Undergraduate engineering programs are not known for being flexible. Research shows engineering students can devote about 2 percent of their degree credit hours to elective courses, compared with almost a quarter of credit hours for their nonengineering peers.
The college鈥檚 Engineering Plus (e+) degree provides a more flexible path for students with interests outside engineering. Students in the e+ program can devote up to 14 percent of their degree to free electives and up to 37 percent to nontechnical pursuits.
E+ prepares students to excel in engineering without sacrificing their passions, says Marissa Forbes, a college researcher engaged with e+ since the beginning. Forbes and the e+ faculty recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the role of curricular choice in the program, and the resulting paper was selected as a best paper at the American Society for Engineering Education鈥檚 national conference last year.聽 聽
The program is also a destination for students who find themselves stifled by a traditional engineering discipline, Forbes says.
Many students choose Engineering Plus because of the focus on hands-on design, she adds. Unlike traditional programs, which usually include design courses only at the beginning and end of an undergraduate鈥檚 experience, design projects are part of the e+ curriculum each year. That hands-on, design focus is especially important for those looking to teach secondary math, science or engineering in K-12.
Forbes stresses that a more flexible curriculum isn鈥檛 a one-size-fits-all solution. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have both options available,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f a student wants a discipline-based career, they should probably follow the traditional path and get a (professional engineering license).鈥