Proceedings of the ASEE New England Section 2006 Annual Conference. Copyright © 2006 1 The Dartmouth College Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Sciences Eric W. Hansen Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College Hanover, New Hampshire 03755-8000 Session “B.A. in Engineering” Abstract The Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College was founded in 1867 with the goal of producing engineers educated in the liberal arts as well as thoroughly trained in technical subjects. Since the mid-1960s, the implementation of the founding vision has been in the form of an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) program in Engineering Sciences, followed by a fifth year of further study leading to the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree. The A.B. program is extraordinarily flexible. About half of the courses taken are in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering sciences; the remainder is devoted to liberal arts and free electives. The major proper consists of an interdisciplinary core in design and systems analysis, and introductions to particular engineering disciplines. About a third of our undergraduates “modify” the major with another science, with economics, or with studio art, tuning the program to their professional interests. The program’s flexibility also facilitates student participation in the full spectrum of extracurricular activities, including study abroad programs, varsity athletics, and performing arts, and many complete minors or second majors. On the other hand, students with a modest amount of advanced placement credit can use their free electives to accelerate completion of the B.E.; about twenty percent complete both degrees in four years. The Engineering Sciences major is among the most popular at Dartmouth: on average, about 65 students graduate each year, of which nearly a quarter are female. Most graduates complete the ABET- accredited B.E. program, but a considerable number go from the A.B. to graduate studies in business, medicine, and law as well as engineering. We also offer two minors and over a dozen technology literacy courses for nonmajors. This paper describes the philosophy, implementation, and student outcomes of the Dartmouth A.B. program in Engineering Sciences. INTRODUCTION The economic prosperity of the Western world, driven by science and engineering, is one of the great success stories of the latter half of the twentieth century. Now, at the beginning of the twenty-first, the same technology-fueled growth is spreading to other nations, particularly in Asia. With this comes a concern about the continued competitiveness of the Western (and closest to home, the American) technological engine, and its scientific and engineering underpinnings. Moreover, worries are expressed in some circles that the culture as a whole is not keeping up with the rapid pace of technological change. Will educated people, not just engineers, be ready for a world in which the stuff of everyday life—business, health care, and entertainment, to name