Engineering curricula degrees

There has been a tendency over the years to keep separate the liberal arts and engineering curriculum, recognizing the differences in thought processes, students, and interests. This has enabled the students to follow different paths, and over time, we have found that rarely do the two meet. The separation has had different labels to describe the different path of each right brain vs. left brain, feelers vs. thinkers, creative vs. structured, liberal arts vs. engineering and technical degrees, etc. 

One interesting and particular feature of chemical engineering, which is common with other major technical degrees, is that the curriculum across the globe is very similar because the basic principles of nature are common. In Figure 1.1, we present, from the outside to the core, the main subjects that are currently covered in the chemical engineering curriculum. 

As part of the education for graduate students, ETH Zurich, like many other European universities, does not offer a graduate school , but advanced lectures in molecular dynamics and molecular simulation (W. F. van Gunsteren), and numerical quantum chemistry (T. K. Ha, H. P. LUthi) are offered. In these courses the modern methods in molecular dynamics and ab initio quantum chemistry are addressed and discussed based on examples from the current research literature. These lectures are also part of the ETH Computational Science and Engineering curriculum, a program which offers a degree based on an education with an interdisciplinary character (chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and computer science see http //www.inf.ethz.ch/departinent/WR/RW/). 

Astrid M.W. Bulte is a researcher in science edncation, being since 1999 connected to the Freudenthal Institnte for Science and Mathematics Education at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. In her current position she focuses her research on the development and evaluation of authentic practice-based science units for secondary education. She contributes to the education of student - science teachers, teaching students how to communicate science issues. She takes a leading position in national curriculum developments. After she obtained her Master degree in Chemical Engineering Science in 1989, she completed her doctoral thesis in 1994 in the same subject at the same university. From 1994 till 1999, she was a teacher of physics and chemistry in secondary education. 

Requirements at Entrance and the Curriculum Framework. The curriculum Is rather simple and straightforward. Formal entry requires a Master s degree In a field within the natural sciences, engineering, or public health. Preferably the Master s would Include a strong, Independent thesis effort. The Intent of this requirement Is to Insure that the student have (and retain) competence within an established discipline. Students are carefully selected from applicants on the basis of prior performance, test scores, recommendations, and Interviews, and thus with a goal of selecting synergistic combinations of Intellect, aptitude, and motivation likely to lead to success. 

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