The most significant development in engineering education in recent years is the birthing of the ABET* EC2000 Criteria. While the previous set of criteria was concerned with the counting of credits in certain categories of learning, the new one is outcome-based, radically affecting the engineering education community.

According to ABET’s Criterion 3 Program Outcomes and Assessment, it is the responsibility of the institutions seeking accreditation of an engineering program to demonstrate clearly that their graduates have the following:

1. an ability to apply knowledge in mathematics, science and engineering
2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyse and interpret data
3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs
4. an ability to function within multi-disciplinary teams
5. an ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems
6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
7. an ability to communicate effectively
8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context
9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning
10. a knowledge of contemporary issues
11. an ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

It can be seen that the traditional engineering curriculum explicitly addresses only 5 out of the 11 program outcomes [i.e. (a), (b), (c), (e) and (k)]. The rest of the outcomes, which address soft skills such as teamwork, macro-thinking and effective communication, are usually not considered to be the primary objectives of an engineering curriculum. These secondary objectives are often relegated to the hidden curriculum. But due to demands from the engineering industry that such attributes are essential, ABET now requires these soft skills to be incorporated in the curriculum on a footing equal to that of technical knowledge and skills.

In addition, the ABET outcomes emphasise what engineers do rather than what they know. This means that the place of learning needs to expand beyond the classrooms and even beyond the walls of universities. Further examination of the outcome statements reveals the choice of action-oriented words, showing that ABET is no longer satisfied with activities aimed merely at the lowest levels of educational objectives such as knowledge and comprehension. Instead, it is promoting higher cognitive levels such as application, analysis, synthesis and judgement.

Keeping in mind the ABET accreditation, the NUS Faculty of Engineering curriculum has been evolving in the last few years towards satisfying the ABET criteria as well as matching the university’s own recent thrust towards developing a more broad-based education for NUS students. The new curriculum aims to produce graduates who not only possess traditional skills (in terms of problem solving, analysis, communication, interpersonal relations, management and decision making), but also the modern attributes that will enable our graduates to practise their profession with competence and confidence in the ever-changing world. These modern attributes include independent learning, desire for life-long learning, innovativeness, creativity, IT proficiency, an international outlook, the ability to work in a team, as well as the abilities to muster knowledge from neighbouring disciplines and work at the interfaces between traditional disciplines.

The latest changes in the NUS engineering undergraduate curriculum include the following:

• The Year 1 engineering curriculum has been significantly revamped to give a firm grounding in basic sciences and mathematics. As remarked by Vice Provost Prof Ivan Png, “This will better prepare engineering graduates for a fast-changing workplace, also strengthen and further differentiate our programs relative to regional competitors and provide a stronger basis for graduate education.”

• All engineering modules have been refurbished to clearly articulate learning objectives and outcomes. Many of these modules have been upgraded; a significant number have been culled or consolidated to enhance the quality of the module. New modules have been created, such as Engineering Professionalism, to satisfy ABET requirements and to keep abreast with recent developments.

• The percentage of technical modules has been decreased to make way for the University Requirements (comprising General Education Modules, Singapore Studies Modules and Unrestricted Elective Modules) that will help our students to develop the aforementioned modern attributes.

• Enhancement programs are offered to students to enrich their learning experiences in diverse areas.

  • The Industrial Attachment and Vacation Internship Programs enable our students to translate theories learnt in the classroom into assignments in a real world environment, instil in students the right kind of attitude and professionalism through interaction with people in organisations, and allow students to acquire soft skills such as teamwork and the use of IT in the workplace.

  • The Technopreneurship and Incubation Program prepares students for a career in technology-based entrepreneurship and teaches them how to start up and incubate companies.

  • The Innovation Program teaches students that existing schemes and procedures in engineering practice can be successfully challenged, and at the same time, that there are significant merits and strengths in existing engineering schemes and procedures.

  • The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program provides an opportunity for students to do research at an early stage and helps develop a desire for life-long learning. The program also allows students to acquire skills involved in the intellectual process of inquiry, enhance their knowledge in the latest technology and interact with faculty members so as to foster closer ties.

• International educational programs are injected into the curriculum to provide our students with a learning experience in an overseas environment and help develop an international outlook. Such programs include the Student Exchange Program, the Double Degree Program with the French Grandes Écoles, the NUS/Georgia Tech Special Term Program and the NUS/Silicon Valley Program.

• The curriculum is made more flexible to allow students to tailor the engineering program to suit their needs by freeing up the need to take prescribed modules. Students are given greater choices in specialisations and minor programs.

The revised, modern engineering curriculum brings the Faculty of Engineering one step closer to obtaining ABET substantial equivalency for its engineering programs. Next, the Faculty will tackle the following: “How should engineering departments demonstrate that their students have the specified abilities at the time of graduation?”

To answer this question, the Faculty Accreditation and Benchmarking Committee (FABC) consisting of the Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Programs, Assistant Deans and departmental ABET program coordinators, was formed. The Engineering Undergraduate Programs Advisory Committee (comprising of the Vice-Dean, Assistant Deans and deputy departmental academic heads) backs FABC. FABC guides and coordinates each engineering department’s efforts in preparing for the accreditation exercise. The committee is now developing an assessment process system that includes the establishment of clear program objectives and outcomes, the collection of documented data/results from constituents, systematic analysis and feedback loops (see Figure 1).

The assessment is based on Total Quality Management (TQM) principles and the Learning Paradigm. In TQM, the emphasis is on continuous improvement and constituent orientation; as the engineering industry becomes more critical of our graduates’ abilities, it becomes even more crucial for us to close the gap between what we teach and what students need to learn. In addition, the focus of assessment on program outcome is based on the Learning Paradigm, which emphasises what students actually have learned rather than what teachers have taught. Instead of teachers simply disseminating knowledge through lectures, engineering professors will now coach, counsel and collaborate with students during the learning process.

There have been many changes within the NUS Faculty of Engineering in recent years and it is unlikely that the transformation will cease. Because the Faculty is committed to constant program improvement, we will continue to evolve our curriculum so that it will meet the demands of our constituents as well as provide an enjoyable educational experience for our students.

* ABET is the acronym for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Established originally in 1932 as the Engineering’s Council for Professional Development (ECPD), ABET is recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the only organisation responsible for the accreditation of engineering-related programs at colleges and universities in the United States.