October 25, 2005

Purdue engineering academic unit changes name, expands programs

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's Continuing Engineering Education is changing its name, moving its administrative home, increasing its course offerings and adding more degree programs.

Purdue has changed the name of Continuing Engineering Education to Engineering Professional Education and changing its administrative home to an academic unit.

"The change in name and academic affiliation will better reflect the organization's increased offerings of non-credit programming and the diversification of its master's degrees," said Linda Katehi, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. "Being an academic unit will help the organization better serve professional engineers working in their fields of expertise because of the added courses and degrees we will be able to offer."

Engineering Professional Education offers graduate degree programs in three engineering disciplines, electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering. In addition, a master's degree in interdisciplinary engineering is offered, which allows the students and corporate representatives to work with the Purdue faculty in developing customized curricula. The courses are offered through video, satellite feeds, streaming video, the Internet and special seminars.

"In 2006, we are adding aerospace engineering and systems engineering to our master's degree programs," said Dale Harris, executive director of Purdue's Engineering Professional Education. "We've also renewed our emphasis in non-credit programming in order to fill a need for engineers with careers in progress who are interested in learning through Purdue but are not necessarily seeking an advanced degree or already hold an advanced degree."

Harris said a series of non-credit, short courses is being planned for the aerospace industry. Several will be held at the NASA Aerospace Education Research and Operations (AERO) Institute in Palmdale, Calif., through a partnership between Purdue and the AERO Institute that was finalized last summer.

"Flexibility and convenience are key factors driving the design of our non-credit programs through Purdue's Engineering Professional Education," Harris said. "Also, non-credit programs in pharmaceutical engineering, construction engineering and management are being explored."

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, (765) 494-4192, csequin@purdue.edu

Sources: Linda Katehi, (765) 494-5346, katehi@purdue.edu

Dale Harris, (765) 494-0214, harris.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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