Work in progress - Engineering pathways study: The college-career transition

Research in engineering education has shown that academic programs are often designed based on a projected image of engineering practice. However, this image may be outdated or misaligned with today’s actual professional work. To develop a more complete picture, we designed the Engineering Pathways Study (EPS). EPS extends findings from the NSF-funded Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education (CAEE), and in particular findings from CAEE’s multi-method, multiinstitutional Academic Pathways Study (APS) research project. Following-up with participants from APS, we are uniquely positioned to explore transitions to the workforce and the needs/experiences of early career professionals (ECP). Over a period of two years, our sequential mixed-methods design uses outcomes from indepth interviews to develop a survey for a broader sampling. Currently in early phases of interviews and analysis, preliminary findings highlight connections and gaps between current career experiences and academic career preparation. Index Terms – Career Choice, Engineering Practice, Social Cognitive Career Theory, School-to-Work Transition