THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE DISTANCE EDUCATION ENGINEERING PROGRAMS IN NORTH CAROLINA

摘要

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has a strong track record in providing distance education to the citizens in North Carolina through credit-based courses and degree programs. To provide increased access to engineering education on the undergraduate level and enhance the success of the student transfer population, the College of Engineering developed two new 2+2 engineering programs and a distance education bachelor of science in engineering program. The 2+2 programs are designed to provide students enrolled at institutions without engineering programs the opportunity to take some of the fundamental engineering courses in addition to their general education courses. After completion of the first two years, the students transfer to one of the Colleges of Engineering in North Carolina. Students who have the opportunity to take courses such as introduction to engineering, circuits, statics, and dynamics, are well-positioned to complete their education in only two additional years. The Bachelor of Science in Engineering distance education program combines the benefits of site-based and distance learning to students who cannot or are unwilling to relocate to the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh. In this paper we discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in working with our partner four-year institutions and community colleges in the development and delivery of undergraduate distance education programs and describe the benefits to the citizens of North Carolina and the participating institutions.