Engineering Graduate Education And Research

The current state of engineering graduate study in the United States, its future, and its relationship to research are examined in this report of the National Research Council Committee on the Education and Utilization of the Engineer. The study focuses principally on increasing the supply of highly qualified doctoral recipients who are United States citizens particularly with respect to academic employment. It also gives attention to the importance of master's level work and to the need for access to part-time programs for engineers who are employed full time. Report sections include: (1) an executive summary; (2) the background (reviewing previous reports and studies in engineering education); (3) supply and demand (providing data on the supply of Ph.D.s and recommendations for increasing the supply); (4) women and minorities in engineering (examining representation patterns); (5) master's degree (presenting findings and recommendations); (6) doctor's degree (with findings and recommendations); (7) nontraditional graduate programs (analyzing existing approaches); (8) engineering faculty (addressing needs for faculty development); and (9) university-industry interactions (discussing conflicting and complementary interests). A list of 66 reference notes is included. (ML)

The U.S. system of graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has served the nation and its science and engineering enterprise extremely well. Over the course of their education, graduate students become involved in advancing the frontiers of discovery, as well as in making significant contributions to the growth of the U.S. economy, its national security, and the health and well-being of its people. However, continuous, dramatic innovations in research methods and technologies, changes in the nature and availability of work, shifts in demographics, and expansions in the scope of occupations needing STEM expertise raise questions about how well the current STEM graduate education system is meeting the full array of 21st century needs. Indeed, recent surveys of employers and graduates and studies of graduate education suggest that many graduate programs do not adequately prepare students to translate their knowledge into impact in multiple careers. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century examines the current state of U.S. graduate STEM education. This report explores how the system might best respond to ongoing developments in the conduct of research on evidence-based teaching practices and in the needs and interests of its students and the broader society it seeks to serve. This will be an essential resource for the primary stakeholders in the U.S. STEM enterprise, including federal and state policymakers, public and private funders, institutions of higher education, their administrators and faculty, leaders in business and industry, and the students the system is intended to educate.

What is it like to be a researcher or a scientist? For young people, including graduate students and junior faculty members in universities, how can they identify good ideas for research? How do they conduct solid research to verify and realize their new ideas? How can they formulate their ideas and research results into high-quality articles, and publish them in highly competitive journals and conferences? What are effective ways to supervise graduate students so that they can establish themselves quickly in their research careers? In this book, Ling and Yang answer these questions in a step-by-step manner with specific and concrete examples from their first-hand research experience. Table of Contents: Acknowledgments / Preface / Basics of Research / Goals of Ph.D. Research / Getting Started: Finding New Ideas and Organizing Your Plans / Conducting Solid Research / Writing and Publishing Papers / Misconceptions and Tips for Paper Writing / Writing and Defending a Ph.D. Thesis / Life After Ph.D. / Summary / References / Author Biographies

This comprehensive handbook offers a broad overview of contemporary research on engineering education and its practical application. Over the past two decades, the field of engineering education research (EER) has become a vibrant and impactful community with new journals, conferences, and doctoral and research programs established across the globe. The increased interest in this area has helped improve the education and training of the next generation of engineers, as well as supporting growth in the use of technology for teaching and learning, increased attention to broadening participation, diversity and inclusion in the field, and a wide international expansion of the field. Drawing on the work of 100 expert contributors from over 20 countries, this volume covers both emergent and established areas of research within engineering education, giving voice to newcomers to the field as well as perspectives from established experts. Contents include: Sociocognitive and affective perspectives on engineering education. Technology and online learning in engineering education. Cultural and ethical issues including diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering education. Curriculum design, teaching practices, and teacher education at all levels. Research methods and assessment in engineering education. This book offers an innovative and in-depth overview of engineering education scholarship and practice, which will be of use to researchers in engineering education, engineering educators and faculty, teacher educators in engineering education or STEM education, and other engineering and STEM-related professional organizations. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Undergraduate and first-year graduate students engaging in engineering research need more than technical skills and tools to be successful. From finding a research position and funding, to getting the mentoring needed to be successful while conducting research responsibly, to learning how to do the other aspects of research associated with project management and communication, this book provides novice researchers with the guidance they need to begin developing mastery. Awareness and deeper understanding of the broader context of research reduces barriers to success, increases capacity to contribute to a research team, and enhances ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Being prepared for what's to come and knowing the questions to ask along the way allows those entering researcher to become more comfortable engaging with not only the research itself but also their colleagues and mentors.

The quality of doctoral-level chemical engineering (N=79), civil engineering (N=74), electrical engineering (N=91), and mechanical engineering (N=82) programs at United States universities was assessed, using 16 measures. These measures focused on variables related to: (1) program size; (2) characteristics of graduates; (3) reputational factors (scholarly quality of faculty, effectiveness of programs in educating research scholars/scientists, improvement in program quality during the last 5 years); (4) university library size; (5) research support; and (6) publication records. Chapter I discusses prior attempts to assess quality in graduate education, development of the study plans, and the selection of disciplines and programs to be evaluated. Chapter II discusses the methodology used, focusing on each of the assessment measures. Chapters III to VI present, respectively, findings from the analyses of the chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering programs. Chapter VII includes a summary of results, correlations among measures, several additional analyses, and suggestions for future studies. Among the findings reported are those indicating that electrical engineering programs had, on the average, the largest number of faculty (N=23) in December 1980 and had graduated the most doctoral students (N=32) during fiscal years 1975-1979. (Survey instruments and supporting documentation are included in appendices.) (JN)