How Can Universities Provide A Global Perspective For Engineers? One Institution's Solution

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has long embraced a project-based curriculum that now extends to the four corners of the globe. With established programs in Europe, the Far East, Latin America, Australia, the US and new initiatives in Africa, WPI provides opportunities for undergraduates to complete meaningful off-campus experiences. WPI offers students the freedom to complete degree requirements away from campus in a professional experience under the direct supervision of WPI faculty, an experience that is unrivaled by traditional international study abroad. The impact of successfully completing professional-level projects at remote locations is that students solve real-world problems while being immersed in a different culture. With over 350 students leaving campus this year and substantial growth predicted for the 20002001 academic year, students are recognizing the unique benefits of the Global Perspective Program at WPI. This paper will provide the rationale for the program and its place in the overall curriculum at WPI, a history of the program’s formation, recruitment and training of faculty and the outcomes for students. Finally this paper will outline how the Global Perspective Program at WPI addresses some of the issues raised by ABET Engineering Criteria 2000.