Engineering Education Ruminations

Posted Thu Jul 8, 2004 in

Dean has an article entitled Educational Shenanigans that is worth reading. He shares some ideas that I have in common with him—education in this country has some serious problems.

Some real reform is needed in the system, from kindergarten through higher education. A societal shift is also required from consideration that a degree is some kind of right-of-passage, to the degree meaning that an individual has completed a course of study that qualifies him or her for a particular role, even if some OTJ training is still required.

I’ve thought, for a long time now, that education for engineers has been eroded. ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) suggests that the master’s degree be considered the professional degree. In my opinion, this is a band-aid for an antiquated system.

I would suggest that engineering education be revamped into a different model. A liberal arts undergraduate degree with a pre-engineering emphasis should be required for entrance into a professional school. Young engineers would learn to read and write (well) as well as take care of their basic science needs. They would also learn something of the course of human history and the arts in the process.

Then two years of professional school would be required for a B.S. Engineering or three years for an M.S. Engineering. That would be a tough curriculum, but engineering is not an easy profession.

Wouldn’t that change the landscape for engineering education? You betcha it would.