About the Course

Investigations in Engineering

Engineering is an art that requires ingenuity, the ability to understand the components of a problem, facility in design, and the capacity to find creative solutions. This course introduces you to the excitement and challenges of scientific investigation with the aim of applying those results to create beneficial engineering designs. We’ll do more than calculate solutions to well-posed, simplified problems: we’ll translate complicated questions that real engineers encounter into projects that can be tackled and solved. These open-ended assignments require hands-on exploration—in the laboratory (material properties), in the field (remote measurement), and in a virtual environment (logic circuit design. You and your classmates will apply your knowledge of materials and their physical properties along with problem-solving techniques for statics and trusses to construct a bridge subject to constraints. Then we’ll see which bridge withstands the greatest load!

Typical Class Size: 18-20
 

Course Overview

This course is

ungraded.

Summer Dates & Locations

Registration deadline:

After May 9, 2025, registration is available upon request pending eligibility and seat availability. To request placement, email [email protected] after submitting a program application.

Session One

Image of The Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
-
Residential cost: $7,501
Commuter cost: $6,701
Additional fees: $180
Enroll

Session Two

Image of The Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
-
Residential cost: $7,501
Commuter cost: $6,701
Additional fees: $180
Enroll

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level CTY-Level Not required
Check your eligibility using existing test scores If you do not have existing test scores:

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Sign up for Testing Learn More

Course Prerequisites

Investigations in Engineering requires:

1 prerequisite

Pre-calculus

Cost and Financial Aid

  • Tuition
    • Varies
  • Application fee
    • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $55 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
    • Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)

Financial Aid is available
We are committed to serving all talented youth regardless of financial circumstances. Financial assistance is available based on need.

Learn More

Course Materials

Students should bring basic school supplies like pens, notebooks, and folders to their summer program. You will be notified of any additional items needed before the course begins. All other materials will be provided by CTY.
 

Course Extras (Lab fee, etc)

Lab fee: $180

Sample Reading

These titles have been featured in past sessions of the course, and may be included this summer. CTY provides students with all texts; no purchase is required.

  • Engineering and the Mind’s Eye, Ferguson

Technical Requirements

Students must bring a tablet, laptop computer, or Chromebook for use during the session. A smartphone will not be sufficient.

About Science and Engineering at CTY

Explore space and our planet

In our Introduction to Astronomy course, we’ll visit a nearby observatory or planetarium, see what the cosmos looks like through various spectra, and immerse ourselves in the science and technology that bring the universe closer to home. In Marine Ecology, we’ll visit local wetlands and tidepools, observe flora and fauna, collect water samples and analyze them for clues about their health and humans’ impact. And in The Global Environment, we will explore the human impact on our environment and generate proposals for addressing climate change.

Bond over chemistry

Our chemistry courses help you see the world differently, starting at the atomic level. The Edible World gives budding chefs and science lovers a glimpse into the chemical reactions that happen when we make food, and the chemical makeup of meals and treats we eat every day. In our Crystals and Polymers course, we’ll synthesize slime, grow rock candy, and isolate strawberry DNA to learn about the molecular structure of naturally occurring gems and human-produced plastics. In Chemistry in Society, we'll consider how the chemicals in products can both enhance and degrade the world around us; produce biodiesel in a lab to understand alternative fuels; and prepare aspirin to learn about the healing and toxic properties of pharmaceuticals.

Meet our instructors and staff