A concentration chosen in the Open Curriculum
Brown says undergraduates sample courses before choosing one of 80-plus concentrations, and there is no required core. The pages read describe no separate application to Design Engineering.
Undergraduate · Brown University
Brown Design Engineering: the why and why not behind technology
Brown has no set core, and most undergraduates sample subjects before choosing one of 80-plus concentrations. Design Engineering is a concentration the Bulletin describes as teaching the why and why not behind technologically enabled products, services and systems, not only the how and what. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to the concentration.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Brown says about Brown Design Engineering
Taken from the Brown Bulletin entry for the Design Engineering concentration and Brown's Open Curriculum, Standardized Tests and international Admission Criteria pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Brown's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Beyond how and what
The Bulletin asks why and why not behind technology.
Engineering plus other domains
Students use complementary and conflicting principles from outside engineering.
19 credits
The Bulletin lists a standard programme.
The SAT or ACT is required
Brown requires scores for first-year applicants and sets no minimum score; international applicants should plan to sit A levels or the IB and submit predicted or actual scores.
Official sources
- Brown University: Open Curriculumbrown.edu
- Brown Bulletin: Design Engineering concentrationbulletin.brown.edu
- Brown Undergraduate Admission: Standardized Testsadmission.brown.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Brown Bulletin entry for the Design Engineering concentration and Brown's Open Curriculum, Standardized Tests and international Admission Criteria pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Brown's department website, the course descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The concentration
What the Bulletin says the concentration is
The Bulletin says Design Engineering teaches students to understand the why and why not behind the creation of technologically enabled products, services and systems, using methodologies, frameworks and analytical tools to evaluate strategic and systemic implications. It prepares students to apply engineering principles and quantitative analysis to design decisions and to use principles from domains other than engineering. The standard programme is 19 credits. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right concentration?
Design Engineering beside traditional engineering routes
Brown lists these concentrations separately, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
This concentration fits if
you want design decisions made with engineering and with other disciplines.
Computer Engineering fits if
you want hardware and software. Avandy's Brown Computer Engineering guide covers it.
Environmental Engineering fits if
you want sustainability-focused design. Avandy's Brown Environmental Engineering guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Brown application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Brown has returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants and says there are no minimum scores. International applicants should plan to sit national and international examinations such as the GCE A-levels and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores, with actual scores expected before matriculation. The concentration is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Brown's.
Do you care about why a product should exist?
The concentration asks that question.
Are you comfortable weighing non-engineering principles?
Students use them in design decisions.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Brown requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Brown's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Brown's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Brown has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Brown for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Design Engineering entry in the Brown Bulletin and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Brown University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Brown University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Brown Design Engineering?
The pages read describe admission to Brown. Students develop a personalised course of study and choose a concentration in the Open Curriculum.
Is quantitative analysis involved?
Yes. The Bulletin says the programme prepares students to apply engineering principles and quantitative analysis to design decisions.
How many credits?
The Bulletin lists 19.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Brown says it has returned to requiring SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants, with no minimum score.
Do A levels and the IB count?
Brown tells international applicants to plan to sit examinations such as the GCE A-levels and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Brown's wording with no entry-year label. Check Brown's pages again when Brown publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Brown Design Engineering
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics, design interests and portfolio, how they weigh design against traditional engineering and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.