Planning Revisions in the Mechanical Engineering Program at WPI

伍斯特理工学院的规划补助金的目标是规划机械工程系的课程变化，以便更好地为学生在变化迅速的环境中的专业工作做好准备。新的课程将保持和加强WPI教育的独特性，包括强调超越狭隘学科的技能和个性化课程的自由，但也导致可以出口到其他机构的结构和材料。在最高层面上，变更的目标是实现以下方案：o在工程科学方面提供坚实的准备，专注于培养学生以现代方式处理现代问题，包括理解如何整合学科之间的材料，并采取“系统”观点。包括团队合作，与不同的受众沟通，并理解需要考虑非工程决策中的技术方面。o的结构方式是认识到ME学位正在变得更加跨学科，ME学生将追求许多不同的职业道路o强调“技术人文主义者”的教育，他们了解工程的全球方面，能够并有兴趣应用工程知识来帮助解决“非工程”问题。这些目标的实际实施可能涉及在大一时强调向学生介绍现代制造业; ME“工程科学”课程的“紧凑”核心旨在满足ABET-ME要求;一些课程向学生介绍工程实践，包括设计和实现;通过ME部门或另一个部门的未成年人的集中，专注于至少一个当前感兴趣的领域的机会;并继续专注于让我们的学生参与工程的更广泛的方面，包括对WPI全球项目的高度重视。

The goal of this planning grant to Worcester Polytechnic Institute is to plan for curriculum changes in the mechanical engineering department that will better prepare students for professional work in an environment where changes are rapidly taking place. The new curriculum will preserve and enhance the unique character of a WPI education, including the emphasis on skills that go beyond the narrow discipline and the freedom to individualize the curriculum, but also result in both a structure and material that can be exported to other institutions. At the highest level the goal of the changes are to achieve a program that: o provides solid preparation in the Engineering Sciences, focused on preparingstudents to deal with modern problems in a modern way, including understandinghow to integrate the material between disciplines and take a "systems" view ofproblems.o prepares the graduates for the human aspects of professional life, including working in teams and communicating with diverse audience and who understand the need to consider non-technical aspects in engineering decisions.o is structured in a way that recognizes that the ME degree is becoming more interdisciplinary and that ME students will pursue many different career paths requiring many diverse skills.o emphasizes the education of the "technical humanist" who understands the global aspects of engineering and is both able and interested in applying engineering knowledge to help solve "non-engineering" problems.The actual implementation of these goals into concrete changes are likely to involve an emphasis on introducing students to modern manufacturing in the freshman year; A "compact" core of ME "engineering science" courses designed to meet the ABET-ME requirement; A number of courses introducing the students to engineering practice, including design and realization; Opportunities to specialize in at least one area of current interest through a concentration within the ME department or a minor in another department; and continuing focus on engaging our students in the broader aspects of engineering, including a strong emphasis on the WPI global project.