The Role Of Real World Experience In A Web Based Engineering Major Selection Model

Many students who enter a College of Engineering are uncertain of what their major should be or that the major they have selected is the right one for them. At Penn State, the College of Engineering has designed a web-based program to help students through the process of selecting an appropriate major from the ones offered by the College. The program is based on a decisionmaking model that requires students to identify their strengths and interests and match these with the interests and skills required of specific majors. Realistic and accurate information about the majors was therefore crucial to the construction of this model. Examples of job scenarios, typical days, required skills, and types of problems encountered were provided by practicing engineers and then used as building blocks in the development of the program. This paper will focus on the role that the information obtained from practicing engineers played in the development of the program.