Meeting the CDIO Requirements : An International Comparison of Engineering Curricula

In this article, the Conceive – Design – Implement – Operate (CDIO) Syllabus and CDIO Standards are introduced, and the question is posed as to whether or not national circumstances affect the ability of engineering programmes to meet CDIOrequirements. In particular, the extent to which representative programmes from the USA, Canada, Sweden and the UK cover the CDIO Syllabus is assessed and conclusions are drawn. The international applicability of the CDIO Syllabus also depends on the absence of conflict between the syllabus and national accreditation criteria. Based on the countries considered, the authors suggest that no conflict exists. Furthermore, it is argued that the CDIO Syllabus is aspirational and, as such, it complements the threshold requirements of national accreditation criteria. It is also argued that the CDIO Syllabus, coupled with the CDIO Standards, could form the basis for an international benchmark that would co-exist with any future global accreditation criteria and would serve to continuously improve engineering education.