Engineering Science Program Profile

PROGRAM STRENGTHS

The primary strengths of the engineering science align with the strengths of the engineering program, while allowing for:

• Greater Program Flexibility: The program allows students take a primary interest in science, business, or art and blend it with a coherent engineering course sequence that fits the educational or career goals of the student.
• Increased Cross-disciplinary Experiences: The program is designed to provide a unique interdisciplinary learning experience across a variety of science, math, and engineering-related disciplines. For example, · Pre-architecture students find a path toward advanced architectural studies by blending Art and Design with an engineering science program of study.
• Construction Management students who desire to strengthen their civil engineering design background have the option to align their construction management program with an engineering science degree path.
• Students seeking career paths into industrial engineering or engineering management have found the blend of engineering science and business administration an excellent cross-disciplinary degree option. · Engineering Science has been a popular degree to blend with dual majors in physics, biology, or chemistry, computer science, or math for students pursuing career paths in science-based industry leadership or engineering research.

In contrast to the engineering program at Dordt University, the engineering science program has not been examined nor accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) or any other commission of ABET, www.abet.org. However, the engineering science program shares the same outcomes and objectives of the engineering program.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

The following curricular outcomes provide specific means of achieving the institutional and program educational objectives.

1. Faithfulness and Responsibility. An ability to articulate and faithfully practice responsible engineering that grows out of Christ’s all-encompassing work as Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer.
2. Fundamentals. An ability to identify, formulate, critically evaluate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics faithful to the analytical, sensory, biotic, physical, kinematic, spatial, and numeric aspects of creation.
3. Design. An ability to holistically design systems, components, or processes that flow from a vision of responsible engineering, giving consideration to models of normative technology faithful to the fiduciary, ethical, juridic, aesthetic, economic, social, lingual, and cultural aspects of creation.
4. Communication. An ability to openly, honestly, and effectively communicate with a broad range of audiences using a variety of oral, written, and graphical forms.
5. Context. An ability to recognize how professional and ethical engineering grows out of our faithful response to the cultural mandate and therefore must be grounded in an understanding of contemporary issues within the broader context of historical, cultural, societal, global, economic, and environmental development.
6. Teamwork. An ability to function effectively on a team by serving alongside others to provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
7. Experimental Development and Analysis. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experiments, analyze and interpret data, and use holistic judgment to draw conclusions.
8. Lifelong Learning. An ability to humbly acquire and apply new knowledge, insights, and skills as faithful stewards of creation.

PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Religious Orientation: The Dordt University engineering program seeks to guide students as they develop a Christian worldview, so that graduates of the engineering program will recognize that they are empowered by the spirit of Christ in order to responsibly serve the Creator, fellow humans, and the entire creation through their calling as an engineer.

Creational Structure: The engineering program is structured as a cohesive curriculum of diverse courses, such that graduates will engage in life-long learning in any area of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Graduates of the program will have the passion and competencies necessary for successful service as engineers in either graduate school or industry.

Creational Development: The program and curriculum highlights the various aspects of human responsibility and involvement in the process of dynamically unfolding the creation. Graduates from the Dordt University engineering program will reflect a desire to unfold the potential of creation through science and technology as responsible stewards. Graduates will articulate the historical roots and philosophical moorings associated with contemporary science and technology and critically assess how the spirits of the age impact technological direction.

Contemporary Response: The engineering program enables students to convert their insights and competencies into committed action in service to God and their neighbor. Graduates of the Dordt University engineering program will have the tenacity and perseverance necessary for engineering service. A Dordt University engineering graduate will articulate a vision for a community of kingdom-committed citizens who serve as lights in a dark world by developing normative technological models and living faithful lives. Graduates will recognize the need for bringing the Gospel of redemptive healing to technology and seek to develop technology in ways that reflect a desire for the well-being (social, economic, ecological, etc.) of all of God’s creatures.