Exploring Entrepreneurial Characteristics and Experiences of Engineering Alumni

In recent years one of the goals of the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been to encourage new generations of engineering students to become more entrepreneurially-minded and selfemployed in the engineering field. Engineering schools in the United States have specific curricular requirements that students must fulfill in order to graduate, and some of these requirements may incorporate a component of entrepreneurship education. As part of the research reported here, data from a survey of recent engineering alumni were used to examine and determine which engineering graduates have an interest and/or intention towards entrepreneurship. Analyses related to the demographic characteristics, desired career outcomes and career satisfaction, and preand post-graduation undergraduate learning experiences, of these alumni were conducted. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) How might engineering alumni be characterized based on their levels of interest in and intention to pursue entrepreneurial activity? 2) What similarities and differences in desired career outcomes, career satisfaction, and undergraduate learning experiences exist among engineering alumni with varying levels of entrepreneurial interest and intention?