and parametric CAD-CAM strategies, to enable an interactive continuity between conception and fabrication. Through parametric 3D constructions, students will explore how to link dink different aspects of the architectural projects, such as: (1) design intention; (2) control of variation and adaptation; (3) construction constraints; (4) digital fabrication processes. The course emphasizes the cross-fertilization of formal, technical and performative aspects of the design activity.
Business Breadth
MKTG 756. (MKTG 212) Marketing Research.
Prerequisite(s): MKTG 101, STAT 101.
Appreciation of the role of marketing research in the formulation and solution of marketing problems and development of the student's basic skills in conducting and evaluating marketing research projects. Special emphasis is placed on problem formulation, research design, alternative methods of data collection (including data collection instruments, sampling, and field operations), and data analysis techniques. Applications of modern marketing research procedures to a variety of marketing problems are explored.
MKTG 776. (MKTG 476, STAT 476) Applied Probability Models in Marketing.
Prerequisite(s): MKTG101 high comfort level with basic integral calculus and recent exposure to a formal course in probability and statistics such as STAT 430 is strongly recommended.
This course will expose students to the theoretical and empirical "building blocks" that will allow them to construct, estimate, and interpret powerful models of consumer behavior. Over the years, researchers and practitioners have used these models for a wide variety of applications, such as new product sales, forecasting, analyses of media usage, and targeted marketing programs. Other disciplines have seen equally broad utilization of these techniques. The course will be entirely lecture-based with a strong emphasis on real-time problem solving. Most sessions will feature sophisticated numerical investigations using Microsoft Excel. Much of the material is highly technical.
OPIM 662. (OPIM 314) Enabling Technologies.
Technology is a vital input to the process of wealth creation in a networked economy. This course is about understanding emerging technology enablers with the goal of stimulating thought on new applications for commerce. The class is a comprehensive overview of various emerging technologies and culminates in a class-driven identification of new and novel businesses that exploit these enablers.
No prerequisite or technical background is assumed. Students with little prior technical background can use the course to become more technologically informed. Those with moderate to advanced technical background may find the course a useful survey of emerging technologies. The course is recommended for students interested in careers in consulting, investment banking and venture capital in the tech sector.
OPIM 656. (ESE 522) Operations Strategy and Process Management. (C)
Prerequisite(s): OPIM 621, OPIM 631, and OPIM 632 or equivalent.
This course examines how organizations can develop and leverage excellence in process management. The first module focuses on operations strategy. In these classes, we examine what constitues an operation strategy and how organizations can create value by managing complexity, incertainty, and product development. In the second half of the course, we discuss recent developments in both manufacturing and service industries. Specifically, we examine initiatives in quality, lean manufacturing and enterprise-wide planning systems. The course is recommended for those interested in consulting or operations careers, as well as students with an engineering backround who wish to develop a better understandingof managing production processes.