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Newsletter Contents

Synopses of new reports in the Report Library on the Engineering Trends Web Site engtrends.com

1. "Growth in Research Expenditures in Engineering Colleges Has Slowed in Terms of Actual Dollars and Has Stopped in Terms of Constant Dollars - Current Trends for Individual Engineering Disciplines Vary"
2. "Research Expenditures per Doctoral Degree Continue to Decline for Engineering and Five Engineering Disciplines - Doctoral Degree Expenditures for Large Disciplines Are Lower than Overall Engineering"
3. "A Comprehensive Statistical Study of Education Trends in Three Disciplines Closely Linked to Energy-Producing Industries - Mining, Nuclear and Petroleum Engineering"
4. "Degrees and Research Expenditures per Faculty Member for Engineering and Thirteen Engineering Disciplines - AY1980-81 through AY2005-06"

New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends

Engineering Trends Membership Fees to Increase in 2008

Organizational Memberships to Be Available Beginning in 2008

Synopses of New Reports in the Report Library on the Engineering Trends Web Site

Growth in Research Expenditures in Engineering Colleges Has Slowed in Terms of Actual Dollars and Has Stopped in Terms of Constant Dollars - Current Trends for Individual Engineering Disciplines Vary (Report 1107A)

This report describes the trends in research expenditures over the period from AY1980-81 through AY2005-06 for US engineering colleges and thirteen engineering disciplines. Both "actual dollars" and "inflation-adjusted dollars" were considered.

The rapid growth of engineering college research expenditures is subsiding. From AY1998-99 through AY2003-04, the average annual growth rate in actual dollars was 10.6%. From AY2003-04 through AY2005-06, the average annual growth rate was only 3.7%. This significant decline in the growth rate seems to be inconsistent with the continued growth of engineering faculty (3.4% per year) and doctoral degrees (13.4% per year) during this two-year period.

In terms of inflation-adjusted dollars, there was essentially no annual growth (0.6%) in research expenditures at engineering colleges during the period from AY2003-04 through AY2005-06.

For the period from AY1990-91 through AY2005-06, only five engineering disciplines (bio-, biomedical, chemical, "computer" (science plus engineering) and civil) had inflation-adjusted research expenditure growth greater than that of engineering as a whole (63.9%). For the period from AY2003-04 through AY2005-06, only six of the thirteen disciplines had increases in research expenditures in actual dollars. In terms of inflation-adjusted dollars during the same two-year period, only three disciplines experienced research expenditure growth (biomedical, chemical and petroleum engineering).

Research Expenditures per Doctoral Degree Continue to Decline for Engineering and for Five Engineering Disciplines - Doctoral Degree Expenditures for Large Disciplines Are Lower than Overall Engineering (Report 1107B)

Data for engineering research expenditures per faculty member and graduate degrees per faculty member in AY2005-06 were analyzed to obtain estimates of the average research expenditures per master's degree and per doctoral degree. This information is applicable to total time of graduate study, not just AY2005-06. Research expenditures per graduate degree for the period AY1990-91 through AY2005-06 were analyzed.

For engineering as a whole, research expenditures (actual dollars) per master's degree over the past ten years have been essentially constant with year-to-year statistical fluctuations.

Research expenditures (actual dollars) per doctoral degree increased from 243k$ in AY1994-95 to 635k$ in AY2003-04 (161%). From AY2003-04 through AY2005-06, expenditures declined 21% to 500k$.

It is noteworthy that the average annual growth in research expenditures in US engineering colleges from AY1998-99 through AY2003-04 was 10.6% (actual dollars). For AY2004-05 and AY2005-06, the average annual growth was only 3.7%. In addition, doctoral degrees increased 11.4% in AY2004-05 and 13.9% in AY2005-06.

Research expenditures for graduate degrees in five engineering disciplines (chemical, civil, computer (including computer science), electrical and mechanical engineering) were also estimated for AY2005-06. For master's degrees, all five disciplines exhibited higher research expenditures than engineering as a whole. Like engineering, the expenditures were essentially constant since the late 1990s. For doctoral degrees, the five disciplines exhibited lower expenditures than overall engineering. The five disciplines generally showed an increasing trend through AY2002-03 followed by a decreasing trend through AY2005-06, following essentially the same pattern as engineering as a whole.

A Comprehensive Statistical Study of Education Trends in Three Disciplines Closely Linked to Energy-Producing Industries - Mining, Nuclear and Petroleum Engineering (Report 1107C)

Bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees and enrollments in mining, nuclear and petroleum engineering are reported for the last three decades. Enrollment trends were used to predict degree trends in the near future. Trends for degrees awarded to women, ethnic groups (African, Hispanic, Native and Asian Americans combined) and foreign nationals were also studied.

For nuclear engineering, bachelor's degrees have tripled in the past five years. However, even though first-year enrollments continue to increase slowly, full-time enrollment growth has essentially ceased. The rate of growth in bachelor's degrees will probably begin to decline in a year or so. Master's degrees and enrollments in nuclear engineering continue to increase annually. The number of doctoral degrees had been declining for more than a decade. Increases in the last two years plus annual enrollment increases since fall 2001 indicate that doctoral degrees will continue to increase in the near future.

