2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Among over two million baccalaureate degrees conferred annually in the United States, business remain the most popular field of studies with over 19% of all graduates, followed by health professions and social sciences . Whereas only about 6% of BS degrees are awarded in engineering, the engineering enrollment has been growing faster overtaking psychology as the 4th most popular field of study. In the first decade of 21st century several national reports called on US government to increase investments in science, mathematics, and engineering education as a matter of national economic competitiveness. The increasingly complex technologies involved in new products based on interconnected and responsive hardware and software motivated development of new college curricula blending business and STEM education. Since 2008 blended engineering and business baccalaureate programs have been developed by at least 12 different universities in the US including Drexel, Lehigh University, Ohio State, Penn State, University of California Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, University of Tennessee Knoxville, University of Texas at Austin, Valparaiso University, Washington University in St. Louis. In this paper we will provide an overview and initial student outcomes assessment for a new Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) major offered at a Large Research University since Fall 2021. The IBE curriculum encompasses project-based courses starting from the first semester. The IBE students are introduced to real-life complex engineering problems through community-based design or vertically integrated research team frameworks. The IBE curriculum includes all the first-year science and engineering core courses required for other engineering majors. Additionally, the first year IBE students complete introductory accounting and microeconomics coursework. The engineering coursework continues in sophomore and junior years through electives and additional experiential learning courses. The paper discusses structure for the IBE program and initial evaluations along with the opportunities and challenges for addressing the learning objectives of the business and engineering degrees within the four-year curriculum.