Engineering Education Graduate Program Overview

In recent years, the field of engineering education has evolved into its own emerging discipline that currently exists in parallel with more traditional engineering disciplines, such as mechanical, civil, electrical, and biological engineering. Engineering education research includes educational, pedagogical, and/or socio-behavioral research in the context of engineering. For example, an engineering education research project may focus on understanding how undergraduates learn engineering concepts or how to improve the teaching of specific engineering topics. Engineering education research often involves humans as the focal point, rather than non-humans typically involved in engineering research (such as mechanical and electrical devices, computer algorithms, physical structures, and chemical interactions).

Our department offers both a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Engineering Education program (established in 2009) and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Engineering Education program (established in 2021). Both programs prepare students to be engineering instructors, engineering education researchers and specialists with solid knowledge and skills in designing and assessing engineering curriculum and engineering knowledge, implementing evidence-based instructional approaches in student-centered engineering learning environments, identifying and synthesizing relevant theories to frame the research problem, applying appropriate and creative research methods to studies in engineering education.

In addition, our Ph.D. program will develop students’ knowledge in engineering education foundations and the role of cognition in engineering education and will train students to develop competitive grant proposals for improving engineering education.