James A. Mandel, who was a full professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University, teaches the history, basic principles, and theory of finite element analysis in this online course.

As students make their way through this course, they will learn how to intelligently use the finite element analysis software, ANSYS. They will also be introduced to applications of finite element analysis that have real-world applications.

Applications include elasticity, fracture mechanics, thin shell structures, reinforced concrete, fiber concrete, natural frequencies, buckling, sludge digester tanks, water tanks, the effect of soil and rock embedment on the dynamic response of a nuclear reactor plant, and registration of MRI and PET scans of breast cancer patients.

Along with each of these example applications, the author shares a brief lecture related to each area, including examples from his personal work experiences and research. Another primary objective of the course is to teach students how to work as engineers by focusing on how to use deductive reasoning,
how to write engineering reports, and how to have scale when solving a real engineering problem.