A Program for a Dual Engineering/Education Degree
Sheryl A. Sorby
Engineering Fundamentals
Michigan Technological University
Engineering curricula historically have been "jam packed" with technical subjects and cognates to the point where there has been little or no flexibility for students to take courses outside of their engineering major. Recent changes in engineering accreditation requirements have resulted in criteria that are much more flexible from a programmatic standpoint. Education degree programs are also typically pretty "full" with required courses in a major, a minor, and in education itself. At Michigan Tech we do not offer a separate degree in education, but we do offer secondary teacher certification in several majors and minors, mostly in mathematics and the sciences. Due to stringent credit requirements in our major programs, the Education Department at Michigan Tech has developed a "no frills" teacher certification program. Through our CETP grant initiative, we have taken advantage of the new flexibility in engineering accreditation and developed an engineering program that has room for either certification in some area (including teacher certification) or for a minor. This degree program will satisfy certification requirements for a major in Technology and Design and minors in mathematics and one of the physical sciences. The degree program consists of only 132 credits, which most students should be able to complete in a normal four-year program of study. This presentation will outline the degree requirements for the program and report on our progress to date in attracting engineering students into it.
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