A Sophomore Level Engineering And Public Policy Course Required For B.A. Engineering Majors At Lafayette College

Lafayette College offers a sophomore-level Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy course (EP 251). The course is required for sophomores in Lafayette’s general B.A. Engineering program, however it is a popular elective for other engineering majors. Most of the students in the B.A. Engineering program are either interested in engineering management careers, or are using the degree as a foundation for careers other than engineering. Because of the diverse student interests, the course is designed to allow the students to understand the pervasive role of government in the technical arena, and the need to use/manage technology within that context. The emphasis of the course material is on the federal level, however international, state, and local differences are included. This paper presents the curriculum for EP251 and discusses instructor observations about how well the course works for sophomore engineering students. The instructor is interested in feedback about the need for such a curriculum.