2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper will present the development of a college course (for seniors or first year M.S. students) on Frugal Engineering. Value Methodology or Value Engineering, along with Quality Engineering are key components of frugal engineering. Wicked problems and their challenges are also presented in this course, along with wicked problem-solving strategy. While the concepts behind Value Engineering were developed in the 1940s and popularly applied in industrial, manufacturing, construction, and defense projects, they are rarely taught in engineering colleges today.
The authors will present a roadmap for teaching such a course. The certification process of the course by SAVE International (formerly Society of American Value Engineers) will also detailed. A sample ABET based syllabus, along with a detailed class schedule will also be discussed. After completion of the course, students may be eligible to take the Value Methodology Associate (VMA) exam to be certified as VMAs (Value Methodology Associates). This certification will be compared to a Lean/Six Sigma certification that is popular with students today.