A Core Curriculum for the Education of Manufacturing Engineers for the 21st Century - The Conflict between Breadth and Depth

There is widespread belief that many of the more traditional courses in manufacturing engineering do not provide graduates with understanding, skills and experience appropriate to the needs of the 21st century. This paper identifies the requirements of a core curriculum for manufacturing engineers and describes the curriculum developed for the BEng (Hons) programme in computer-aided engineering at Huddersfield University. The conflict between breadth and depth is addressed and particular emphasis is given to the development of communication skills and business awareness.