Recipient Name:
Newsletter Contents
Synopses of New Reports in Inside Engineering Education on the Engineering
Trends Web site http://engtrends.com
1. Interest of US Citizens in Graduate Study in Engineering
2. Declining Enrollments for Foreign National Engineering Students
New Page on the Engineering Trends Web Site - Degrees Awarded Since 1945
New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends
1. Overall Trends in Undergraduate and Graduate Enrollments in
Engineering
2. Update on Changing Enrollments in Engineering Disciplines
3. Undergraduate Gender and Ethnicity Enrollment Trends
Services to Search Committees and Applicants
Guest Editorials - New Contributors and Their Contributions
New Benefit for Engineering Trends Members
Synopses of New Reports in Inside Engineering Education on the Engineering
Trends Web Site
1. Interest of US Citizens in Graduate Study in Engineering
In Fall 2002, full-time enrollments of foreign national
master's and doctoral students in engineering colleges were 52% and 60%,
respectively. These fractions have doubled since 1970. Are US citizens losing
interest in graduate study in engineering?
Our analysis compared US citizen full-time enrollments and
degrees in master's and doctoral programs to bachelor's degrees awarded in prior
years. Appropriate lag times were used in defining the graduate to undergraduate
ratios.
The study found no long-term trend in US citizen interest in
graduate study since 1970. Rather, interest has been cyclical. The maxima in the
ratios in the 1970s were similar in magnitude to those of the early 1990s.
Further, the minima in the 1980s were similar in magnitude to those of the late
1990s.
2. Declining Enrollments for Foreign National Engineering Students
Total engineering full-time enrollments in both undergraduate
and graduate engineering programs have been increasing in recent years. Graduate
enrollments of foreign national students have been increasing as well while
undergraduate enrollment fractions have remained constant at about 8% for over
three decades.
Fall 2002 and Fall 2003 enrollment data indicate that new
trends are underway. All undergraduate enrollment data (first-year, full-time
and part-time) of foreign national students declined in Fall 2002. Enrollment
recovery in Fall 2003 for foreign nationals was meager at best.
Master's degree enrollment for foreign national students grew
only slightly in Fall 2002 (departing from the previous significant growth
trend). Full-time master's degree enrollments declined significantly in Fall
2003. Doctoral enrollments continued the growth trend of prior years. However,
when graduate student enrollment data are compared to the increasing total
graduate enrollment data, the fractions of foreign national students in both
master's and doctoral programs are seen to be declining.
New Page on the Engineering Trends Web Site
Degrees Awarded Since 1945
This new page presents data in graphical format on
undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees awarded by US universities since
1945. Data from surveys of the US Department of Education, the American Society
for Engineering Education and the Engineering Workforce Commission of the
American Association of Engineering Societies are included and noted on the
graphs. Data for ethnicity, gender and foreign nationals are also included.
Graphs of degree data for eleven engineering disciplines are
presented as well (aerospace, bio- and biomedical, chemical, civil, computer
(including computer science), electrical, environmental, materials, mechanical,
nuclear and petroleum engineering). These graphs include gender and foreign
national data.
Engineering Trends will update these graphs as new data become
available in order to provide a current, long-term resource.
New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends
1. Overall Trends in Undergraduate and Graduate Enrollments in Engineering
Engineering Trends has predicted that undergraduate
enrollments are on the verge of declining and degrees will begin to decline
after AY2006-07. This study will consider data from all surveys in order to
fine-tune our prediction, if necessary.
Graduate enrollment data will also be considered to monitor
the unprecedented record-setting growth in the recent past.
2. Update on Changing Enrollments in Engineering Disciplines
Undergraduate enrollments are predicted to decline. How will
these declines be
distributed over the various engineering disciplines? For example,
computer-related
undergraduate enrollments have ceased their extremely rapid growth. Which other
disciplines will begin to experience enrollment problems?
3. Undergraduate Gender and Ethnicity Enrollment Trends
This study is a re-visit to an important topic that
Engineering Trends has not considered for
over a year. Gender and ethnicity trends of the past are not continuing and a
quantitative
analysis will be made.
Services to Search Committees and Applicants
Search committees for academic administration openings need
information on the performance of applicants relative to achievements in prior
administrative positions. Applicants need statistical information relative
to prior trends of potential future employers. Such information does not provide
a complete picture of either the open position or the overall accomplishments of
a candidate. However, the availability of such information allows employment
discussions to be focused on specifications set by the search committee and the
desires and interests of individual candidates.
Engineering Trends can provide statistical data on candidate
performance (based on
employment history as listed in a resume) and organization trends. Please
contact us for
details. All contacts are held strictly confidential by Engineering Trends.
Guest Editorials - New Contributors and Their Contributions
The Editorials page on the Engineering Trends Web site
continues to be a favorite of visitors. New guest editorials by leaders in
engineering education are scheduled to appear monthly. Engineering Trends
selects only the editorial writers; the topics are defined by the writers.
Comments from site visitors as well as unsolicited guest editorials will be
considered for inclusion on the site.
The following guest editorials have appeared recently:
May 2004 - "IT Outsourcing Need Not Threaten Our Future", Dr.
Richard K. Miller, President, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
June 2004 - "The Changing Face of Engineering", Dr. Paul S.
Peercy, Dean, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison
New Benefit for Engineering Trends Members
The new page on our Web site, Degrees Since 1945, was
described earlier in this newsletter. The graphs of total numbers of bachelor's,
master's and doctoral degrees awarded in the US will be accessible to all site
visitors. Members of Engineering Trends will have access to all of the graphical
data for engineering as a whole and eleven engineering disciplines.
(Questions have come to us as to whether "annual membership"
refers to a specific year, e.g., 2004. Engineering Trends is using "annual" to
refer to a membership that lasts for one year from the date of origination, not
from the start of a new year.)
Can We Be of Assistance?
We would like to assist you in your planning activities and
benchmarking studies. In addition, we welcome your suggestions of reports that
you would like to see added to the Inside Engineering Education section of our
Web site and reviewed in forthcoming newsletters. You may contact us via our Web
site http://engtrends.com, by e-mail at
news@engtrends.com and/or by phone
(906) 482-1523. We look forward to working
with you.
Sincerely,
Richard W. Heckel
Technical Director
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