A three-dimensional engineering curriculum

This paper examines the recent developments affecting engineering education . The introduction of ABET 2000 criteria, the proliferation of engineering fields, and the changes in the characteristic of engineering teams are cons idered. It concludes that the traditional engineering curriculum, which is organized almost exclusively along the fields of engineering, is no longer capable of producing engineers for the twenty-first century, and therefore proposes a three-dimensional engineering curriculum, which is based on func tion and employment sector, in addition to the field of engineering. Philos ophically, this proposed 3-D curriculum shifts engineering education from k nowing to doing, from fragmentation to integration, and from convergence to divergence. On the practical level, the strength of the proposed 3-D curri culum lies in it being flexible, adaptable, diverse, and resource-sensitive . The diversity of possible programs resulting from the added dimensions en ables engineering programs to develop a niche market, which has become an e ssential survival strategy.