Frequently Asked Questions about Engineering+

In response to frequent questions from students, faculty, and staff, we have compiled the below list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Have another question not covered here? Contact your department chair or academic advisor.

General
a. How many Engineering+ experiences do I need to complete?
b. Can Engineers Without Borders participation count for Engineering+ credit?
c. Can I complete a single criterion multiple times (two minors, two service learning classes, etc.)?
d. What do I need to do in order to receive credit for completion of an Engineering+ criterion?

1. Cooperative Education/Internship
1a. Can a job at NIAR count for co-op/internship?
1b. I have had internships in the past but have never had to submit a report through the co-op office. I did have to do a report-out at work for the internship. Will that count as the final report?
1c. How many semesters are required for co-op credit?

2. Global Learning and Study Abroad
2a. Can Military service count for global learning?
2b. Can I receive Engineering+ credit for studying abroad at any university in any country?
2c. I am traveling overseas, does this count for global learning or study abroad?
2d. I have an F1 Visa. Can I get study abroad credit?
2e. I went to high school in another country, but moved to the US before graduating. Can I get study abroad credit?

3. Multidisciplinary Education
3a. Can a Mathematics minor count for multidisciplinary?
3b. Do I need documentation from an advisor in the college of my second major that states I will be completing a second major at the same time as my Engineering degree?
3c. Can I count a class for both a minor and my major?
3d. Can my Honors track earn me credit for "Multidisciplinary Education"? What about my Honors minor?

4. Leadership
4a. What do I need to for leadership?
4b. Can Military service count for leadership?
4c. Can the Girl Scout Gold Award count for leadership?
4d. Which courses are considered "leadership classes"?
4e. What kind of leadership experiences are acceptable for step 2 of the leadership criterion?
4f. What do I need to do for the leadership report after I have taken a class or received training?

5. Undergraduate Research
5a. Can a job at NIAR count for undergraduate research?
5b. I was accepted into the FYRE (First Year Reasearch Experience) program. Can I earn Engineering+ credit for completing this program?
5c. I am taking HNRS 486 Honors Collaborative Research. Can this course count toward Engineering+?

6. Service Learning
6a. What kind of stuff counts for service learning?

General

a. How many Engineering+ experiences do I need to complete?

Undergraduate students must complete three (3) out of the seven Engineering+ experiences in order to meet graduation requirements.

b. Can Engineers Without Borders participation count for Engineering+ credit?

Yes - Possible Engineering+ credit opportunities for Engineers without Borders (EWB) include: Global Learning, if you travelled with EWB group overseas to a country where English is not the primary language; Service Learning, if enrolled in a service learning class in which your approved project is EWB-related; or Leadership, where you must have formal training prior to completing a leadership activity with EWB (Must submit a report describing formal training and leadership experience to your department). Be sure to get these PRE-APPROVED from your department to ensure that the activity will receive Engineering+ credit.

c. Can I complete a single criterion multiple times (two minors, two service learning classes, etc.)?

No - you must complete three different criteria.

d. What do I need to do in order to receive credit for completion of an Engineering+ criterion?

1) Complete the requirements of an Engineering+ criterion, 2) complete the Engineering+ approval for and acquire proper signature (noted on the form), and 3) Submit to your department for approval and/or processing.

1. Cooperative Education/Internship

1a. Can a job at NIAR count as co-op/internship?

NIAR student employees are required to register for a zero-credit co-op course through the Career Development Center, but that does not guarantee Engineering+ credit. The job must be one semester at 40 hours per week, or two semesters for 20 hours per week. A full-time summer position counts as one-half semester; two, full-time summer positions will satisfy the time commitment. Co-op/internships are approved through Career Development Center.

A job at NIAR cannot count for both co-op and undergraduate research.

1b. I have had internships in the past but have never had to submit a report through the co-op office. I did have to do a report-out at work for the internship. Will that count as the final report?

If you want credit for a co-op or internship that was not arranged ahead of time through the Career Development Center, then you need to meet with your department chair to gain approval.

1c. How many semesters are required for co-op credit?

One full semester at 40 hours per week OR Two full semesters at 20 hours per week. Summer semesters count as half (so, two summers at 40 hours per week OR four summers at 20 hours per week).

2. Global Learning and Study Abroad

2a. Can Military service count for global learning?

If you spent over six months in a country where English is not the primary language and worked with nationals (just spending time on base will not receive credit), then submit a written summary of the experience to your department for consideration.

2b. Can I receive Engineering+ credit for studying abroad at any university in any country?

No; in order to receive Engineering+ credit for study abroad, you must receive credit from a university in a country where the primary language is NOT English. You may study any class at the university as long as it is credit-bearing.

2c. I am traveling overseas, does this count for global learning or study abroad?

If you are receiving at least 3 credit hours while traveling to a country where English is not the primary language, then the activity will count for Engineering+ study abroad. If you are receiving 3 hour credit for a class that is PARTIALLY in a foreign country, consult with your department to obtain pre-approval.

If no college credit will be earned, the activity could be considered global learning and must include an authentic and substantive goal, such as: producing a design or solving an engineering problem for a client, working on a team with people living in other countries or with a client from another country, completing a project in which you learn more about culture through improving their intercultural communication competence and giving a professional presentation of the global learning experience.

2d. I have an F1 Visa. Can I get study abroad credit?

If you have an F1 visa, just complete the Engineering+ approval form and submit it to your department for consideration. Additional documentation may be required by the department.

