Planning Revisions in the Mechanical Engineering Program at WPI

伍斯特理工学院计划拨款的目的是为机械工程系的课程改革制定计划，使学生在变化迅速的环境中更好地为专业工作做好准备。新课程将保留和加强WPI教育的独特性，包括强调超越狭隘学科的技能和使课程个性化的自由，但也将产生可输出到其他机构的结构和材料。在最高层面上，这些变化的目标是实现这样一个计划：o为工程科学提供坚实的准备，专注于让学生准备以现代方式处理现代问题，包括了解如何整合学科之间的材料并以系统的观点看待问题。o使毕业生为职业生活中的人文方面做好准备，包括在团队中工作，与不同的受众交流，并理解在工程决策中考虑非技术方面的必要性。o的结构方式承认，ME学位正变得更加跨学科，ME学生将追求许多不同的职业道路，需要许多不同的技能。o强调对了解工程的全球方面并能够并有兴趣应用工程知识帮助解决“非工程”问题的“技术人文主义者”的教育。将这些目标实际实施为具体变化可能包括在大一将重点介绍给学生现代制造；一个“紧凑”的ME“工程科学”课程的核心，旨在满足教唆-ME的要求；一些课程向学生介绍工程实践，包括设计和实现；有机会专攻至少一个当前感兴趣的领域，通过集中在ME系或辅修在另一个系；并继续专注于让我们的学生参与工程学的更广泛的方面，包括强烈强调WPI全球项目。

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.