A Topical Analysis of Mechanical Engineering Curricula

This study has dissected the current curriculum in mechanical engineering into a list of required topics. The list indicates what material is currently considered to be the essential body of knowledge for graduating mechanical engineering students. It also provides a measure of the extent to which curricula differ from institution to institution. There is similarity in core material required among the institutions which we considered, but each one adds distinct requirements which give it an individual flavor or emphasis. The list reveals some of the differences among degree programs. While institutions have adjusted curricula to conform to the ABET engineering criteria, how they fulfill the “technical skill” outcomes is clearer than how they fulfill the “professional skill” outcomes. This survey shows that dissecting a degree program into required topics is useful for curriculum reform, as it provides a baseline to study the curriculum at a level more finely grained than a course.

[1]  J. Bordogna,et al.  Engineering Education: Innovation Through Integration , 1993 .

[2]  David Cordes,et al.  The NSF Foundation Coalition: The First Five Years , 1999 .

[3]  Clive L. Dym,et al.  Learning Engineering: Design, Languages, and Experiences * , 1999 .

[4]  Rosalind H. Williams,et al.  Retooling: A Historian Confronts Technological Change , 2002 .

[5]  Daniel N. Farhey,et al.  First Year Civil and Environmental Engineering Design Experience , 2001 .

[6]  Richard Hughey,et al.  Bioinformatics: a new field in engineering education , 2001, 31st Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Impact on Engineering and Science Education. Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.01CH37193).

[7]  Robert E. Fullilove,et al.  Mathematics Achievement Among African American Undergraduates at the University of California, Berkeley: An Evaluation of the Mathematics Workshop Program , 1990 .

[8]  Sushil H. Bhavnani,et al.  Teamwork across Disciplinary Borders: A Bridge between College and the Work Place , 2000 .

[9]  J. Froyd,et al.  Integrated Engineering Curricula , 2005 .

[10]  Peter Blewett.  Introducing Breadth and Depth in the Humanities and Social Sciences into an Engineering Student's General Education Curriculum , 1993 .

[11]  Allan Fisher,et al.  Unlocking the Clubhouse : Women in Computing by Allan Fisher , 2015 .

[12]  David W. Johnson,et al.  Pedagogies of Engagement: Classroom‐Based Practices , 2005 .

[13]  Sue V. Rosser,et al.  Re-engineering female friendly science , 1997 .

[14]  Daniel D. Frey,et al.  Engineering design thinking, teaching, and learning , 2006 .

[15]  R. Quinn.  Drexel's E4 Program: A Different Professional Experience for Engineering Students and Faculty , 1993 .

[16]  Frank P. Incropera,et al.  Revising a Mechanical Engineering Curriculum: The Implementation Process , 1996 .

[17]  Daryl E. Chubin,et al.  A Retrospective on Undergraduate Engineering Success for Underrepresented Minority Students , 2003 .

[18]  Mary Besterfield-Sacre,et al.  The ABET “Professional Skills” — Can They Be Taught? Can They Be Assessed? , 2005 .

[19]  E. Fromm,et al.  The Changing Engineering Educational Paradigm , 2003 .

[20]  Stephanie G. Adams,et al.  The Effectiveness of the E‐Team Approach to Invention and Innovation * , 2001 .

[21]  Francis A Kulacki,et al.  Downsizing the Curriculum: A Proposed Baccalaureate Program and Contextual Basis , 1995 .