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The Maryland Associate of Science in Engineering: Outcomes-Based Transfer Degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering

Abstract

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), citing a study that indicates a severe shortage of graduates in the electrical and computer engineering disciplines in the state, initiated an effort to develop an Associate of Science in Engineering (ASE) degree that would be accepted by all four-year institutions in the state without further review, removing the need for course-by- course articulation agreements for ASE graduates. Representatives from public and private institutions with electrical and/or computer engineering programs were invited to participate in the effort to define the ASE degree in these two disciplines. Early in the process, there was a consensus that an outcomes-based approach would allow the individual institutions to maintain their autonomy and diversity and that a course-by-course requirement would not, so the former approach was adopted. The degree has been defined and the regulation approved by MHEC. The effective date of the ASE is October 19, 2009. All four-year schools in Maryland have agreed to accept the ASE articulation agreement to facilitate graduates into their electrical engineering and computer engineering programs.

This paper describes the process for reaching consensus on critical outcomes and other requirements for state- programs in Maryland, both public and private. While the present requirements were determined by consensus, there were natural concerns regarding consistency of the level of outcomes across institutions, quality control, and the ability of this process to efficiently and effectively incorporate potential changes in outcomes being considered for implementation by individual four-year schools. The faculty committee met monthly for two years to discuss engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer programming content that would allow incoming community college students to successfully compete with native engineering students in their junior year. Other issues such as admission requirements and block transfer of credits were addressed and agreed upon. Community college graduates with the ASE degree will have their credits transfer to participating institutions as a block, without subject to further course-by- course review. The student will then have more flexibility in selecting a four-year institution. To respond to changes in curricula, a continuous review committee comprised of faculty was created to review outcomes annually and facilitate communication among institutions. This paper will present details on: the process developed to identify the critical outcomes and indicators; the mechanism developed to adapt to changes in curricula; the application process for two-year schools; and feedback received from institutions with resulting adaptations to the ASE criteria.

Background

In the United States, the transfer path from the community college to the four-year university is taken by a significant fraction of the graduating BS engineering students. This path is generally quite inefficient due to the fact that the interface between two-year and four-year institutions is generally defined by a course-by-course transfer, with differing requirements for each university.

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Ladeji-Osias, J., & Cerkovnik, R., & Lawson, W., & Xiang, L. (2010, June), The Maryland Associate’s Of Science In Electrical And Computer Engineering: Outcomes Based Transfer Degrees Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--15952