International Study As A Component Of The Undergraduate Experience In Engineering (original) (raw)

2005 Annual Conference Proceedings

External advisors (alumni and industry) stress the importance of international experience, awareness of global issues, and cultural diversity awareness as desirable traits of new-hire engineers. Similar goals appear in the ABET 2000 criteria. The Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Austin is developing an International Engineeering Program with the goal of increasing the number of undergraduate students with international experience. A pilot six-week summer program in 2004 involved nine students earning six credit hours in Grenoble, France. The program consisted of an upper-division technical elective "Engineering Standards and Industrial Policy in a Global Environment" and an American history course, "American Foreign Policy." Student performance and feedback from this pilot semester yielded positive results, and based on this success two additional programs are planned for Summer 2005. Both of these will be two-course, six-credit hour programs, one held at INSA Toulouse, France, and the other at University College London. This paper reports on the benefits of the international studies program to our students and faculty, and the evolution of the program offerings to take advantage of lessons learned. Program financing is discussed as are curricula development, student recruiting and advising, and advanced instructional technology requirements including classroom enhancement tools and electronic portfolios. Future plans for the program include a full spring semester abroad, extension of the summer program to Latin America, and a possible joint master's degree program. These expanded international study options will be available to students in all College of Engineering departments.