A three-dimensional engineering curriculum

This paper examines the recent developments affecting engineering education. The introduction of ABET 2000 criteria, the proliferation of engineering fields, and the changes in the characteristic of engineering teams are considered. It concludes that the traditional engineering curriculum, which is organized almost exclusively along thefields of engineering, is no longer capable of producing engineers for the twenty-first century, and therefore proposes a three-dimensional engineering curriculum, which is based onfunction andemployment sector, in addition to thefield of engineering. Philosophically, this proposed 3-D curriculum shifts engineering education from knowing to doing, from fragmentation to integration, and from convergence to divergence. On the practical level, the strength of the proposed 3-D curriculum lies in it being flexible, adaptable, diverse, and resource-sensitive. The diversity of possible programs resulting from the added dimensions enables engineering programs to develop a niche market, which has become an essential survival strategy.