A message from our Director...

Welcome to the School of Engineering Technology (SET) at Northeastern University! We are very proud of our School, which ranks among the top engineering technology programs throughout the country.

The most often asked question among our prospective students is "What is the difference between an engineering program and an engineering technology program at NU?" The formal answer is provided by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and technology (ABET) and can be read by clicking on our What is Engineering Technology link. In addition to this formal answer, allow me to offer our faculty’s answer.

The engineering technology curriculum and overall SET teaching philosophy at Northeastern University continues a long tradition, even before the existence of formal engineering schooling, when engineering science was handed down from experienced mentor/teacher to student/apprentice. At Northeastern University the SET full-time faculty each have an average engineering experience of over 15 years. The SET faculty closely works with the student in the laboratory where the classroom instruction continues and not controlled by a Teaching Assistant. The faculty welcomes the opportunity to conduct Independent Study Projects with the students in lieu of a technical elective. Click here for an example of several Independent study projects that I have conducted with several MET students. The SET Senior Capstone Design Project culminates the SET student’s experience at NU with a joint project that involves not only their mechanical, electrical and computer colleagues (and sometimes, a team of business students) but also includes consultations from the entire SET faculty who are prepared from real-world engineering experience to help solve the capstone project problems. The students learn what engineering experience has taught the faculty, thus assuring the student that they will not be wasting their time learning some thing that they will seldom use after graduation …simply stated: engineering technology is more real-world engineering instruction of current technology and how to use it effectively to solve problems and less mathematical derivations!

In summary, the SET faculty/mentors have a passion to transfer their industrial experience to their engineering apprentice/student and together they accomplish the primary objective of our SET curriculum: Contributing to and re-enforcing the student’s confidence, commitment, competence, creativity, communication skills, culture and character as they apply these attributes and engineering skills after graduation to: “…get the job done professionally and ethically”.

Our day program is truly a continuation of the engineering instruction that began to build NU’s reputation 100 years ago as an institution that taught engineering for the local or “commuting student” who sought a productive and rewarding career in applied engineering practice. Our evening program, the Lowell Institute School transferred from MIT in 1996 and is administered by Northeastern University’s School of Professional and Continued Studies but academically guided by the SET program coordinators. We offer programs in Computer Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology. Industry demand for our graduates remain high as evidenced by the Business Card file that our Assistant Director Roy Dalsheim maintains. The SET faculty work closely with our Industrial Advisory Board to continue to review the demands for engineering technology employees in the real-world of engineering and then make adjustments to the curriculum and/or instruction techniques to meet these changing demands.

For more information about our program or our College Transfer Credit policy, please contact me personally (fdibella@coe.neu.edu, 617-373-5240) or any member of our faculty or staff at 617-373-7777. The SET faculty and I would be pleased to provide a presentation to a student’s guidance councilor or participate in a high school or community college career day program or personally provide a tour of our facilities at Northeastern University.

Sincerely,

Frank Di Bella, P.E.

Director of Engineering Technology