Ο The Three-Two Plan of Engineering Education Introduction NE OF THE PROBLEMS which has increasingly engaged the attention of engineering educators, especially during the last few decades, has been the allocation of time in undergraduate engineering education between the two major subdivisions of an engineering curriculum, the liberal and the technical. With the growing tendency of industry to call engineers to managerial and administrative positions, it has become increasingly important that engineering education should include such cultural or liberal education as will enable engineers to be well-rounded men, able to carry their share of the duties of good citizens, and able to understand the social, political, and economic implications of their scientific and engineering activities. The Three-Two Plan One method of attack on this problem which is gaining in popularity consists of cooperative arrangements between engineering colleges and nonengineering colleges under which students are enabled to pursue combined liberal arts and engineering curriculums. In some, the two colleges are parts of the same university. The usual pattern, generally called the "three-two plan," provides that a student attend a nonengineering college for 3 years, taking a program agreed upon between the two institutions, and then attend the engineering college for 2 years. If his work is completed satisfactorily, he receives the bachelor of arts degree from the nonengineering college at the end of his fourth college year, and at the end of his fifth year the bachelor of science degree in engineering from the engineering college. The engineering degree is normally based on a 4-year curriculum in engineering. Development of the Three-Two Plan Apparently the earliest organized three-two plan was at Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland, Ohio, which had such a program from 1903 to 1927 in collaboration with Adelbert College in the same. city. A few other institutions have had programs for many years, but much of the growth in popularity in this type of educational program is comparatively recent. Since 1952 several lists of three-two programs have been published by the author of this bulletin and others, most of which were based on fragmentary information received from various sources. In October 1952 the New York Times reported 13 programs. In the December 1953 issue of Higher Education, a journal of the Office of Education, appeared a list of 25 engineering colleges collaborating with 120 different nonengineering colleges situated in 32 States. In July 1959 a list prepared by this writer tabulated 42 engineering colleges in 19 States, which were collaborating with 164 nonengineering colleges in 37 States in the conduct of 266 three-two programs. Current Programs In the fall of 1959 information on current three-two programs was supplied by officials of every recognized engineering college in the United States, in connection with the preparation of OE Circular 635 (OE-56003) Trends in Engineering Education, 1949 to 1959. These reports show that at that time 55 engineering colleges situated in 26 States were collaborating with 224 nonengineering colleges situated in 40 States and two foreign nations in the conduct of 355 three-two programs. The extension of the plan to foreign countries is a recent and perhaps significant development. In the fall of 1959 the Mexico City College and the University of the Andes in Colombia were collaborating with three engineering colleges in the United States in the conduct of four such programs. The data show further that in the 355 programs in operation in the fall of 1959, there were enrolled in the engineering part of the program a total of 509 students, and that up to that time 1,442 students had received both the liberal arts and engineering degrees under this type of program. No data were reported on the numbers of students enrolled in the nonengineering part of the programs. There are apparent discrepancies in numbers in the above statements because many of the engineering colleges are associated with a considerable number of nonengineering colleges, and some of the nonengineering colleges collaborate with more than one engineering college. For example, of the nonengineering colleges included in the 1959 tabulation, 52 were collaborating with two engineering colleges each; 23 with three each; and 10 with four or more each. In short, 224 different nonengineering colleges accounted for the 355 programs in which 55 engineering colleges were collaborating. How the Plan Operates The general pattern of the three-two program, as described by engineering school officials, includes no formal contract between the schools concerned, but considerable discussion between their officials leading to an agreement on administrative procedures and on the courses to be offered at the nonengineering college and at the engineering college. The engineering college usually accepts only students recommended by the faculty of the nonengineering college. Several of the statements mention the desirability of keeping the list of participating institutions small so that engineering college officials can become well acquainted with the collaborating institutions and their staffs. Administrative details described by institutional officials include such items as the exchange between institutions of the results of aptitude, achievement, and other tests and scholastic records, to aid both institutions in guiding and counseling participating students. Joint pamphlets and publicity materials are prepared by the two institutions. Each institution appoints a liaison officer to facilitate the administration of the program. During the last half of the third year a review is made of the records of students eligible for transfer according to standards agreed upon by the two institutions. The nonengineering college certifies to the engineering college the names of students it is willing to fully recommend. Conferences of instructional and administrative personnel associated with the program at the two institutions are held to develop improved articulation between them. The Course of Study A typical statement concerning the course of study reads as follows: "The first three years of study will be carefully designed to include the necessary mathematics, science, and other preengineering subjects. Because of the rigorous nature of the engineering curriculum above average grades must be secured during these years to qualify the student for the later engineering work. In some cases a summer course sometime during the five-year period may be needed to complete 591548 0-61-2 all requirements." (The summer camp is mentioned by several of the engineering college officials.) One official included a statement of the requirements established for the first 3 years at the nonengineering college, expressed in terms of comparable courses at his engineering college. He said, "There has been little difficulty among our associates in meeting these requirements, possibly because we are not too insistent on exact equivalents. All we aim for is a program which will permit entering our junior work without handicap to the student." The requirements cover a total of 40 credit hours in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and drawing, and 30 hours in English, economics, history, literature, and psychology. This is followed by specific additional requirements for certain curriculums in the engineering college, and by a list of suggested electives, which include economics, language, government or political science, history, literature, mathematics, philosophy, advanced chemistry, sociology, and statistics. Variations of Three-Two Plan Two variations of the three-two plan have come to the attention of the writer in recent months. One of these programs provides that students attend Lincoln University for three years, followed by 3 years in the engineering cooperative education program at Drexel Institute of Technology, Philadelphia, Pa., which includes 15 months in industrial and professional assignments under Drexel's cooperative education program. Upon completion of the 6-year program, the two degrees will be awarded. Michigan State University has announced a program which might be called a "two-three" plan, designed primarily to prepare engineering students for work overseas after graduation. In this program the student takes the usual engineering courses for the first 2 years. In the third, fourth, and fifth years he takes the remaining engineering courses, along with liberal arts courses. Completion of this program leads to the receipt of the bachelor of science degree and the bachelor of arts degree, both from the Michigan State University. Advantages to the Student Advantages to the student are pointed out by several of the engineering college officials. The following paragraphs are paraphrased or quoted directly from their statements. This program permits a student to receive liberal and technical education at relatively low cost, by getting a part of his education |