Development of industry modules for engineers pursuing advanced degrees

Graduate engineering programs largely aim to prepare students for careers in academia. Programs emphasize research, academic publishing, and leadership in relevant national organizations. As a result, engineering students tend to develop professional skills relevant to academia regardless of their career interests outside of academia. Engineering industry employers recognize this gap, which may impact their perceptions when interviewing applicants with advanced engineering degrees. Graduate students with interest in industry careers need alternate resources to learn necessary skills. In this paper, online learning modules are designed for the engineering graduate student population with special emphases on industry-specific skills. The objectives of this paper are to translate empirical findings about students' professional skills into the modules framed into a LEADER framework, which will guide students as they complete mini lessons that align with their knowledge of various professional topics. At the conclusion of each module, students will be able to locate their existing perceptions and experiences; evaluate and informally assess their views; absorb formal, preexisting knowledge about a topic; demonstrate ways to apply content in actionable ways; evolve in their career and professional development, and reflect on ways to process and summarize their thoughts. This paper presents an overview of the development of modules that will guide students as they prepare for their professional positions. Future studies will discuss the findings from piloted learning modules.