Minor Director: Jordan Ermilio, Ph.D., P.E., MSWRE, RPCV
Office Location: 250G Drosdick Hall
Telephone: (610) 519-6859
Email: jordan.ermilio@villanova.edu
About:
Built on the success of the Villanova Engineering Service Learning (VESL) program and offered through the Center for Humanitarian Engineering and International Development, the minor in Humanitarian Engineering supports the intellectual development of current Villanova University undergraduates who have an interest in humanitarian initiatives with a global perspective, and fosters collaboration with program partners through the provision of technical services that include engineering design and research related to sustainable development. Open to engineering students only, the learning objectives associated with this minor include:
- Understanding the technical and social aspects of poverty alleviation
- Applying engineering fundamentals to meet the needs of humanitarian organizations
- Developing skills in community development using participatory methodologies
- Understanding the relationship between ethical engagement and sustainable development in a global setting
The ultimate goal of this program is to ensure ethical engagement and impact through collaboration with global partners.
Requirements:
The Humanitarian Engineering minor requires the successful completion of six courses (17 credits). One required course, three VESL seminars (EGR 5001, 5002, 5003), two technical electives, and two professional electives.
VESL Seminar Series:
Provides experiential-learning opportunities for students to collaborate with program partners in real-time on projects related to sustainable development, humanitarian technology, and poverty alleviation.
Technical Electives:
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
Select two courses from the list below:
Graduate Level Courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| ECE 7800 | Renewable Energy Systems | 3 |
| SUSE 7120 | Intro to Sus Eng for Intl Dev | 3 |
| SUSE 7121 | Sus WASH & Enviro Egr for Dev | 3 |
| SUSE 7122 | Product Dev for Low Rsrc Set | 3 |
| SUSE 7123 | ICT and Energy for Development | 3 |
By rule, any additional Technical Electives can count as a Professional Elective if the student already meets the 6-credit technical elective requirement for the minor.
CEE 4606, CEE 4607, CEE 4612, ECE 4975, EGR 4000, ME 5006, ME 5000 require approval from the Program Director.
Additional graduate courses can be applied with approval from the Program Director.
Professional Electives:
Electives are subject to change. Electives may be added to this list at the discretion of the College of Engineering.
Select two courses from the list below:
PJ 5000 or other special topics courses relevant to humanitarian engineering may be substituted, with prior approval from the Director of the Humanitarian Engineering minor program.
Academic Framework and Program Timeline
After a student declares the Humanitarian Engineering minor during their first-year, a typical course of study may look like this:
| Sophomore Year | Junior Year | Senior Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fall: Professional Elective | Fall: Technical elective | Professional elective |
| Spring: Technical Elective | Spring: Professional elective | Fall or Spring: VESL Capstone - may also be completed the summer after Junior year |
| Fall or Spring: Introductory Course EGR 2002 | Fall or Spring: VESL Leadership Seminar | |
| Fall or Spring: VESL Seminar EGR 5001 |
In some cases, students might need to take more than 5-credits during the final year of the program, and in some cases summer programs would supplement the above framework. For example, during any summer, students could complete a VESL field assignment along with a course to accumulate between 1-7 credits.