2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mechanical engineering standards are documented codes that enable the design process of machine elements and equipment. These internationally recognized standards are important for reliability, safety, productivity, and efficiency of machines and equipment. International organizations such as ISO (International Organization for Standardization), ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), and several other organizations oversee and constantly update these codes to keep pace with technological advancements in industry, globally.
Literature suggests that one of the major issues impacting mechanical engineering graduates when they begin working in industry is the lack of knowledge and training regarding engineering standards. This results in expenditure of time and resources during initial on-boarding and training procedures for fresh engineering graduates when hired by industry. Although this issue exists in the US , it is more prevalent in Pakistan, where academia and industry are disconnected; , particularly in industries such as oil and gas, fertilizers, cement, and sugar and food industry. Engineering students most often depend on securing an internship to experience industry before graduating, which may not always be possible, yet sufficient.
Scholars identified the lack of knowledge about engineering codes and standards as a major weakness of mechanical engineering graduates. This exploratory study aims to do a comparison of undergraduate mechanical engineering curricula in the United States, and in Pakistan regarding the awareness and implementation of engineering codes and standards
Based on qualitative approaches, online interviews were designed for mechanical engineering graduates to understand graduates' experiences learning common engineering standards in courses and internships. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with CEOs and project managers in industry to provide perceptions of mechanical engineering graduates’ knowledge of engineering standards when entering the workforce. This study’s findings contribute to the understanding of engineering standards formally taught to undergraduate engineering students, and the conclusion that recent graduates do struggle with learning and implementing the standards when they join the industry. Industry leaders also reaffirm their expectations being not met by recent graduates. Further, by this comparison study, we aim to bring understanding to the broader engineering community of similar gaps in the US mechanical engineering curricula albeit on a smaller scale.