Addressing the challenges educating system engineers for the Armed Forces

Abstract

In 2000 just 17% of bachelor's degrees in the United States were in science and engineering while other countries boasted far more graduates. Additionally, by 2010, the U.S. share of world science and engineering PhDs will decrease by approximately 15%. The Department of Defense has issued a call for additional systems engineers. However, attaining advanced degrees is difficult as military students face a wide variety of issues contributing to a large incompletion rate. A need for a better educational structure exists in order to address the needs of military community. In response to this recognized need, several potential solutions emerged from a workshop called to address these issues. This paper outlines many of these solutions and advocates for their implementation.