Engineering
Body of Knowledge:
Tomorrow’s Engineer
Indiana Society of Professional Engineers
77th Annual Conference
Indianapolis, IN, June 2014
Stuart G. Walesh, PhD, PE, Consultant
stuwalesh@Comcast.net
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Purpose
• Describe the EBOK and the
process used to develop it
• Suggest ways you and your
organization might use the EBOK
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NSPE’s Definition of BOK
The depth and breadth
of knowledge, skills, and attitudes
appropriate to enter practice
as a professional engineer
in responsible charge of engineering activities
that potentially impact
public health, safety, and welfare
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Why develop
an EBOK?
Support NSPE’s
mission, vision, and
values
Respond to NAE
“take charge”
challenge to the
engineering
profession
Need for a
pan-engineering
BOK
Build on disciplinespecific BOK efforts
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Support NSPE’s
vision, mission,
and values
Use values as an example:
1. Protection of the public welfare above all
other considerations
2. Ethical and competent practice of
engineering
3. Innovation through the creative application
of math, science, and engineering
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4. The PE license as the highest standard of
professionalism in engineering
5. Continuous learning for professional growth
6. Growth in the number of licensed Professional
Engineers
7. Teamwork, unity, and fellowship of all PEs
across all disciplines
8. Commitment to the future of the licensed
Professional Engineer
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Respond to NAE’s
“take charge”
challenge
“If the engineering profession is to take the
initiative in defining its own future; it must:
• agree on an exciting vision;
• transform engineering education to help
achieve the vision;
• build a clear image of the new roles for
engineers…;
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• Accommodate innovative developments from
non-engineering fields; and
• find ways to focus the energies of the different
disciplines of engineering toward common
goals.”
All benefit from a pan-engineering BOK
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Build on discipline-specific
BOK efforts
AAEES
ASCE
ASME
ASQ
IEEE
SME
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Offset
splintering
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The Process
2011
Charge to NSPE Licensure and
Qualifications for Practice
Committee (LQPC)
2012
Draft outline of EBOK approved
by LQPC
Comments invited/received
from within NSPE
Webinar conducted
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Comments invited from AAEES,
ACEC, AIChE, ASABE, ASCE,
ASHRAE, ASME, IEEE-USA
Comments received from
AIChE, ASCE, ASABE, and
IEEE-USA
2013
Draft report approved by LQPC
Comments received from
AIChE, ASABE, ASCE, Japan
Society of Professional
Engineers, IEEE-USA
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Final report approved by NSPE
Board of Directors
Report available as a free pdf
The process continues
NSPE welcomes continued input
Second edition likely
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An early product of the process
Guiding Principles that Will Shape the
Future of Engineering
• The pace of technological innovation
will continue to be rapid (most likely
accelerating)
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• The world in which technology will be
deployed will be intensely globally
interconnected
• The presence of technology in our
everyday lives will be seamless,
transparent, and more significant than
ever
• The population of individuals who are
involved with or affected by technology
(e.g., designers, manufacturers,
distributors, and government users) will
be increasingly diverse and
multidisciplinary
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• Social, cultural, political, and economic
forces will continue to shape and affect
the success of technological innovation
• Engineering practice and
professionalism will increasingly require
the ability to draw upon a broad and
comprehensive body of knowledge to
make focused discretionary judgments
about optimal solutions to unique,
complex problems in the interest of
enhancing public health, safety, and
welfare
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• Engineers from well-developed
countries will increasingly be challenged
to provide innovative, higher valueadded services and products and to do
so in a leading-edge manner
• As globalization of engineering practice
expands, leadership in the ethical
practice of engineering and the need to
hold paramount public health, safety,
and welfare will become more critical
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• Through both education and training,
engineers will need a broad background
to understand and manage the impact of
engineering solutions in a global,
economic, environmental, and societal
(i.e., sustainable) context
• The increasing need to incorporate
societal impact considerations in
engineering decision-making will require
better communication, management,
leadership, and other professional
practice skills on the part of engineers.