For petroleum engineering, bachelor's degrees have doubled in the past eight years. The current increasing enrollment trends (both first-year and total full-time) will maintain the degree growth in the near future. Master's degrees more than doubled from AY1998-99 through AY2004-05 as a result of full-time enrollment increases from fall 1996 through fall 2003. Enrollment declines in fall 2004 through fall 2006 resulted in a decline in master's degrees in AY2005-06. Since the enrollment decline in fall 2006 was small, the period over which master's degrees decline should end in a year or two. The number of doctoral degrees in petroleum engineering has grown significantly from the minimum in AY2000-01 and is essentially the same as the maximum in the early 1990s.

For mining engineering, bachelor's degrees have been essentially constant for about fifteen years. Modest growth should be anticipated since enrollments (both first-year and full-time) have begun to increase. Master's degrees have been constant for about a decade and doctoral degrees have been constant for about fifteen years. This pattern will continue since master's and doctoral full-time enrollments have remained constant as well.

Degrees and Research Expenditures per Faculty Member for Engineering and Thirteen Engineering Disciplines - AY1980-81 through AY2005-06 (Report 1107D)

This report describes a study of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees per faculty member for engineering as a whole and thirteen engineering disciplines for the period AY1980-81 through AY2005-06. Research expenditures per faculty member, in both actual and inflation-adjusted dollars, were studied and included in the report.

The last five years of engineering education have shown both growth and transitions. From AY2001-02 through AY2005-06, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees have increased 10.2%, 24.7% and 44.1%, respectively. The one-year increases (or decreases) from AY2004-05 in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees have been 0.8%, -3.8% and 13.9%, respectively.

During the last five years (during which degrees at all three academic levels increased), the numbers of engineering faculty increased 17.3%. Research expenditures in engineering colleges increased from AY2001-02 through AY2005-06 by 29.2% in actual dollars and 17.2% in inflation-adjusted dollars. The one-year increases from AY2004-05 were 3.6% actual dollars and 0.2% in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Bachelor's degrees per faculty member for overall engineering have been constant for about fifteen years, ranging between 3.1 and 3.3. Currently, the ratios for the thirteen disciplines studied range from 1.0 to 3.8. Only aerospace, chemical and mechanical engineering have ratios significantly greater than engineering.

Master's degrees per faculty member for engineering increased substantially (total increase of 26.3%) in AY2002-03 and AY2003-04 after a decade of essentially constant ratios. In the last two years the engineering ratios have declined 7.4%. Many of the individual disciplines generally matched the trends of engineering. For AY2005-06, eight of the thirteen disciplines had declines in degrees per faculty ratios.

Doctoral degrees per faculty member for engineering as a whole increased 31.6% from AY2001-02 through AY2005-06, surpassing the maximum set in AY1996-97. The growth in AY2005-06 was 11.8%. Eleven of the thirteen disciplines had higher ratios in AY2005-06 than in AY2001-02.

Research expenditures per faculty member (actual dollars) for engineering increased substantially in AY2001-02 (8.3%), AY2002-03 (8.3%) and AY2003-04 (5.9%). Thereafter, the annual increases were significantly less: 1.8% in AY2004-05 and 2.5% in AY2005-06. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the ratios increased in AY2001-02 (5.0%), AY2002-03 (6.6%) and AY2003-04 (3.5%); declines of 0.9% occurred in both AY2004-05 and AY2005-06.

Most of the engineering disciplines included in this study experienced declines in research expenditures (actual dollars) per faculty member from AY2003-04 through AY2005-06. In AY2005-06, only five disciplines had research expenditures (actual dollars) per faculty member greater than engineering (aerospace, bio-, biomedical, materials and nuclear engineering). Eleven of the engineering disciplines studied showed declines in inflation-adjusted research expenditures per faculty member from AY2003-04 through AY2005-06.

New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends

A complete analysis of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in engineering and engineering disciplines is underway for the last three decades and including AY2006-07 degrees. Gender, ethnicity and foreign national data will be included.

Graduate student enrollments and degrees in various countries and are being studied and compared to data for US engineering colleges. Among the various parameters being analyzed is the fraction of foreign nationals in the graduate programs in various countries.

Engineering Trends Membership Fees to Increase in 2008

Annual Primary and Additional Membership fees will increase to $300 and $150, respectively, in 2008 (increases of $50 each). This is the first fee increase in the five years since memberships were initiated. Membership renewals in January, February and March of 2008, if paid in 2007, will be at the current rate. Invoices for January, February and March renewals (to be sent in October and November) will provide information on this option.

Organizational Memberships to Be Available Beginning in 2008

Organizational Memberships will provide multiple memberships in an organization at a reduced rate. The annual fee will be $500 and will provide for three memberships. The membership holder will be able to designate the additional members online after the membership holder's registration and payment have been completed. All three persons will receive all member benefits.

Can We Be of Assistance?

Engineering Trends specializes in client-defined studies comparing engineering colleges and departments at individual universities.  We follow closely enrollment and degree trends for the US and individual engineering colleges.  Our predictions of engineering degree trends have been credible.  We would be pleased to assist you in your activities in this regard.  Engineering Trends has the capability to provide rapid responses and accurate analyses at low cost to our clients.  All studies are based upon a no-cost quotation specifying the scope of the study and the delivery time, as well as the cost.

We welcome your suggestions of reports to be added to the Report Library section of our Web site and reviewed in forthcoming newsletters.  You may contact us via our Web site www.engtrends.com, info@engtrends.com and/or (906) 482-1523.  We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Richard W. Heckel
Founder & Technical Director
rheckel@engtrends.com

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