Impacts Of Student Course Selection On Subsequent Career Trajectories

In 2002, the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa adopted a curriculum that allowed students significantly more options in selecting electives than previously. Specifically, students could apply up to 21 semester hours (out of 128 required to graduate) to an Elective Focus Area (EFA). While it was expected that most students would select an EFA within their major discipline, the curriculum specifically allowed students to use this EFA in non-technical ways. For example, it could be used to allow a student to take any minor offered at the University of Iowa. This paper explores how students in the Civil Engineering program at the University of Iowa have used the EFA option since 2002, and what impact this has had on their subsequent career trajectories.