(132a) Product Design as an Undergraduate Capstone at Columbia University

Three years ago Columbia University's Department of Chemical Engineering made a strategic decision to shift its focus from process engineering for commodity chemicals to product and process engineering for specialty chemical products. A key part of this evolving curriculum is the capstone course in Product Design, required of all senior-level chemical engineering undergraduates.

This innovative course blends a guided undergraduate product design project with the application of qualitative and quantitative business concepts and tools used within the modern business environment. Projects are chosen for the breadth of chemical engineering skills required for design. Past design projects have included an environmentally friendly aircraft deicing fluid, a device for removal of arsenic from drinking water, a dry cleaning fluid without chlorinated hydrocarbons, and a portable hemodialysis device.

Lecture material covers teamworking skills, creativity techniques, project management principles, qualitative and quantitative project risk management, business finance and accounting, and project portfolio selection and management.

Student design projects culminate in a formal written report and oral presentation.