Comparing Attributes of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Non-Engineering Students

Relative to other countries, the number of students in the US studying engineering is low. The numbers of women studying electrical and mechanical engineering have been persistently low relative to other engineering majors. For several years we have been measuring the electrical and mechanical aptitudes of electrical and mechanical engineers as part of a project to better understand hands-on ability. We have also examined connections between these aptitudes and academic performance indicators, spatial visualization ability, prior experiences, and engineering attitude. In fall 2010 we administered the same questionnaires and instruments to a group of non-engineering majors. The results provide some insight into the role that three factors-aptitudes, experiences, and attitude-play in a students' selection of academic major. This paper summarizes our findings.