UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 21, Page 8
February 23, 1995
Program reaches out to engineering professionals

     Given today's technological innovations, engineering
professionals often need to acquire knowledge not available during
their college days or even last year.
     The College of Engineering offers Engineering Outreach to meet
the needs of the engineering professional who wants to renew his or
her education while balancing job and family responsibilities.
     "Our attempt is to make graduate engineering more accessible to
working professionals," Robert W. Sample, assistant dean and director
of outreach said.
     Engineering Outreach staff members help prospective students
choose an area of concentration based on their interests while
checking to determine if the undergraduate courses previously taken
fulfill the required prerequisites.
     "We try to help students get these required courses out of the
way," according to Kathleen C. Werrell, associate director of the
program. "We then encourage them to take one to three graduate courses
either before or during their application to a graduate degree
program."
     Werrell said it is not unusual for a student to sign up for an
individual course with no intent of pursuing a graduate degree.
     While these returning students may find the course demanding, it
often perks up their interest, making them want to get back into the
educational process, she added.
     Many students are drawn to the non-thesis master's degree option
in the program.
     These non-thesis degrees are now available in chemical and
mechanical engineering. They also are being developed in civil and
electrical engineering and in materials science.
     The core curriculum for the non-thesis master's degree remains
the same as that for the traditional degree; the only difference is
that additional coursework is required.
     "Every effort is made to suit the needs of working
professionals," Sample said. "But, all potential part-time graduate
students must meet the same standards for admission that are required
of full-time, on-campus students."
     The application review process usually takes about six weeks.
Students must pass the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in engineering, with
a minimum of 1050 points out of a maximum of 1600, including a score
of 600 or better in math. Other considerations include one's
undergraduate record and performance in University of Delaware courses
taken as a nondegree student through Engineering Outreach.
     Despite the exacting entry requirements and demanding coursework
facing students, Engineering Outreach has experienced a remarkable
growth during its relatively brief existence.
     Enrollment of part-time students in three-credit graduate courses
grew from six students on the Newark campus in the spring 1994
semester to 62 students during the fall 1994 semester, including 20
students taking an on-site course at the DuPont Company's Experimental
Station near Wilmington. This spring, 70 students are enrolled through
outreach, including 14 taking advantage of the convenience of the
engineering courses available on FOCUS video.
     During the fall 1994 semester, Stuart Cooper, H. Rodney Sharp
Professor of Chemical Engineering and dean of the college, taught
"Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering" at the Experimental
Station to a class that included 19 DuPont employees, one Hercules
employee and nine full-time University students. This spring, Mark A.
Barteau, Robert L. Pigford Professor of Chemical Engineering, is
teaching "Introduction to Catalysis" to 20 DuPont employees at the
station.
     Individuals with advanced degrees still find they can expand
their horizons by taking these graduate-level courses.
     "The course provided an excellent review and update of material I
use in my research," said a Hercules Research Center employee who took
the "Diffusional Operations" course last spring and found it "very
worthwhile."
     During the spring of 1994, 23 courses were available, and this
number increased to 36 courses offered during the fall of 1994. All
were scheduled to meet at times convenient for professionals.
     "We are spreading the word as fast as we can," Werrell said. "We
advertise in a variety of ways, including announcements in
professional society newsletters in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey."
     Engineering Outreach staff members receive calls from individuals
who are too far away to come to campus, but are interested in the
video course option in the program.
     Currently, there are 17 graduate engineering courses on FOCUS
video, 13 of which are being offered for the spring 1995 semester.
     Sample said he believes the need for Engineering Outreach,
combined with the satisfaction of students who have had a positive
experience in the program, will cause enrollment to increase even
further.
     "I've enjoyed the contact I've made with the students, and seeing
them succeed," he said. "I also enjoy the positive feedback I receive
from the students."
                                                         -Jerry Rhodes