The ENGR 29600 (Engineering & Innovation: Ideas that Shaped the Modern World) course provides students with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of individuals, innovations and engineering achievements that have significantly influenced the modern world. Particular attention is given to the contributions of women, including figures such as Queen Isabella I of Spain and Marie Curie, whose leadership, discoveries and accomplishments helped shape history. Through engagement with diverse cultures and perspectives, students will examine how transformative ideas and achievements influence societies across time and around the globe.
This focus is especially important as students prepare to pursue careers in an increasingly interconnected global marketplace. The course is intentionally structured around a three-step approach to cultural exploration: (1) building a foundation within a supportive educational setting, (2) exploring new cultures as part of a group and (3) engaging in independent cultural exploration. Step 1 centers on structured learning about gender dynamics; Step 2 involves group-based exploration in a foreign culture; and Step 3 emphasizes independent exploration within a foreign culture. The goal is to help students develop intercultural competence through meaningful experiences in a supportive environment while reducing the stress, anxiety and uncertainty often associated with unfamiliar cultural settings.
Scheduling ENGR 29600
ENGR 29600 is a two-credit student abroad opportunity held annually in the spring semester. The class meets once per week during the first half of the semester, and the study abroad trip is over spring break.
Spring 2027 destinations: Madrid (with day trips to Toledo and Segovia in Spain) and Paris
Spring 2026 destinations: Madrid (with day trips to Toledo and Segovia in Spain) and Paris
Spring 2025 destinations: Madrid (with day trips to Avila, Toledo and Segovia in Spain) and Paris
[I] learned so much about other cultures and how they differed from my own. It made me realize I want to keep exploring the world, meeting new people and immersing in other cultures. It was really inspiring to meet so many different people, and it made me realize how many other perspectives there are out there.”
Student who took the class