“Introduction to Engineering” is a core course offered to freshmen students of all engineering disciplines. Students of non-engineering majors often select the course to learn more about the engineering profession and to find out how well it may fit their personal interests. The course content varies among higher education institutions, but they all place a significant emphasis on the delivery methods and the course outcomes. An online research of the latest posted offerings and catalogs shows the topics covered by the course and the credit hours dedicated to it. Student surveys conducted at two different institutions show why students select to become engineers and their preference for the different course components.
Dr. Avrithi is an assistant professor at Marian University. She earned a Diploma in Civil Engineering, an MS in Structural Engineering both from the National Technical University of Athens, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research interests include uncertainty and risk quantification for design, optimization, resilience, and systems design. She is member of ASCE, ASEE, ASME, and ASTM.
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