Track: Engineering Education

Abstract

Engineering curricula in the US, in general, contain several courses with the primary focus on writing and communications to assist engineering students in developing better writing, established branch campuses. These needs become further felt as for a large majority of these students the English is the secondary language and acquiring college degrees in their homeland often prevents them from being exposed to the English speaking people daily.  Although most of the students admitted to the program earn respectable scores in the standards test such as ACT or SAT, building and strengthening their English communications is often paramount. 

Texas A&M University since 2003, has been offering engineering degrees in Doha, Qatar.  Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) has been widely recognized for producing engineering graduate with exceptional technical and communication skills.  Although, curricula for the engineering degrees offered in Doha are identical to curricula in the main campus, College Station, programs offered in Doha significantly emphasize mastering communication skills.   

This paper describes the process incorporated in the petroleum engineering curriculum to develop and maintain students’ competency in English communications.  One salient feature of the English communications required by the petroleum curriculum at Texas A&M University at Qatar is its zero-credit hour seminar course which is required to complete the degree program. For this course (not a capstone design course required by the curriculum), all students are required to work in a team and deliver industry-based projects.  In addition to a comprehensive written report and an end of the semester presentation to sponsors, faculty members, and fellow classmates is required.  All presentations are conducted in a formal one-day.