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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Great thread. I am wondering if the Engineering curriculum is needlessly being made hard?

I am an engineer and use less than 10% of the math courses I had.

We keep hearing about shortage of engineers. Are the universities driving away potential students?? [/quote]
I personally don't think it's needlessly hard but I do think they often glory in weeding many out.

The foundations (ha! had to work in a CE reference) -- of some higher level math and basic applied maths -- are needed to fully understand the upper-level concepts.  Take a look at [url=https://catalog.vt.edu/undergraduate/college-engineering/civil-environmental-engineering/civil-engineering-bs/]Virginia Tech[/url] and [url=https://catalog.mit.edu/degree-charts/engineering-civil-environmental-engineering-course-1-eng/]MIT[/url]'s CE requirements: they're still requiring multiple semesters of Calculus, Differential Equations (the 'pure' math) but also things like basic physics, chemistry, probability/stats, and economics which rely heavily on higher level mathematics. And that doesn't even begin to cover the actual 'engineering' classes.

For a freak out: check out VT's suggested "[url=https://catalog.vt.edu/undergraduate/college-engineering/civil-environmental-engineering/civil-engineering-bs/#roadmaptext]Road Map[/url]" on what graduating in four years really means. I'm assuming those (C-) mean you must get at least a C- before taking the next iteration, hence the name C-Wall Class; also check out those 'restricted' electives. Don't they say Easy-A to you? /s

You're right, though, actual 'math' used on the job is generally minimal. Much of it is now done by software and behind the scenes. A successful professional engineer's biggest skill is often the ability to navigate between the sometimes competing interests of clients, regulatory requirements, and the accountants. Way more of it is predicated on financing than what you're taught 'in school.' The 'real' math = money.[/quote]

True. I asked my DC about the weed out classes, and he said the content wasn't hard for him but the curve was ridiculous. They were told a C means you get to stay in, and pretty much no one got higher than a C. The next level classes after the weed out are harder, but the Cs are getting As.[/quote]

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