Engineering grad degrees offered online
A sharp decline in international student applicants since Sept. 11, 2001, prompted the electrical and computer engineering department at USU to develop new graduate programs in hopes of increasing enrollment.
The department hopes to attract students at the Northeast Dianli University in China and eventually around the country and world by offering a graduate degree from USU that can be completed in their home countries, said Department Head and Professor Tamal Bose. The international distance-learning masters program will utilize the Internet for all coursework, but will be equivalent to the graduate program on campus.
“The students will still be expected to show the same competence,” said Scott Budge, department graduate coordinator and professor. “It is not a watered-down degree.”
The department has also set up joint masters and Ph.D. programs with Hangzhou Dianzi University in China and the Technical University of Kosice in Slovakia. Students will study one year in their home country and then come to USU for their remaining time in the program.
The department is setting up intensive recruitment campaigns for these new programs to reverse the negative trend seen in the graduate program after Sept. 11.
“The main goal is to increase the quality of graduate students for all graduate programs,” said Bose. “This can be done by increasing the applicant pool.”
Paul Wheeler, associate professor, is at the tail-end of his six week trip to Asia to build these programs. Wheeler visited several universities in China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and India to set up joint programs and to recruit graduate students.
“These programs give our local students experience to work in a global setting,” said Bose.
Also, the programs will generate money to improve the department and to award local students with scholarships.
The programs will bring several advantages to the university, as well. Top-quality students from other parts of the world increase the quality and diversity of the student body. In addition, it gives an opportunity to meet with the faculty of other universities and possibly work together on new research ideas, said Budge.
“It is kind of a leap,” he said of the new programs in the department. “But it is a great opportunity to fulfill one of the missions of the university as a land-grant institution.”
LROSE@cc.usu.edu