Liberal Education in Twenty-first Century Engineering

Book excerpt: Twenty-first century engineering education must meet radically revised national accreditation standards, known colloquially as EC2000. This book shows paths forward for all faculty involved in the «liberal education» of engineering undergraduates. Beginning with an exhortation for liberal education, it includes the EC2000 criteria and its historical origin, as well as example institutional and individual responses to these criteria - which include topics in communication, ethics and professional responsibility, contemporary issues, art and aesthetics, and the integration of engineering and the humanities. The variety of curricular responses presented indicate that this is a formative - perhaps even revolutionary - period in engineering education.