Work in progress: establishing formal academic programs in engineering education

Abstract

The national need for engineering education reform is widely recognized. Long-term and sustainable engineering education reform requires a pipeline for educating future engineering faculty and professionals interested in pursuing careers in K-12 teaching and administration. Purdue University is evaluating the development of a new framework for promoting engineering education reform. As part of this framework, new undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering education (B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.) are being considered. We present for discussion, a vision to legitimize, institutionalize, and advance the establishment of formal academic programs in engineering education and provide descriptions of the proposed programs, program coursework, admissions criteria, and anticipated job opportunities for graduates of such programs.