Collaboration with non-engineers will be
critical
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• The rapid and accelerating pace of
technological innovation will increase
the need for continuing professional
development and lifelong learning on
the part of engineers
Note: First five quoted from The Engineer
of 2020
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Another product of the process
Key Attributes of the Professional
Engineer
• Analytical and practical
• Thorough and detail-oriented in design
• Creative and innovative
• Communicative
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• Knowledgeable about the application
of sciences and mathematics
• Thoroughly knowledgeable in a
selected field of engineering and
conversant in related technical fields
• Knowledgeable about and skillful in
business and management
• Able to provide leadership – with ability
to effect change in strategies, tactics,
policies, and procedures in project and
other roles
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• Professional and positive in attitude
• Aware of societal and historical
considerations in the global context
• Aware of and compliant with relevant
laws, regulations, standards, and
codes
• Licensed as a Professional Engineer
and knowledgeable about engineering
ethics and applicable codes of
professional conduct
• Dedicated to lifelong learning
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EBOK Structure
The EBOK KSAs are defined by 30
Capabilities
Similar to the CEBOK’s outcomes
Each capability is further defined with a
list (not all inclusive) of representative
specific Abilities
Each ability begins with an active verb
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Example of capability-abilities format
5. Design
Description
Design, whether used as a verb to represent a process or
interpreted as a noun to refer to the result of the process,
is a core capability in engineering. As a process, design
may be defined as…… The goal of design is quality; that is,
meeting all requirements such as functional needs and
staying within a budget. The ultimate result of the design
process is an optimal solution consisting of a structure,
facility, system, product, or process. More specifically,
design leads to highly varied results such as automobiles,
airports, chemical processes, computers and other
electronic devices, nuclear power plants, prosthetic
devices, skyscraper, ships, and spacecraft.
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Example abilities
As examples of design capability, an engineer entering
practice at the professional level should be able to:
• Identify, or work collaboratively to identify, the
pertinent technical, environmental, economic,
regulatory, and other project requirements and
constraints;
• Contribute to the development of alternatives and
prepare design details for complex projects;
• Analyze the pros and cons of some alternative design
options and assist in the selection of an optimized
design alternative;
• Etc.
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3 categories of capabilities
• Basic or Foundational (3)
• Technical (16)
• Professional Practice (11)
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Basic or foundational
1. Mathematics
2. Natural Sciences
3. Humanities and Social Sciences
Technical
4. Manuf./Const.
5. Design
6. Engr. Econ.
7. Engr. Science
8. Engr. Tools
9. Experiments
10. Prob. Recog. & Solving
11. QCQA
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12. Risk, Reliab., Uncert.
13. Safety
14. Societal Impact
15. Systems Engr.
16. Oper. & Maint.
17. Sustain. & Environ. Impact
18. Tech. Breadth
19. Tech. Depth
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Professional practice
20. Business Aspect of Engr.
21. Communication
22. Ethical Responsibility
23. Global Knowledge & Awareness
24. Leadership
25. Legal Aspects of Engr.
26. Lifelong Learning
27. Professional Attitudes
28. Project Management
29. Public Policy & Engr.
30. Teamwork
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So, what is the
EBOK
used for
?
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Engineering
society members
Prospective
engineering
students
Teachers/
advisors
Certification
boards
Licensing
boards
EBOK
Employers
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General
public
Engineering
and other faculty/
administrators
Mentors and
supervisors
Engineer
interns
Parents
Current
engineering
students
Accreditation
leaders
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Use of the EBOK
Stimulate future-oriented thinking
and
possible action
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“The best way to
predict the future
is to create it.”
(Peter Drucker, consultant)
Get more specific
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Stakeholders
Possible Uses
Prospective engineering
students, parents,
teachers, advisors,
general public
• Understand
importance of
engineering
Engineering and other
faculty and
administrators
• Design
curricula/programs
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• Appreciate range of
knowledge, skills, and
attitudes
• Create/improve
courses
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Current engineering
students
• Provide context for
their education
Accreditation leaders
• Revise criteria
Employers
• Partner with
personnel
Engineer Interns
• Direct their
experience
Mentors and supervisors
• Assist interns
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Licensing boards
• Set expectations for
licensure
Certification boards
• Define desired
mastery level
Engineering society
members
• Use as resource for
committee,
subcommittee, and
task force work
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NSPE is sharing the EBOK
As of end of June 2014:
• 5 presentations at state and national
conferences
• 4 planned presentations at state, national,
and international conferences
• 5 articles/papers published
• 70 executive directors/presidents of
professional societies notified and referred
to the complimentary pdf Engineering
Body of Knowledge report
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Want to help?
• Read Engineering Body of Knowledge (free
pdf at www.nspe.org/EBOK)
• Speak and write about the EBOK (Sample
abstracts, articles, PowerPoints are
available. Contact Stu Walesh at
stuwalesh@comcast.net)
• Suggest improvements to the EBOK (send
to Art Schwartz, NSPE,
aschwartz@nspe.org)
• Use the EBOK in your organization/work
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KEY IDEAS
• Needed a pan-engineering
BOK
• Defined EBOK as KSA’s needed to
practice as a professional engineer
• Used an inclusive-transparent process
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• Developed a non-prescriptive
capabilities-abilities structure
• Arranged 30 capabilities in 3
categories
– Basic or foundational
– Technical
– Professional practice
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• Designed the EBOK to serve many
and varied stakeholders
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• Expect EBOK2
• Get involved!
– Read it
– Speak and write about it
– Critique it
– Use it
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