Yesterday
Before establishing the definition, it seems desirable to provide a brief history of engineering. This will demonstrate that although “we’ve come a long way, baby,” the rate of change in engineering is progressing at a breathtaking pace, particularly when compared to the early history.
Three developments in engineering in the nineteenth century have changed the course of history and altered the quality of human life. The first was the expansion of the Industrial Revolution. The second was the emergence of civilian engineering as a profession, distinctly emphasizing the importance of technical and scientific education as prerequisites for the practice of engineering. The third and most important development, however, was the introduction of applied science as a new method of approach to the achievement of engineering advances.1
Men who earned a living from the practice of engineering, or “professional engineers, “ had begun to appear in France during the seventeenth century. The first schools for instruction in engineering were established by the French in the in the eighteenth century. However, these institutions largely employed the apprenticeship method of instruction and only occasionally were general theoretical lectures given. After the French Revolution, these schools began instruction in such basic sciences as mathematics, physics, and chemistry.2 The rise of engineering science in the eighteenth century was typical of the Age of Reason with its emphasis on the use of the scientific method. This drastically altered the practice of engineering and the concept of technical education in the nineteenth century. For example, when it became apparent that a structure scientifically designed to perform a specific function was more economical than one designed on the basis of experience, engineering science began to develop rapidly. It also became clear that technical schools were far more competent for teaching the new science than was the age-old institution of apprenticeship.3
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point was founded in 1802, and in 1817 became the first school in the United States to offer an engineering program. Norwich University in Vermont was established in 1819 and is reported to have offered engineering in the early days. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1824 and it granted its first engineering degree in 1835.~
In 1806, shortly after the military academy at West Point was founded, Webster’s Dictionary defined “engineer” as follows:
engineer, n. One who directs engines or artillery.
engineer, v.1. To manage engines.5
There was no definition for “engineering” in the 1806 Dictionary.
Engineering instruction was confined to civil engineering in the early years. A school of mines was founded at Columbia University in 1864, and in 1865 M .I.T. opened, offering programs in mechanical, mining, and civil engineering and in what was called “practical chemistry.” With the passage in 1862 by the United States Congress of the Morrill Act, an “Act donating Public Lands. to the several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts,” the number of engineering schools in the United States
was increased by more than five times. “These schools trained men who could apply the increasing wealth of scientific knowledge to practical problems, and they had a large part in transforming the industrial, economic and social life of the nation.”6
In October of 1 933, ECPD adopted the “Minimum Definition of an Engineer.” A careful review of the definition indicates that ECPD did not attempt to define engineer at all but merely framed the minimum qualifications required for licensing for professional registration.
As a means of improving the quality of education for technicians, in 1945 ECPD set up a program for accrediting technical institute-type curricula. Since the work of the technician overlapped that of the engineer, clear recognition and identification of the roles became necessary. The 1953 ECPD Annual Report set forth specific definitions of “professional engineer” and “engineering technicians.” In 1961 ECPD adopted the following definition:
Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically the materials and forces of nature.
It is interesting to note that ECPD at this time adopted seven paragraphs attached to this definition to clarify words and phrases. In 1962 ECPD modified the definition by adding a terminal phrase, “for the benefit of mankind.” That definition is still the current definition utilized by both ECPD and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). In 1962, also, ECPD created the Engineering Technology Committee to perform the functions of accreditation for the Council. ~n 1963 ECPD adopted the following definition:
Engineering technology is that part of the engineering field which requires the application of scientific and engineering knowledge and methods combined with technical skills in support of engineering activities; it lies in the occupational spectrum closest to the engineer.
(a) Engineering technology is identified as a part of the engineering field to indicate that it does not by any means encompass the entire field and also to differentiate it from other types of technology in areas such as medicine and the biological sciences. The engineering field is viewed as a continuum extending from the craftsman to the engineer. Engineering technology falls, in the continuum, between the craftsman and the engineer and closer to the engineer than the craftsman.
b) Engineering technology is concerned primarily with the application of established scientific and engineering knowledge and methods.
(c) Technical skills such as drafting are characteristic of engineering principles and methods. Engineers graduated from scientifically oriented curricula may be expected to have acquired less of these skills than previously and the engineering technician will be expected to supply them.
(d) Engineering technology is concerned with the support of engineering activities whether or not the engineering technician is working under the immediate supervision of an engineer. It may well be that in a complex engineering activity he would work under the supervision of an engineer, a senior engineering technician, or a scientist.
In 1967 ECPD accredited the first baccalaureate engineering technology program.
Today
The 1963 definition of engineering technology based on associate degree programs has remained unchanged.
Tomorrow
In the spring of 1977 an ASEE ad hoc committee was appointed to review the published definition of “engineering technology.” After considerable deliberation the committee members concluded that in order properly to define engineering technology the definition of engineering would also have to be considered. The resulting document which was formulated has been refined through six drafts and widely circulated to representatives of engineering and engineering technology from both education and industry. The extensive favorable reaction to the definition from all segments indicates that the ASEE approval at this time would be a most appropriate, positive step toward verifying the relationship between the various components of the engineering profession. The definitions as developed by the ASEE committee follow:
Definition
Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.
Scope
The scope of the engineering profession in industry, government, and business is extremely broad. It includes research, development, design, production, construction, administration, testing, maintenance, and sales. There is a wide spectrum of technical personnel within the engineering profession.
Academic Programs
To embrace this total spectrum, academic institutions offer associate, baccalaureate, and advanced degree programs in engineering and engineering technology, as well as other programs in related areas. Graduates of these programs have the opportunity to advance in their careers depending upon their ability, personal characteristics, and professional development as well as their initial and continuing academic preparation. Undergraduate academic programs in engineering and engineering technology overlap considerably and programs with similar titles will vary from one institution to another. However, the following characteristics are usually found.
Baccalaureate Engineering: programs are characterized as including advanced mathematics through differential equations, basic physical science, engineering science, and engineering design courses which emphasize research, conceptual design, systems, and development.
Baccalaureate Engineering Technology: programs are characterized as including applied mathematics through differential and integral calculus, applied sciences, and technical courses which emphasize the application of technical knowledge and methods to current day-to-day industrial problems.
Associate Engineering Technology: programs are characterized as including mathematics through the elements of calculus, applied sciences, and applied technical courses in a specific technical discipline which emphasize technical support of engineering activities.
Placement :of graduates from these different types of programs varies considerably depending upon the region in which the programs are offered and the specific needs of industry at a particular time. However:
The baccalaureate-engineering graduate would most likely aspire to an entry-level position in conceptual design, systems engineering, or product research.
The baccalaureate engineering technology graduate would most likely aspire to an entry-level position in product design, technical operations, product development, production, or technical service and sales.
The associate engineering technology graduate would most likely aspire to an entry-level position in support of engineering activities.8
Dr. Walter E. Thomas, Dean
School of Technology and Applied Sciences
Western Carolina University
NOTES
1. Richard Shelton Kirby, et al., Engineering in History (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1956), pp. 327-28.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. “Engineering Education,” Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 8 (1968), p. 392.
5. Noah Webster, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language (A facsimile of the first 1 806 edition), Bounty Books, A Division of Crown Publishers, p. 103.
6. Ibid., p. 393.
7. Annual Report, Engineers’ Council for Professional Development (1961), p. 18.
8. Weidhass, Thomas, Rath, and Ungrodt, American Society for Engineering Education ad hoc committee report (sixth draft), 1978.
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