Project-Based Engineering Education

One of the hallmarks of Tufts Engineering is what we like to call a project-based engineering education. As a first-year student, one of your first classes will be a hands-on, non-technical, project based engineering class designed to get you working in a team to begin learning the engineering design process. Some examples of these classes taught in the past include The Music & Art of Engineering, Simple Robotics, Climate Change Engineering, Engineering in Crises, and Biomechanics.

You will end your Tufts engineering journey by working together with a group of your classmates to complete a senior design project. This year-long project will test your engineering skills and will also grant you the opportunity to dive deep into an area of engineering that interests you. Past projects have included a water-resistant headband for visually imparied swimmers, a voice assistant to teach millennials about finance, and a wearable pollution patch. Click here to explore last year’s senior design projects. 

Equal parts playful and practical, the projects that students develop in Tufts engineering courses range from educational tools to robotic haunted houses to model buildings that can withstand earthquakes. This hands-on, high-touch approach runs throughout your time at Tufts. From prototyping medical devices in Biomedical Engineering to developing a thread-based data glove with your senior design project team, project-based learning is at the core of Tufts Engineering.

Quotes from students: 

“In my Intro to Engineering: Renewable Energy class, we had weekly labs that focused on a variety of different topics related to renewable energy. We built small windmills and tested their efficiency - all during my freshman fall! The best project, however, was building our own dye-sensitized solar panel with one important ingredient: raspberry jam!” - Ansgar Jordan ’22

“My favorite engineering memory would definitely be during Intro to Engineering: Biomechanics. We were split up into groups for the semester; building a prosthetic leg out of common objects. After building it we had to test it out ourselves trying to walk with it. This was hands down my favorite project done at Tufts so far, and how I met one of my best friends.”- Zoe Hsieh ’22