Starting An Integrated Humanities/Social Science Program For An Engineering Curriculum: Curriculum And Course Design

The new criteria for accrediting programs in engineering in the United States, announced as "Engineering Criteria 2000" by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, demand that graduates have a wide range of abilities and understandings, about half of which are based on knowledge transmitted by the humanities and social sciences; among these are "an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility," "an ability to communicate effectively," "the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context," and "a knowledge of contemporary issues." To meet the new ABET requirements, the new program will have to integrate engineering/technology with humanities/social science expertise and not merely expect engineering students to take--in a vacuum--a number of humanities and social science courses.