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Newsletter Contents

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

1. "Globally, Doctoral Degrees Awarded in Engineering Are Increasing Rapidly with Europe and Asia Growing More Than 10% per Year"
2. "Analysis of Engineering Faculty Growth, Including Increasing Gender and Ethnicity Trends"
3. "Engineering Bachelor's Degrees - A Four-Decade Correlation of Supply with Demand, But Seven Years Earlier"

New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends

Notice to Engineering Trends Members - New My Membership Page on the Web Site

Organizational Memberships in Engineering Trends Are Now Available

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

Globally, Doctoral Degrees Awarded in Engineering Are Increasing Rapidly with Europe and Asia Growing More Than 10% per Year (Report 0509A)

A comprehensive survey of engineering doctoral degrees awarded through AY2003-04 is presented to define the outputs of various global regions and individual countries. In AY2003-04, European countries awarded 42.5% of the doctorates and Asian countries awarded 34.2%. Twenty-five countries awarded 93.3% of the world's engineering doctorates in AY2003-04. These countries were compared in terms of degrees per capita as well as the number of degrees awarded.

Over the four-year period from AY1999-00 through AY2003-04, the total number of engineering doctorates awarded increased 39.9%. The growth for European countries was 43.0%; that for Asian countries was 44.9%. The growth for Western Hemisphere countries over the period was 17.4%. The largest fractional increase was for the countries of the Middle East (160%), but the total number of doctorates awarded was small (3.4% of the global total in AY2003-04).

Analysis of Engineering Faculty Growth, Including Increasing Gender and Ethnicity Trends (Report 0509B)

This report considers the growth of engineering faculty (tenured and tenure-track) in the period from fall 2001 through fall 2008. The overall increase (combined ranks) was 21.8% and increases for full professors, associate professors and assistant professors were 17.1%, 18.7% and 37.3%, respectively.

Increases in the number of women during the seven-year period of the study were substantial at all three academic ranks. For all three academic ranks combined, the number of women increased 72.4%. The number of men, on the other hand, increased only 16.9%.

The numbers of African, Hispanic, Native and Asian Americans with faculty positions increased 46.3%, 46.1%, 73.1% and 61.2%, respectively, from fall 2001 through fall 2008. The fractions of women in these for groups in fall 2008 were 17.5%, 16.1%, 13.3% and 12.0%, respectively. The comparable fraction for engineering as a whole was 12.5%.

Engineering Bachelor's Degrees - A Four-Decade Correlation of Supply with Demand, But Seven Years Earlier (Report 0509C)

A strong correlation over the past four decades was shown between undergraduate engineering degrees and employment demand. However, the supply of graduates lags the demand by about seven years. In this study, on-campus interviewing and starting salaries were used as measures of demand. Thus, students in the early years of their high school education were influenced in their selection of engineering as a career by the demand for engineering graduates at that time.

The cycles of engineering bachelor's degrees over the past four decades were compared to those in science fields included in the STEM category (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The cyclic nature of undergraduate degrees in all science and engineering fields is shown. Two groups of fields emerged based upon comparison of the years in which their bachelor's degree maxima and minima occurred. Engineering, computer sciences, mathematical sciences and earth, atmospheric and oceanic sciences comprised one group and agricultural and biological sciences, psychology and social sciences comprised the second. It was postulated that the first group could be considered by high school students as "quantitative"; the second as "qualitative". Thus, when high school students respond to engineering (and other "quantitative" fields) as career choices, enrollments in "qualitative" fields decline, and vice versa.

New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends

Work is underway on the correlation of enrollments (through fall 2008) with degrees awarded (through AY2007-08). This large study spans undergraduate and graduate programs and includes both engineering as a whole and individual engineering disciplines.

The annual Engineering Trends analysis of research expenditures is underway. Overall engineering and individual disciplines are included and data will be presented as both expenditures and expenditures per faculty member. Average expenditures per master's and doctoral degree will be included in the report.

The Degrees Since 1945 section of the Engineering Trends Web site is being updated. This effort should be completed in a few months.

Notice to Engineering Trends Members - New My Membership Page on the Web Site

A new page was added to the Engineering Trends Web site - My Membership. This page contains the most recent contact information for a member. Members are encouraged to provide updates of their contact information. Access to My Membership is via the member's username and password. The My Membership page also contains the expiration date of the membership.

Organizational Memberships in Engineering Trends Are Now Available

Organizational Memberships provide two additional memberships in an organization at a reduced rate. The annual fee is $500. The membership holder designates the two additional members online after the membership holder's registration has been processed. Each of the three members receives all member benefits. Further information is available by accessing the Membership Application button on the Web site. Current Primary Memberships can be renewed as Organizational Memberships via the online membership application procedure.

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