A Rationale for a College Education and Its Implications in the Education of Engineers

The Preliminary Report of the "Goals" Committee of the American Society for Engineering Education, and the resulting impact its recommendations have had in drawing out its proponents and opponents, clearly indicate that engineering education is approaching a crossroad. This paper suggests that the essential issue to be decided is the role that an engineering education should, or perhaps could, play in a college or university. The issue is examined by first developing a rationale for a college education and then discussing the implications of this proposed rationale. It is proposed that, at this crossroad, engineering education should develop into a pre-engineering baccalaureate program taught by engineering scientists (who will also offer graduate programs in engineering science) followed by a postbaccalaureate professional engineering program taught by professional engineers.