“Engineering Profession”, a New Course Designed for BSc Engineering Programs of Iran

What is engineering and who is an engineer that changed our world so drastically? Based on what type of education the engineers have gained the power to do this? What should we do for becoming successful in our professional career? Engineers receive competencies in one of the engineering branches during their school years but less effort is made to answer the above questions. In other word, university education provides students with elements, processes and governing relations of a particular field in good details but less effort is made to explain their application in real world. To overcome this deficiency, many leading engineering schools of the world offer new courses. The present paper suggests a new course, proposed to be instructed in all undergraduate engineering programs of Iran. This course is designed based on our national interests and professional needs. The main objective of this course is to introduce engineering disciplines, increase communication skills, team working and creative thinking in the students.This course is designed in five different parts or themes. The first part speaks about different aspects of engineering education. The second part concentrates on communication skills (oral, written, graphical and electronic). The third part explores the engineering profession and preparation for entering the job market. The fourth part explains different tools and procedures for engineering research. Finally, the fifths part is devoted to topics such as engineering design, engineering ethics and safety in workplace. By offering this course in the beginning of the BSc engineering programs, students will receive the essential prerequisites to optimally follow the rest of their undergraduate education. A textbook for this course is published by University of Tehran publication (Engineering Profession, 2009). The content of this course and its accompanied book is also useful for those who are preparing for Professional Engineer (PE) exam.