Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Main Menu

Session 3260

SUMMER ENGINEERING PROGRAM IN LONDON

John W. Lucey Dept. of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Abstract

The University of Notre Dame offers a six-week summer program for its undergraduate engineering students in London, England. Students enroll in two technical elective courses for a total of six semester credit hours. The Program includes several required trips to significant technological facilities. Students not only gain academic credit but also the invaluable experience of living for a significant period of time in a culture different than their own. That cultural exposure may well have a greater long-term benefit to students' professional futures than the explicitly technical instruction they receive.

Introduction

Notre Dame's College of Engineering has offered a summer program in London, England since 1988. The objective is to offer the undergraduate engineering student an enriching educational experience in a foreign study environment.

Students live and travel in a foreign culture while enrolled in two engineering courses, obtaining academic credit applicable to their degree requirements. The program is an intensive six -week session based in London, England. Each course meets for the same number of contact hours as an on-campus summer session course for the same number of credit hours. In addition a number of required field trips, one overnight, are integrated into the courses. Generally students have been Notre Dame undergraduate engineering student s in good standing, with an occasional student from another institution. Participation in the program allows engineering students to make progress to their intended degree while maturing as well educated members of contemporary society.

Required field trips have varied from year to year. Students have visited engineering projects unique to the United Kingdom, including the Channel Tunnel excavation, the Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant operated by British Nuclear Fuels, and the Thames Flood Barrier. We have also visited several industrial facilities, including IBM research and manufacturing facilities in Southern England, Astrium, Inmarsat, Accenture, and Brown and Root, Vickers, to observe and discuss the practice of engineering within the United Kingdom and the evolving European Community. These visits allow students to witness the technical interaction of United States and foreign owned companies, and the operation of United States owned companies in an international environment with local management.

Early each summer the class attends a performance at the Regent's Park Open Air Theater. "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Twelfth Night," "The Taming of the Shrew, " and "Much Ado About Nothing" have, over the years, introduced students to available theater in London.

Program evaluations, based on independent student exit interviews with either the Director of the University's London Undergraduate or London Law Program, have been conducted each year of the program. The evaluator prepares a detailed report of his interviews and conclusions. Over the years the Reports have been uniformly favorable.

Rationale

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

Main Menu

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Lucey, J. (2002, June), Summer Engineering Program In London Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11051