Foundations for a new type of designengineers - Experiences from DTU

Since 2002 a new design-engineering education has been organized at the Technical University of Denmark. It fulfils most of the requirements in the CDIO concept but builds in addition on a change in what is considered core disciplines in engineering as three fields of knowledge are represented almost equally in the curriculum: natural and technical sciences, design synthesis and socio-technical analysis. Combined with an integration and co-ordination of disciplines, a series of projects providing a progression of challenges to the students' learning, and a focus on the outcomes of the learning processes of competences needed in design engineering, the curriculum represents a radical innovation in engineering curriculum. Not least as it includes new disciplines covering socio-technical analysis and new approaches to design synthesis as well as integrates open ended project assignments in cooperation with companies and other actors in society. The paper describes the background as well as the foundational elements constituting the educational program and presents an assessment of the key factors that has made it attract new groups of students to engineering. From 2007 candidates have finalized the education and an evaluation has been carried out based on their own and their employers experiences. This supports the visions build into the curriculum and adds important components to what might be needed to carry out reforms in engineering education.