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CUE 2004

ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW
International Engineering Certificate Prepares Global Engineers for the Future

The Reichstag in Berlin houses the German parliament.

CU students will have the opportunity to intern at a German engineering company and take in cultural sights from the Black Forest to the Brandenburg Gate, thanks to the new International Engineering Certificate Program launched in fall 2003.

"Tomorrow's engineer is likely to work in a global marketplace of engineering ideas and technology, and may even serve as part of an international team," says Sherry Snyder, director of engineering student programs, who co-directs the program with Assistant Professor Kandace Einbeck in Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures.

The increasingly international orientation of engineering companies, combined with Germany's reputation for precision technology and engineering innovation, led the college to create its first international certificate program in International Engineering in German.

This optional credential added to the Bachelor of Science in engineering indicates that the graduating student has a basic understanding of the German language and culture along with cross-cultural skills that will enhance their ability to work on an international team, Snyder says.

In addition to fulfilling the engineering degree requirements, students take language and literature or culture courses, and an international engineering cultures seminar. Students proficient in German will be placed in internships in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, or Denmark, giving them not only valuable work experience, but a chance to live in a different culture. Plans are to expand the program to include Spanish and French in the future.

For more information about the International Engineering Certificate, contact Sherry Snyder at 303-492-7674 or visit ecadw.colorado.edu/engineering/academics/german.htm.