2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This study begins by investigating the current integration of design and engineering principles in undergraduate engineering programs in the UK, focusing on curriculum structure and the balance between technical knowledge and creative skills. A survey of 61 engineering institutions, utilizing data from UCAS (University and College Admissions Service) and course content analysis, reveals that design integration is limited and highly inconsistent across programs. Only 8 institutions were found to directly introduce design-related courses within their engineering curricula, and a wide disparity exists in how design is embedded across different fields.

Upon further examination, the study identified significant variations in the educational backgrounds of the educators responsible for teaching design. To address this gap, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine engineering educators from diverse academic and professional backgrounds to gain insights into the practical challenges they face in implementing design education.

The findings suggest that the inconsistent integration of design into engineering programs poses significant challenges for developing well-rounded engineers. The study concludes by emphasizing the need to balance technical STEM knowledge with creative design skills to produce engineers who can solve complex, interdisciplinary problems. It also calls for improvements in integrating design education into engineering curricula to better support students’ problem-solving, creativity, and professional development.