2e. I went to high school in another country, but moved to the US before graduating. Can I get study abroad credit?

If you completed your junior OR senior year of high school in a country where English is not the primary language, you will receive credit by submitting the Engineering+ approval form. If you left your country PRIOR to your junior year, you will NOT receive credit.

3. Multidisciplinary Education

3a. Can a Mathematics minor count for multidisciplinary?

Yes, ALL official minors at Wichita State University are awarded credit for the multidisciplinary criterion.

3b. Do I need documentation from an advisor in the college of my seond major that states I will be completing a second major at the same time as my Engineering degree?

No - simply submit the Engineering+ approval form to your department with your signature. Your academic advisor (or designated Engineering+ reviewer) will confirm the minor (or second major) completion using Degree Works.

3c. Can I count a class for both a minor and my major?

The University catalog states that at least 3 hours of minor coursework must be unduplicated (i.e., you cannot double-count all minor courses).This means that some of your minor courses could be used in your major, but at least 3 hours of your minor cannot apply to your major. If you do not have unduplicated hours in your minor, Engineering+ cannot be awarded (i.e., you cannot get credit for an "unofficial" minor). If you are unsure if you have unduplicated hours in your minor, ask your academic advisor for help looking at your Degree Works audit.

3d. Can my Honors track earn me credit for "Multidisciplinary Education"? What about my Honors minor?

An Honors track alone does not allow for interdisciplinary work to occur; however, Honors minor does require studying in an area outside of your primary major discipline. Therefore, students CAN earn Multidisciplinary Education credit by completing all requirements of the Honors minor.

4. Leadership

4a. What do I need to for leadership?

To satisfy the Leadership criteria each student must:

Step 1) Participate in a class (listed below in 4d.) or documented formal training on leadership.
Step 2) Complete an activity where you successfully lead others to an established goal.
Step 3) Submit report.

Leadership instruction is required in order for the student to gain the skills necessary to be an effective leader. Be sure to review 4f. below for information about the report and how to submit.

4b. Can Military service count for leadership?

Military service can count for leadership. Receiving leadership credit depends on training and experience. If your formal training was extensive and concerning leadership practices (training should NOT be only a few days in length and should NOT be predominantly informational), submit an Engineering+ form with supporting documentation that shows completion of leadership-related training along with your leadership report. Be clear on the specific leadership training you received.

4c. Can the Girl Scout Gold Award or Boy Scouts Eagle Award count for leadership?

It depends on training and experience. Submit approval form, supporting documention and the required leadership report to your department for consideration.

4d. Which courses are considered "leadership classes"?

COMM 328. Teamwork, Leadership and Group Communication
ENGR 501. Engineer as Leader
HNRS 152F. Leadership Challenge
HNRS 310Q. Honors Tutorial - Engaging Leaders
HNRS 310R. Honors Tutorial - Evolving Leaders
HNRS 310S. Honors Tutorial - Emerging Leaders
HNRS 310T. Summer Leadership Institute
HNRS 310V. LeaderShape Institute
HNRS 351. Survey of Leadership
ID 301. Leadership is Essential Seminar
IME 664. Engineering Management
MGMT 360. Principles of Management
MGMT 462. Leading and Motivating
HP 408. Leadership in Self and Society
PSY 413. Leadership in Self and Society
WSU Summer Leadership Institute
WSU Emerging Leaders program

4e. What kind of leadership experiences are acceptable for step 2 of the leadership criterion?

Any activity in which you served a leadership role and lead a group of people to an established goal. You must have applied principles of leadership addressed in your formal leadership training or in an approved leadership class.

4f. What do I need to do for the leadership report after I have taken a class or received training?

The report should NOT be about the class, but rather, about the leadership experience you have had and how you applied what you learned in the class to your leadership experience. The report may be brief (approx. 1 page, typed) and should discuss explicit concepts from the the class or training with details of what you did in your leadership experience. There is a rubric to assess the report and template available in the leadership link on the left of the www.wichita.edu/engineering+ webpage. Submit your report, along with the Engineering+ approval form, to your department for review.

5. Undergraduate Research

5a. Can a job at NIAR count for undergraduate research?

It may be possible for a research assistant position at NIAR to count for undergraduate research, with department approval.

A job at NIAR cannot count for both co-op and undergraduate research.

5b. I was accepted into the FYRE (First Year Reasearch Experience) program. Can I earn Engineering+ credit for completing this program?

The FYRE program is a great opportunity! Students can earn Engineering+ credit as long as one of the three required deliverables is completed during or after completion of the FYRE program. Click Here to see the Undergraduate Research E+ requirements.

5c. I am taking HNRS 486 Honors Collaborative Research. Can this course count toward Engineering+?

While the HNRS 486 course provides excellent exposure to the research process, it does not include data collection or analysis of data. Thus, the experience would not allow students to produce any of the three required deliverables, and cannot be used to earn Engineering+ credit. With that said, the HNRS 486 course is a perfect stepping stone to an actual undergraduate research experience!

6. Service Learning

6a. What kind of stuff counts for service learning?

Opportunities may exist for service learning in the classroom and through outreach initiatives. Some examples include: Service Learning in Engineering (ENGR 202), Engineers Without Borders, STEM Mentoring, GoBabyGo!, and more.

So, it must serve the community (local or global), using engineering or computer science skills, and either earn you course credit OR accumulate a total of 40 hours of volunteer service on a single service learning project.