Engineering and Society Program

The Engineering & Society program gives students a unique experience in core courses relating to the relationship between technology and society, sustainability and ethically responsible engineering. In addition to the core courses taken in Society, each student must take focus electives in courses that interest them throughout the 5-year program.  

Students in the Society program must take a minimum of 18 units of Focus Electives which can be chosen from any course offered at McMaster outside of the Faculty of Engineering (as long as prerequisites are met). First year complementary electives do not count towards the 18 units for the Society program.

Professor:

This is the first course in Society, where students will be introduced to the concept of inquiry. Through lectures, workshops, class trips and discussions, students will develop their ability to research, develop and write an inquiry.

• Develop inquiry and critical thinking skills.
• Oral and written communication skills are developed through a variety of written assignments, presentations and discussions.
• Explore and develop interpersonal skills.

Professor: Cameron Churchill

Students through means of lectures, discussions, presentations and projects will explore the social and environmental impacts that shaped the evolution of technology. The historical relationship of culture and technology is explored to understand the context of our world today.

• An understanding of what technology is at its core.
• Understand the cultural aspects of the evolution of technology.
• Develop teamwork and problem solving through in class activities and a final presentation.

Professor: Paul Okrutny

This course investigates the underlying relationship between society and technology and the impact engineers have in the development of the interdependent connection between the two, now in the present as well as in the future as the connection becomes more complex. This course includes case studies of current and future technology in society, class discussions and a final group inquiry proposal seminar.

• Understand the nature of the society-technology relationship.
• Analyze the social and environmental aspects of the relationship.
• Understand and appreciate the impact engineering will have in the future of technology and the role engineers will need to have to society.
• Learn to develop a well structured central question.

Professor: Greg Zillderbrant

This course builds on skills of inquiry built in previous courses and focuses on the issue of innovation and creativity of technology and the role that engineering has in technology’s development. Through an inquiry presentation in groups, the background, adoption and consequences of technology are explored. Conscious identification of bias is explored through reflection.

• Understand and recognize the role that personal bias has when discussing and researching a topic.
• Analyze the implication and effects of a technology in the past, present and future.
• Develop research strategy skills.
• Develop the ability to think critically of ideas presented in class discussion.

Professor: Greg Zillberbrant

The focus of the course is on sustainability, the natural environment and concepts of preventive engineering. These topics are studied and applied through specific case studies in a series of 10 class field trips. These class trips explore various aspects of industry and urban development.

The culmination of the Engineering & Society program is a final individual year long inquiry report that must be presented orally and submitted as a final paper. The topics are of the student’s choice but must relate to connection between technology and society and the implications for a practising engineer. Students are supervised by one faculty member throughout the year.

In multi-disciplinary groups, students will complete a capstone design project that incorporates holistic design, social sustainability and ethical engineering.

• Define all aspects of the term sustainability
• Develop alternate solutions through effective brainstorming
• Evulate alternatives using qualitative methodologies
• Synthesize an engineering solution that incorporates social, environmental and economic sustainability

Working in groups made up of students in Engineering & Management, Commerce and Social Sciences, this final year course works to solve a real world experiential project that incorporates aspects of all faculties involved. Students taking the course will need to consider corporate social responsibility and the triple bottom line in their design.

• Learn to work within a team of multi-disciplinary students to create a solution that satisfies the three pillars of sustainability.
• Gain an understanding and experience working with real world clients.
• Evaluate technological, financial and policy based approaches in addressing a client’s needs.
• Experience determining a client’s needs to properly create a scope of work for a major project as well as responding to the client’s needs and progressive feedback to satisfy a projects scope of work.