The future of materials undergraduate programs: Can we avoid extinction?
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The future of materials undergraduate programs: Can we avoid extinction? Linda Vanasupa Professor and Chair, Materials Engineering Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 [email protected],
ABSTRACT In materials research, the current funding focus has shifted from largely mechanical-properties based aspects of materials to their molecular-level chemical nature, such as biomaterials or nanoscale phenomenon. Along with this shift in emphasis, we have seen many undergraduate materials programs become absorbed by other programs as a concentration in other engineering majors. Many programs have absolved departments in favor of a model where faculty from a variety of departments have adjunct appointments in, say, an interdisciplinary materials science and engineering program. What exactly is the fate of undergraduate materials programs? Is it time for materials science and engineering undergraduate programs to be absorbed into the sea of interdisciplinarity? In this talk, I will present data on the landscape of trends within the undergraduate materials community against the changes in the global arena. What is our role as materials science and engineering educators in the societal state of flux that we face? What are the opportunities? In an attempt to see into the future, we will consider all these questions. MSE B.S. DEGREES DOWN BY 25% FROM 1985 LEVELS By examining the number of bachelor degrees in materials science and engineering (MSE) conferred since 1985, we see that the graduation rates have declined steadily from over 1200 in 1985 to 930 in 2001, about 75% of the 1985 figures. This has occurred in an era of declining U.S. engineering degrees, so the MSE degrees follow the national trends as shown in Figure 1. 30,000 25,000
Electrical 20,000
Mechanical 15,000
Civil
10,000
Other
Chemical
5,000
Industrial Aerospace Materials 20 01
19 99
19 97
19 95
19 93
19 91
19 89
19 87
19 85
0
Figure 1. Bachelors degrees conferred in the U.S. Source of data: Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System [1].
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The declining U.S. degree trend, from 77.5 thousand B.S. engineering degrees in 1985 to about 59.2 thousand in 2001, exists within an increase of 30% in higher education enrollments over the same period [2]. Clearly, smaller fractions of the college-aged population are choosing to pursue engineering degrees in the U.S.. However, outside the U.S., particularly in the Asian region there is an increase in science and technology talent [3]. The question of what the future holds for undergraduate materials programs may be a question for other engineering programs as well, especially in the midst of the dwindling numbers of U.S. engineering graduates compared to nationals like China and India. A GROWING TREND TOWARD INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS Currently there are 57 undergraduate materials degree programs (B.S.) that are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology [4]. A search by discipline at College Source [5]
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