| Dual Degree Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Project |
| Grant: | P116J060015 |
| Start: | 09/01/2006 |
| End: | 08/31/2011 |
| Funding: | $ 672,600 |
| EU-U.S. Atlantis Program | |
| | 2010 abstract | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Partners: Technische Universität Darmstadt (Denmark); Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (Sweden). This project aimed to establish a sustainable consortium among Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT), the Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUD), and Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (KTH) that provides well-attended, high-quality, accredited dual Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degrees between these three universities. Its main goal: to produce highly competent BSME graduates that are uniquely prepared to successfully engage and excel in the new global engineering economy. This project demonstrated how undergraduate engineering students can successfully study while fully immersed in at least two different languages and with limited language training in a third language, while attending universities in three countries. The students satisfied the BSME degree requirements in two of these countries with no delay relative to a single BSME degree and the participating students’ transition into a potential masters program. This project was the first transatlantic dual Bachelor of Science degree program contained entirely within the field of engineering. The project’s second goal is to demonstrate that the main goal can be achieved without delaying graduation, to the extent that it delays the start of a subsequent masters program. Each participating student was slated to spend approximately 16 months abroad, and earn their second BSME degree from the university where they spent their senior (final) year. A group of VT students were scheduled to spend a semester at KTH and their senior year at TUD; another VT group was slated to spend semester at TUD and their senior year at KTH. Additionally a group of TUD students were scheduled to spend a semester at KTH and their senior year at VT and a cohort of KTH students were scheduled to spend a semester at TUD and their senior year at VT. The VT->TUD and TUD->VT dual BSME degree programs have been approved, and the students in first cohort in each program have successfully graduated. VT was reviewed by ABET in October 2008 and the international engineering degree was approved—the first certified dual degree program in the United States. Admission to the program at TUD is competitive, with a 20-25% acceptance rate among students already enrolled in their BSME program. The TUD enrollment is limited by the number of VT students participating. The regular recruiting of VT students started in August 2008; currently four students in the class of 2010 and three students in the class of 2011 are pursuing the VT->TUD dual BSME degree program. The downturn in the economy has taken its toll, combined with the increased language training that we instituted for the class of 2011 (moving from 12 to 18 semester credit hours). Seven students in the class of 2011 withdrew from the program, and two declined support due to the time and cost of visiting KTH (e.g., loss of summer job opportunity and high cost of out-of-state tuition). The good news is that VT->TUD dual BSME degree program is proving itself to be sustainable: There are already 10 US students in the class of 2012 (the application deadline is January 2011). These students have joined without any financial incentive from ATLANTIS or elsewhere, and they have integrated the increased language training into their academic program. The current goal is to grow the VT participation to 15 students in the class of 2012, 25 students in the class of 2013, and 35 students in the class of 2014. The development of the VT->KTH and KTH->VT dual BSME degree programs is delayed and will not be completed within the timeframe of the grant, in part because KTH has revised its priorities concerning education-abroad activities. However, KTH will continue to support VT and TUD student visits to KTH for the duration of the grant program.
ONLINE REFERENCES: 2009-2010 Virginia Tech Undergraduate Course Catalog (TUD->VT) 2009-2010 Virginia Tech Undergraduate Course Catalog (VT->TUD) VT-TUD dual BSME degree handout for US students (class of 2011) VT-TUD dual BSME degree handout for US students (class of 2012) VT-TUD dual BSME degree handout for US students (class of 2013) |
Jan Helge Bøhn
Virginia Polytechnic
Manfred J. Hampe
Technische Universität
Lars Hagman
Kungliga Tekniska högskolan
Mats Hanson
Royal Institute of
Madeleine Scherlin
Royal Institute of |
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