TY - GEN
T1 - Recommendations for engineering doctoral education
T2 - 43rd IEEE Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2013
AU - Zhu, Jiabin
AU - Cox, Monica F.
AU - Branch, Sara
AU - Ahn, Benjamin
AU - London, Jeremi
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - In recent years, many studies and reports have highlighted concerns and problems with engineering doctoral degree recipients. Criticisms have come from professionals in both industry and academia, as well as from current and former Ph.D. students. Given the dissatisfaction of a variety of stakeholders, there have been calls from professional societies, disciplinary bodies and federal agencies to improve doctoral granting programs across the U.S. and to educate Ph.Ds. who are equipped with skills and attributes necessary to meet the highly-competitive and rapidly changing 21st century workforce [1, 2]. Within this context, this study focuses on the perspectives of working professionals from both academia and industry. Preliminary findings were obtained from one-on-one interviews with forty engineering Ph.D. holders who are from industry and/or academia. They recommended practical measures for engineering doctoral students to obtain desired characteristics upon graduation. Using the preliminary results, the work in progress precludes the design of an instrument to evaluate on-going changes to different aspects of doctoral education. The instrument will serve as a useful tool to understand the degree and scope of changes in engineering doctoral program. Portions of the instrument informed from these recommendations are provided.
AB - In recent years, many studies and reports have highlighted concerns and problems with engineering doctoral degree recipients. Criticisms have come from professionals in both industry and academia, as well as from current and former Ph.D. students. Given the dissatisfaction of a variety of stakeholders, there have been calls from professional societies, disciplinary bodies and federal agencies to improve doctoral granting programs across the U.S. and to educate Ph.Ds. who are equipped with skills and attributes necessary to meet the highly-competitive and rapidly changing 21st century workforce [1, 2]. Within this context, this study focuses on the perspectives of working professionals from both academia and industry. Preliminary findings were obtained from one-on-one interviews with forty engineering Ph.D. holders who are from industry and/or academia. They recommended practical measures for engineering doctoral students to obtain desired characteristics upon graduation. Using the preliminary results, the work in progress precludes the design of an instrument to evaluate on-going changes to different aspects of doctoral education. The instrument will serve as a useful tool to understand the degree and scope of changes in engineering doctoral program. Portions of the instrument informed from these recommendations are provided.
KW - Engineering doctoral education
KW - Instrument development
KW - Recommendations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893300299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84893300299&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/FIE.2013.6684907
DO - 10.1109/FIE.2013.6684907
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84893300299
SN - 9781467352611
T3 - Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE
SP - 654
EP - 656
BT - 2013 Frontiers in Education Conference
Y2 - 23 October 2013 through 26 October 2013
ER -