I’m looking for a school that focuses on the more practical aspects of engineering as opposed to the theoretical concepts. I understand that any school I apply to will have a lot of classroom time devoted to theoretical concepts because it is absolutely necessary. However, I also know that some schools incorporate more hands-on projects to the curriculum. One such school I have found through research is Olin College. It seems to focus a lot on real-world applications, a collaborative environment, hands-on projects, and entrepreneurship. However, it also has a low acceptance rate so there’s always a chance I won’t get in. What other schools have a similar approach to engineering education?
Look at WPI.
All engineering programs will include engineering science and engineering design as part of their curricula.
However, the organization of the curricula can differ. Some schools front-load the engineering science and back-load the engineering design. While this may be a more efficient way of organizing the curriculum, since much of the engineering science is a prerequisite for engineering design projects, it can mean that students do not get design experience until relatively late in the curriculum. This can be less interesting for students who are most attracted to the design aspects of engineering, and may be less desirable for students looking for summer or co-op jobs in engineering between school terms. Also, not having engineering design early means that students who do not really like engineering design may not find that out until it is too late to change majors.
Some other schools include some engineering design courses earlier in the curriculum, in order to reduce the issues described above, although the types of engineering design projects that can be assigned are more limited in the earlier years.
If this is a concern, it may be worth checking the curricula and seeing how the engineering design courses are distributed through the curriculum.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has a reputation as a place where engineering is more practical and hands-on than at other schools.
Same can be said for Cal Poly Pomona and the “hands-on” approach ^^^.