2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In the last decade, engineering education has undergone significant transformation, with mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering emerging as the most popular and fastest-growing engineering disciplines. However, there is a significant gap in the literature on how engineers from these disciplines differ in career trajectories and attitudes, especially regarding race and gender diversity. Existing research emphasizes the unique social dynamics within specific engineering fields and their potential to attract diverse students and support varied career paths (Brawner et al., 2012). To probe these distinctions, our study, grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994) and Critical Race Theory (CRT; Crenshaw et al., 1995), investigates the career pathways and attitudes of engineering graduate students. Leveraging a dataset of 847 engineering graduate students, we examine differences across these three engineering disciplines and the impact of demographic factors like race and gender on career decisions and attitudes. Findings suggest that clear demographic distinctions emerged at the intersection of race and gender: female students across all disciplines displayed a greater preference for nonprofit careers compared to their male counterparts, while underrepresented racially minoritized (URM, that is Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinx, and American Indians or Alaska Natives) students exhibited a stronger inclination toward entrepreneurial endeavors than their non-URM, that is White and Asian, peers. Even after accounting for these demographic variables, it is noteworthy that computer engineering students exhibited a higher level of interest in nonprofit positions and careers in K-12 education compared to their counterparts in mechanical and electrical engineering. Disparities in attitudes were also observed; URMs were more concerned with racial justice issues and experienced greater race-related stress. Similarly, computer engineering students were more involved in racial justice activities. These findings underscore the complex interaction of demographic and disciplinary differences and the unique position of computer engineering in promoting social justice interests. This study contributes to the broader discourse on engineering education, providing valuable insights into its evolving landscape while also highlighting the necessity for further research to explore the specific factors within computer engineering that might encourage greater diversity and social justice initiatives.