Development And Assessment Of A New Project/Practice Based Civil Engineering Curriculum

Western Kentucky University is currently in the process of developing a new undergraduate engineering programs in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering focusing on engaging the student in a project / practice based environment and preparing them for a career as a practicing engineer. This paper will discuss the process of developing the civil engineering program that began with the creation of goals for the engineering department up to the present day with a clearly defined set of programmatic objectives, outcomes and assessment tools. This paper will also discuss some of the principle lessons learned, including that the true essence of the project based curriculum is not necessarily in the list of outcomes, but in the way they are assessed and the student products generated.