Developing an International Engineering Experience for Undergraduate Students at a Small Institution

This paper outlines the development of a new international engineering program at Valparaiso University. The Valparaiso University International Engineering Program (VIEP) is a five-year program that combines a major in one of four engineering fields with a major or minor in a foreign language. It also includes year-long residency in Germany. German was chosen as the first component of the program because of the university’s German heritage and the abundance of German-related resources readily available through the university. The program allows students to gain a multi-cultural experience and German language proficiency along with technical engineering skills, and prepares them for careers in the international marketplace either in the U.S. or abroad. The current status of the program is also detailed along with the advantages and challenges of creating such a program at a small, primarily liberal-arts institution