Engineering Leadership Development Programs a Look at What Is Needed and What Is Being Done.

“The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century,” published by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), discusses the importance of current and future engineering graduates possessing skills needed to solve business challenges. To ensure that future engineering graduates are adequately prepared, several universities and corporations are currently providing programs and workshops that educate engineering professionals and students in the theory and practice of leadership. This paper summarizes findings of surveys administered to identify key concepts critical to developing leadership qualities and skills. Also, this paper provides a summary of the current engineering leadership development efforts within Colleges of Engineering in the U.S. as well as an overview of the academic and professional programs available for engineers. Detailed information on the curriculum and course modules being used to teach engineering leadership that may prove useful to other educators are also included in this review paper.