Catalyzing the Adoption of Entrepreneurship Education in Engineering by Aligning Outcomes with ABET.

Economic trends and a changing job market for college graduates have generated significant interest in graduating more engineers who possess entrepreneurship skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. This has led to significant growth in the delivery of entrepreneurship courses to engineering students; however, research shows that such courses are typically part of minors and certificates, and not part of core engineering curriculum. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) establishes criteria for accrediting engineering programs and is a significant force in shaping the undergraduate curriculum. We propose that a more clear and concrete demonstration of the alignment of entrepreneurship education outcomes and ABET Criterion 3a-k, which involve both technical and non-technical skills, would catalyze the integration of the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge into engineering courses. Furthermore, direct assessment of entrepreneurial outcomes could aid in improving the mechanisms of achieving both ABET accreditation and the development of an entrepreneurial mindset among engineering students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]