July 2006 Journal of Engineering Education 241

This study has dissected the current curriculum in mechanical engineering into a list of required topics. The list indicates what material is currently considered to be the essential body of knowl-edge for graduating mechanical engineering students. It also pro-vides a measure of the extent to which curricula differ from insti-tution to institution. There is similarity in core material required among the institutions which we considered, but each one adds distinct requirements which give it an individual flavor or empha-sis. The list reveals some of the differences among degree pro-grams. While institutions have adjusted curricula to conform to the ABET engineering criteria, how they fulfill the “technical skill ” outcomes is clearer than how they fulfill the “professional skill ” outcomes. This survey shows that dissecting a degree pro-gram into required topics is useful for curriculum reform, as it provides a baseline to study the curriculum at a level more finely grained than a course