Study The Change In Higher Engineering Education Curriculum Policy In The United States

The higher engineering education has the responsibility to cultivate innovative engineer for national modernization construction, and it raises the important decisive function to the development of the economy of our country. Curriculum is the important carrier of universities to cultivate engineer, curriculum policies can reflect education policy intuitively. Through the research of higher engineering education curriculum policy of the United States we can enrich our higher engineering education concept, and curriculum policy ideas, to provide new thought and new inspiration to higher engineering education, and improve the quality of our country’s higher engineering education, It should also benefit China to train excellent engineering and technical personnel.The United States is the leading higher engineering education of the world, its higher engineering education curriculum policies is constantly adjusting, Since1861, the curriculum policy have been changed for several times which is become more mature. Existing curriculum policy has already gone through the preliminary period, developmental period, adjustment period and mature period.The first stage (1861-1930s) is the preliminary period. The curriculum policies emphasis on engineering technology education, its curriculum policy-oriented focus on pragmatism, and the target of curriculum policy is to foster technician, the course content focus on useful arts. The course structure showing that the courses’organization becomes more sophisticated and professional, and the curriculums focused on skills training. The second stage (1940s-1950s) is the developmental period. The curriculum policies emphasis on basic scientific research, its curriculum policy-oriented focus on basic scientific, the target of curriculum policy is to foster scientist, the course content focus on Basic science knowledge. Increase the proportion of basic courses in the curriculum structure, and Pays great attention to raise the abilities of students’basic science. The third stage (1960s-1980s) is the adjustment period. The curriculum policies emphasis on general education, its curriculum policy-oriented focus on between scientism and humanism, the target of curriculum policy is to foster engineering specialist, the course content focus on Science and humanities knowledge. The curriculum has a flexible and open architecture, and it pay close attention to training students in engineering practice, and encourage lifelong learning. The fourth stage (1990s-) is the mature period. The curriculum policies emphasis on engineering with a big E, its curriculum policy-oriented focus on engineering itself, the target of curriculum policy is to foster system integrators and product architects, the course content focus on engineering practice and its background, it attach importance to the interdisciplinary courses, and emphasize practice in implementing. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a model example, curriculum policy of different periods are reflected in the practices of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Accompanied by the changes in the social, political, economic and environmental, higher engineering education’s curriculum policy of the United States is changing. The reason for the changes is the position of the engineering education has been changed. The engineering education has experienced different stages, and now it had found its own localization. In the different time, the way to formulate curriculum policy is invariable. And the nature of engineering education is also invariable. Engineering education is to cultivate engineer for the benefit of mankind.