Design & Planning

Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical, electrical, and information systems engineering. Mechatronics engineers design, develop, and test automated production systems, transportation and vehicle systems, robotics, computer-machine controls, and other integrated systems. Mechatronics engineers also develop new technologies for use in the automotive and aviation industry, advanced manufacturing operations, and often specialize in areas like robotics, autonomous vehicles, and manufacturing systems.

Individual Studies (IVSP) students enjoy broad academic freedom and flexibility to pursue their degrees in ways that best suit their intellectual interests and passions. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor and the IVSP staff, students create their own unique, interdisciplinary majors that approach important issues, questions, and problems from a range of disciplines and perspectives. 

This program supports students in their efforts to use technology in the service of the greater good, to apply and expand their creativity, and to engage in rapid development and prototyping grounded by rapid evaluation and assessment. Students participate in hands-on studio courses in user-centered design, technology development, and cross-disciplinary communication preparing them to become leaders in a range of career fields.

Social data science encompasses all elements of the data life cycle, including measure conceptualization, data gathering, management, manipulation, analysis, presentation, archiving, and re-use. This program combines the expertise of BSOS and INFO faculty members to prepare students to effectively, ethically and efficiently create high quality information products, such as datasets, visualizations, and models, about human activity and behavior.

This curriculum blends theory, practical skills, and hands-on learning with industry professionals, preparing our graduates to apply their skills directly and immediately in their careers. Students learn skills in technical areas such as database design, information architecture, data analytics, and cybersecurity alongside the social sciences, leadership, and the humanities. Graduates are prepared to address the growing and unique needs of information professionals who understand complex social and organizational issues.

The undergraduate minor in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) is a cross-disciplinary program administered by the Maryland Robotics Center in the Institute for Systems Research within the A. James Clark School of Engineering. The minor takes a multidisciplinary approach to robotics in which students gain knowledge about the design, control, programming, and integration of robotics and autonomous systems.

Employers increasingly seek candidates whose career preparation includes an understanding of project management fundamentals. Students that complete this minor should have a good understanding of project management concepts, tools, and techniques and be able to be productive on project teams in their first employment after graduation. The minor also aligns students with career paths leading to increased management responsibility.

Mechanical Engineering is a dynamic and expanding field with emphasis in such areas as energy, thermal sciences, and instrumentation. New programs in manufacturing, microelectronics, and nanotechnology prepare our graduates for the emerging technologies of the 21st century.

Electrical engineers create innovative technology solutions in a wide range of areas from handheld communications to solar panels; from cardiac pacemakers to autonomous robots; from wireless networks to bio-engineered sensors that detect dangerous pathogens; and intelligent surveillance systems that perform face and motion recognition.

The overarching goal of the Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering program is to train the workforce in the areas of software, hardware, and applications involving widely deployed smart devices and their interactions with resources in the cloud.

Computer engineers apply the principles and techniques of electrical engineering, computer science, and mathematical analysis to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and hardware systems that enable computers to perform increasingly demanding functions. Computer engineers design robots, develop microprocessors, design supercomputers and smart devices, create integrated circuits for semiconductor fabrication, program computer-vision capabilities, create security/cryptographic systems, and develop software systems and network protocols.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, which is a very diverse field, concerned with such things as planning, design, construction and operation of large systems such as buildings and bridges; water purification and distribution systems; traffic and transportation systems; and water and land pollution treatment.

Supply Chain Management majors learn what it is to be the lynchpin holding an entire organization together. You’ll learn from renowned faculty with industry experience to ensure that the desired product is available to the customer in the right condition and quantity and at the right time, place, and cost. The curriculum incorporates state-of-the-art software applications, so you’ll learn to develop ways of increasing the efficiency of the flow of goods and services across organizations.

With Accounting at Smith you’ll learn from faculty who influence how companies choose to invest in cybersecurity and network with alumni who hold CEO and managing partner positions in numerous public accounting firms. This curriculum includes financial planning, budgeting, accounting systems, financial management controls, financial analysis of performance, financial reporting, internal and external auditing, and taxation.

