Engineering in Society

Engineering in Society Program

Return to: USC Viterbi School of Engineering  

Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE 106)
(213) 740-3652
Email: eis@usc.edu
eis.usc.edu

Director: Stephen Bucher, MPW

Professor of Engineering Education Practice: Gisele Ragusa, PhD

Professor of Technical Communication Practice: Stephen Bucher, MPW

Associate Professors of Technical Communication Practice: Elizabeth Fife, PhD; Harlynn Ramsey, PhD; Martha Townsend, JD; Elisa Warford, PhD; Elisabeth Weiss, MA

Senior Lecturers: D. Marc Aubertin, MA; Helen Choi, JD; Amy Schroeder, PhD

Lecturer: Sarah Mojarad, MS

Part-time Lecturers: Marc Ballon, MS, Melanie Johnson, MA, Bart Skarzynski, MFA

The Engineering in Society Program (EIS) is an academic program of instruction and research that addresses the humanistic aspects of a holistic engineering education.

The program’s mission is to distinguish a Viterbi engineering education by purposefully connecting a student’s technical work with its societal impact. These efforts will span the four years of an undergraduate education and will be anchored in courses available to all students and in extra-curricular opportunities. The program focuses on communication skills (for undergraduates and graduates), ethics (through courses, modules and extra curriculars), and engineering education (through teaching and research).

University Courses

All undergraduate courses offered by EIS faculty are open to non-engineering majors. EIS collaborates with other USC academic units to offer the following General Education courses:

• WRIT 340  Advanced Writing and Communication for Engineers

• WRIT 340  Writing and Disciplinary Grand Challenges

• WRIT 340  Engineering for Climate Change and Sustainability

• WRIT 340  Disciplinary Grand Challenges in Berlin and Los Angeles: Cities, Citizens, and Engineering

• WRIT 340  Global Innovations and Perspectives

• PHIL/ENGR 265g  Ethics, Technology and Value

• GESM 121g  Climate Change, Technology, and Environmental Value

• GESM 121g  Science, Literature and Ethics

ENGR Courses

All undergraduate courses taught by EIS faculty are open to non-engineering majors. The “x” designation for 500-level courses indicates that engineering students require prior departmental approval to count for major credit.

• ENGR 102  Freshman Academy

• ENGR 270  Ethics for Engineers

• ENGR 410  Social Media for Scientists and Engineers

• ENGR 502x  Writing Skills for Engineering Ph.D. Students

• ENGR 503x  Oral Communication Skills for Engineering Ph.D. Students

• ENGR 597x  Internship in Engineering with Professional Writing and Communication