Independent Work and Thesis
The Department offers a remarkable opportunity for students to engage in an independent program in invention, development, and/or research on a topic of their choice. All students are required to do at least one semester of Independent Work which may also partially satisfy a Design requirement. Independent projects enable one to utilize, and to transcend, classroom learning by applying creativity, coupled with the scientific background acquired from classes, toward a challenging project. Year-long senior independent projects may constitute a Senior Thesis, and students are strongly encouraged to consider this option. The result of such self-motivated activity has frequently led to publications and design patents.
Students have the opportunity to to work on a topic which a Faculty advisor is pursuing and this close collaboration will frequently also involve interaction with graduate students studying the same problem. An aspect of the program is to facilitate bringing together as many scientific and nonscientific elements as necessary to pursue a topic; consequently, faculty advisors are not limited to just those within the MAE department. Advisors can be from any relevant engineering or science department and can also co-advise on the problem. This opportunity is often cited by students as the highlight of their four year experience at Princeton. In the words of Joseph Campbell "You can follow your own bliss."
The topics include:
- Applied Physics and Lasers
- Computational Engineering
- Energy and the Environment
- Fluid Mechanics and Combustion
- Ground, Air, and Space Vehicles and Transportation
- Humans and Machines, Components and Controls
- Materials and Biomaterials
A high number of independent work students collect nationally recognized awards and honors, including fellowships and scholarships such as Marshall Scholarships, Rhodes Scholarships, and Churchill Scholarships as well as winning competitions with their independent work.
The independent project provides the opportunity to address real-world issues beyond academia through the development of a solution or improvement to society. Furthermore, this opportunity encourages learning how to present ideas to the public. This is an essential element of a technical education and is central to taking concepts further than the academic laboratory and having them recognized as useful.
Recent Topics in Independent Work
A good indication of the interest of students in the MAE Department is the independent work they have chosen. Recent topics are given below:
Aeronautics/Astronautics Engineering