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Newsletter Contents

Synopses of new reports in the Report Library on the Engineering Trends Web Site engtrends.com

1. "Engineering Master's Degrees Decrease While Doctoral Degrees Increase; Enrollment Data Are Used to Provide Understanding. An Analysis of Individual Disciplines and Overall Engineering"
2. "Undergraduate Engineering Degrees Awarded in States; Comparison of AY2006-07 to AY2000-01; Data from Six Larger Disciplines Are Included As Well As Overall Engineering"
3. "Emerging Engineering Disciplines - Telecommunications Engineering and Information Technology"

New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends

Notice to Engineering Trends Members - New My Membership Page on the Web Site

Organizational Memberships in Engineering Trends Are Now Available

Synopses of New Reports in the Report Library on the Engineering Trends Web Site

Engineering Master's Degrees Decrease While Doctoral Degrees Increase; Enrollment Data Are Used to Provide Understanding. An Analysis of Individual Disciplines and Overall Engineering (Report 1108A)

This report analyzes the interactions between enrollments and degrees in engineering master's and doctoral programs in US engineering colleges. The examination is focused upon overall engineering and fourteen engineering disciplines (aerospace, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, mechanical, nuclear and petroleum engineering) and includes (separately) computer science programs within engineering colleges.

Engineering master's degrees are currently declining and doctoral degrees are increasing. These opposing trends are the result of the decline of master's enrollments following the maximum in fall 2002 and the substantial growth of doctoral enrollments through fall 2004. A transition is about to occur due to the significant increase in master's enrollments in fall 2007 and negligible increases in doctoral enrollments since fall 2004. Master's degrees should begin to increase in AY2008-09 and doctoral degrees should remain essentially constant through AY2010-11.

This enrollment versus degrees analysis is applied to master's and doctoral degrees in individual engineering disciplines. The growth of master's enrollments (two years since fall 2005) in computer (science), electrical, industrial, nuclear and petroleum engineering exceeded that of overall engineering (11.7%). For doctoral enrollments, two-year enrollment growth in aerospace, biological, biomedical, computer, environmental, materials, nuclear and petroleum engineering exceed that of overall engineering (2.9%). These enrollment data were used to predict master's and doctoral degree trends in the near term.

Undergraduate Engineering Degrees Awarded in States; Comparison of AY2006-07 to AY2000-01; Data from Six Larger Disciplines Are Included As Well As Overall Engineering (Report 1108B)

Engineering Trends continues to monitor the awarding of engineering degrees by colleges in states of the US - a form of state-to-state benchmarking. The data are provided to assist universities in undergraduate enrollment planning and recruiting activities for graduate programs. In addition, industrial organizations can use this information to increase the efficiency of on-campus recruiting by targeting specific geographical regions that best support their needs.

This report compares undergraduate engineering degrees awarded in states in AY2006-07 to those awarded in AY2000-01. Data from engineering programs in the District of Columbia and in Puerto Rico are included. Individual engineering disciplines (biological (bioengineering and biomedical), chemical, civil, computer (including computer science degrees awarded in engineering colleges and universities with engineering programs), electrical and mechanical engineering are analyzed as well as data from engineering as a whole.

Data presented and analyzed for the individual engineering disciplines and overall engineering in the states include bachelor's degrees awarded in AY2000-01 and AY2006-07, rankings of states in regard to degree growth, rankings of states in regard to overall degrees and comparisons of degree growth in various states to degrees awarded per capita in the various disciplines studied.

Emerging Engineering Disciplines - Telecommunications Engineering and Information Technology (Report 1108C)

The number of individual engineering disciplines has increased significantly over the years in response to the ever-changing technological scene and the interests of universities, faculty, students and potential employers. In fact, most of the fastest growing disciplines over the past decade were relatively unknown three decades ago.

It appears that two more engineering disciplines are emerging - telecommunications engineering and information technology. A growing number of engineering colleges are providing enrollment and degree data in these areas, although the program names that are used differ somewhat from those used in this report. Programs defined with the word "telecommunications" in the title were combined as telecommunications engineering and those with "information" in the title (except "information science") were combined as information technology (including information systems and information engineering as well as information technology).

This report focuses on the growing numbers of engineering colleges submitting data on these two disciplines and the data reported for degrees and enrollments.

New Studies Underway at Engineering Trends

A companion study to that in Report 1108B (synopsis presented above), but directed to master's and doctoral degrees and enrollments in the states of the US is underway. The report on this study will focus on engineering as a whole and six of the larger engineering disciplines.

A complete analysis of academic salaries is underway. The report on this study will include salary trends of each professorial level and statistical information on the spread of salary data for each level.

Engineering degrees, both total and for individual engineering disciplines, are compiled annually and aded to the Degrees Since 1945 page of our Web site. This page is now under reconstruction to provide updated survey information from the annual surveys of both EWC and ASEE for the individual disciplines as well as engineering as a whole.

Notice to Engineering Trends Members - New My Membership Page on the Web Site

A new page was added to the Engineering Trends Web site - My Membership. This page contains the most recent contact information for a member. Members are encouraged to provide updates of their contact information. Access to My Membership is via the member's username and password. The My Membership page also contains the expiration date of the membership.

Organizational Memberships in Engineering Trends Are Now Available

Organizational Memberships provide two additional memberships in an organization at a reduced rate. The annual fee is $500. The membership holder designates the two additional members online after the membership holder's registration has been processed. Each of the three members receives all member benefits. Further information is available by accessing the Membership Application button on the Web site. Current Primary Memberships can be renewed as Organizational Memberships via the online membership application procedure.

Can We Be of Assistance?

Engineering Trends specializes in client-defined studies comparing engineering colleges and departments at individual universities.  We follow closely enrollment and degree trends for the US and individual engineering colleges.  Our predictions of engineering degree trends have been credible.  We would be pleased to assist you in your activities in this regard.  Engineering Trends has the capability to provide rapid responses and accurate analyses at low cost to our clients.  All studies are based upon a no-cost quotation specifying the scope of the study and the delivery time, as well as the cost.

We welcome your suggestions of reports to be added to the Report Library section of our Web site and reviewed in forthcoming newsletters.  You may contact us via our Web site www.engtrends.com, info@engtrends.com and/or (906) 482-1523.  We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Richard W. Heckel
Founder & Technical Director
rheckel@engtrends.com