| : There is a growing hypothesis throughout all the engineering disciplines that the first step toward licensure should be a Master's Degree and not the current Bachelor of Science Degree. The belief is that graduating students are not ready to work with practicing engineers, lacking the skills that a higher degree could afford. Others feel that by making the Master's Degree the first prerequisite we would be aligning our profession with that of Doctors and Attorneys, while distancing ourselves from the sanitation and domestic type engineers. : The other side of the coin is that this would be harmful for the engineering profession as a whole and hurt business as well. The argument is that with the required course work it now takes a student five years to complete the BS Degree, and another two years will only steer qualified students away from engineering disciplines. Another argument is that small business owners could not afford salaries that a person with a Master's Degree will require. : I would be very interested in how this membership feels about this controversial topic.
This is an issue that I feel strongly needs addressing for one possition or the other. I think this would be a detrament to our profession. If the thought is that students are not getting the training and skills necessary, than it is time to convey those thoughts to the ABET Boards and the college leaders. That is the first step. We need to step back and look and the methods. I feel that the colleges here in Iowa are doing what is ask of them, putting out quality students who have the skills to learn under the proper toolage of Professional Engineers.
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