Christian Engineering Education in Canada

About Christian Engineering Education in Canada

Abstract

University education in Canada differs from that in the United States not least in our relative paucity of private universities, Christian or otherwise. Fewer than half of one percent of Canadian university students attend Christian institutions, and other private universities represent an even smaller proportion. Only the large publicly funded universities offer degree programs in engineering and at a tuition rate that is less than half that of most Christian universities. However, both our respective Christian liberal arts and science institutions have recently begun attracting students with an interest in beginning their engineering studies at a Christian university. Initial steps have been taken to establish fledgling pre-engineering programs based on transfer programs and articulation agreements. In our paper, we describe our programs and discuss their strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities. We encourage the development of a Christian worldview, and solid academic, social, and ethical values, but we cannot expect our engineering students to fulfill our core requirements as they graduate elsewhere. One pathway explored is articulation with U.S. Christian colleges where students complete their first year at a Canadian Christian university and their final three years in the U.S. However, graduates face complications in applying for a Canadian P.Eng. Another pathway is articulation agreements with public universities. Redeemer University College has an articulation agreement with McMaster University, and Trinity Western University has established arrangements with the University of British Columbia. However, students beginning their studies at a Christian university cannot be guaranteed acceptance into those competitive engineering programs. Furthermore, we currently lack a few specialized first year engineering courses such as professional engineering practice and computer aided design. We also discuss our dream to eventually have a full Christian engineering degree program in Canada. One significant challenge will be achieving recognition from the CEAB (Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, the Canadian equivalent of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology or ABET in the U.S.) in a context without extant Christian liberal arts engineering programs. There are the concomitant challenges of attracting qualified faculty, of funding and building the necessary labs and infrastructure, and of convincing prospective students of such a program’s viability. The state of Christian engineering education in Canada is still in its pioneering days. Many challenges remain before a full engineering program can be offered at a Canadian Christian university. Technology is not neutral, and therefore engineering education is not neutral either. Offering a rigorous engineering program shaped by a Christian perspective to Canadian students is an ambitious goal that is worth pursuing.