In addition to his push for more emphasis on international programs, Munson has also encouraged interdisciplinary programs and cross-campus collaboration with other schools.

Munson said the college’s other minor, multidisciplinary Design, grew from watching comprehensive projects like the Solar Car Team draw students from multiple disciplines.

Munson said he sees a strong parallel between engineering and the arts.

To illustrate the similarities, he teamed up with the deans of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the School of Art and Design for the Arts on Earth initiative in fall 2007. The annual program sponsors multidisciplinary art projects and events.

“There’s an aspect of the work that’s very creative and design-oriented,” Munson said. “But there’s another aspect of the work that’s all about refinement and optimization and making something better and better, whether it’s the design of a bridge or playing a piece by Bach.”

Munson also said the interdisciplinary push is an effort to mimic the workplace.

“In the engineering world, it’s not like your team is all electrical engineers or all mechanical engineers,” he said. “A lot of products that are out on the market use some engineering and technology, but there may be some artistic content, as well.”

Munson has also teamed up with Ross School of Business officials to sponsor more courses in entrepreneurship.

While the College of Engineering and Ross School of Business have offered joint courses in entrepreneurship in the past, Munson said he wanted to focus a program more specifically on engineering to draw more interest from his students.

The partnership came to fruition in the form of the Center of Entrepreneurship, which launched last year to provide support to Engineering faculty and students. This semester, students can earn a certificate in entrepreneurship after nine credits of approved coursework.

Engineering sophomore Ambreen Sayed, who is considering pursuing a business career, said the entrepreneurial aspect of the college gives Engineering students “all-roundedness that’s really essential.”

“People haven’t really emphasized that in the past,” she said.

ROOM TO BREATHE

The college’s new interdisciplinary and international programs may take time to catch on. Many engineers don’t have extra time under their current course loads.

Many Engineering programs have less than 12 hours of general electives, and some have as few as eight, leaving very little wiggle room if students want to pursue an additional degree.

“If our students want to have the flexibility to do some of these other programs, they need more space in their curriculum,” said James Holloway, associate dean of undergraduate education for the college.

Holloway said as the list of new ideas and technologies grows, so does the required course list for many Engineering majors.

“We seldom step back and try to unpack it,” he said.

To address this, Munson assembled a commission to discuss lightening the required course load for undergraduate engineers.

The commission, slated to present its findings this spring, is considering whether the intense specialization of some of the Engineering majors deprives engineers of a broader education.

Holscher said the push for engineers to broaden their education is a marker of the cultural shift led by Munson.

“You can bring up any crazy idea and Dean Munson will consider it,” he said, “and if it’s crazy enough and interesting enough, it’ll happen.”