The minor in Survey Methodology explores the theoretical foundations of survey design and survey data collection, together with the practical application of this theoretical material. The minor prepares students for careers in the federal government numerous private sector firms that collect survey data to inform decision-making, or for further graduate study in the field of survey methodology.

The Remote Sensing of Environmental Change minor program (RSEC) is designed to build students’ understanding of global environmental change in order to assess their impacts on the physical and human landscapes, and to use remote sensing as an analytical tool for identifying those impacts.

The Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art offers five concentrations for students to pick from: painting and drawing, printmaking, sculpture, digital media, and graphic design. Studio Art majors begin with foundational training and then explore various media. They develop their artistic voice, combining contemporary art-critical practices with technical skills. Opportunities for internships, gallery work and organizing exhibitions are available.

Immersive Media Design (IMD) allows students to unleash their creativity through technology. Students learn to design, develop, and produce various forms of immersive media—ranging from tactical and audio platforms to virtual and augmented reality. Through IMD courses, students integrate technical and artistic skills by studying digital media and collaborating to design immersive media works and build portfolios.

The Digital Storytelling and Poetics minor prepares students to interpret, and to create, imaginative writing in digital and new media spaces. Students build the skills necessary to critically analyze digital culture, narrative, poetics and rhetoric, and learn how to craft creative expression in digital platforms. Students will develop digital portfolios as a means to showcase their career-facing knowledge and skills.

The Real Estate Development Minor provides students with an overview of sustainable real estate development, including the development process, the basics of real estate finance, urban planning and design and the unique roles of government and the private sector. The minor is particularly suited to students with an interest in careers related to real estate and the built environment, such as architecture, business, construction management, civil engineering, historic preservation, local government, non-profit housing, public-private partnerships, landscape architecture, urban planning, or related entrepreneurial ventures.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a career in the design or construction of capital projects will have a distinct competitive advantage if they have a working knowledge of the fundamentals of managing construction. The minor, along with completion of your full degree program, will provide you a distinct competitive advantage over other potential job candidates. When completed with the minor, students should have a good understanding of construction project management concepts, tools, and techniques and be able to be productive on project teams in their first employment after graduation. The minor also aligns students with career paths leading to increased management responsibility.

Students in the Creative Placemaking Minor learn how artists and designers can play a vital role in advancing public dialogue, exploring our shared humanity and addressing some of our major challenges, whether it be sparking conversations about racial injustice, inequitable development, climate change or celebrating the diverse communities and cultures around us. In the Creative Placemaking studios, students will engage in place-based projects in partnership with local creatives, culture bearers and knowledge keepers.

A minor in history and theory of architecture will provide students who have an interest in architectural history the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of architecture as a basic component of human society. Students will gain an insight of diverse architectural cultures as well as apply diverse research methods in order to understand architectural phenomena in a broad context.

The Bachelor of Arts in Real Estate and the Built Environment expands the traditional, narrowly focused, business approach to real estate, finance, investment and management, providing students with broad perspectives that come from the multitude of disciplines that make up the modern practice of real estate. The focus is on transformational real estate practice, addressing issues posed by individual and collective decisions about the built environment ranging from social and environmental justice, to climate change, to community identity and heritage.

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation offers two undergraduate degree programs, cultivating creative thinkers and skilled designers. Students engage in a comprehensive curriculum blending architectural history, theory, technology, and hands-on studio experiences. Guided by renowned faculty, graduates emerge with a strong foundation in architectural principles, prepared for careers shaping the built environment with innovative and sustainable solutions.

The Plant Science major offers three unique concentrations: Plant Biology, Turf and Golf Course Management, and Urban Forestry. This program features world class faculty with diverse expertise and research that spans genetics, molecular biology, physiology, pathology, food safety and security, ecology, and conservation biology. Graduates enter into in-demand fields including biotech firms and startups, sports turf management, research labs, government management and policy, and much more.

Landscape architecture educates licensed professionals who analyze, plan, design, manage, and preserve the built and natural environment. Program graduates go into a wide range of career fields including community design, park and transportation planning, urban development, environmental engineering, and more. Students will practice and master skills driven by real world design projects with real clients in D.C., Baltimore and the Mid-Atlantic region.