SOCIETYOF PETROLEUMENGINEERS 6200North Centr;;2~pre8Bvay Dallas, Texas

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The F?cIh of the of Enghwer%g Degree in Emadwrte Education

By

Wouter Bosch, Member AllIE,and Robert E. Carlile, U. of MAssouri, Rolls, Mo.

@ Copyright1967 Amerkm Itmtitute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. This paper was prepared for the @nd Annual Fall Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, to be held in Houston, Tex., Oct. 1-4, 1967. Permission to copy is restricted to an ab- stract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNALOF I?ETROIEUMTECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon request to the Editor of the appropriate journal proviGeclagreement to give proper credit is made.

Discussion of this paper is invtted. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion may be presented at the above rceetingand, with tie paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.

At a recent panel discussion held at the development of mechanical skills and arts, Carnegie Institute of Technology the following but is today am institution that develop~ remarks were made. specialized and higUy narrowed areas of coDl- petency, these fields of specialization being Faculty nembers of today’s directly proportional to the competency and must not be afraid of innovation and should specialized interests of the active faculty of enjoy the privilege of trying new approaches that ins’kl.tutionand/or to the breaxtthof to education and of being wrong in these inquisitiveness of ‘Shecandidate. attempts to tiprove old priorities. Uni- versi.tie~must give effective education ... Following the N?orrillLand Grant ColleGe or be doomed to failure. Bill of JUI.Y,1862,2 the next five decades saw the establishment of some 150 lend grant engi- From these two remarks one can gain a neering institutions, In all but four of these remarkable insight into transitions which have institutions, was decreed as a part been creeping into the academic ad industrial of a unified, four-year curriculum directed not realms of education. toward professional education but, rather to- ward professionally oriented general education. The first observation is that of the moder’dzatiop of universities and their often Wickenden’s Board of Investigation and archaic attitudes toward long established and Coordination stated in 1927 that engineering heretofore untouchable areas of education. The was...... ---- ...... -: .. ..—.- .. Inciotibf Philosophy-degree is one-stitih“-” :“ entrenched confoxmlty that has stood for decade ...one of the most general functions in as the ultimate in scho.lastd.c”achievement.. social economy,”and-aot exclusively a form of profes6ioual servicet3...The professional . ‘.l.et!sface the curre;t situation for what element, in:engineerhg education...marking i it”is. In today’s:technologica.li.mplosion,the o.ff’distinctivelyfrom a loosely grouped modern instttute of technology no longer con- body of scientif’ic:studies, is of great “ forms to-the classical definition.” It is.no “- ,value, BUT the-undergraduateprogrsm ia . ‘IKEROM OF THE DEGREE

professional discipline as a professionally- “It is esttiated that man’s total body oriented form of education. knowledge [sic] doubled between 1775 and 1900. It again doubled between 1900 and 1950, again Interpreting this dogma which sets forth between 1950 and 1958, and it iS now thought engineering on a path of servitude to the to be ~“h . sciencee and nonprofessional services, the very fundamental concepts and foundations on Despite the growing oppotiuaities for Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/SPEATCE/proceedings-pdf/67FM/All-67FM/SPE-1804-MS/2087769/spe-1804-ms.pdf/1 by guest on 01 October 2021 which engine.ertnghas.been deyeloped..po%nt?d ,.engi.neeringtalent sad the significant increases it into a nonprofessional ideology. in starting salaries now bei& offered”to the youmg, inexperienced engineering graduate, en- The highest attainable achievement for the rollment in engineering decreaEed every year engineer in education is in general the PhD between 1958ad 1965. degree which does not characterize or identify the engineer as an engineering graduate. Nor This, then, is the multi-horned dilemma: does it signify the highly specialized techni- Increasing requirements of knowledge and areas cal depth of the engineering candidate for that of application for each new engineering grad- degree. uate; fewer engineering graduates to assume these requirements; even more responsibilities The PhD degree is a specialist’~ pursuit. and expectations for the graduate engineering The PhD technical graduate, for the most part, candidate to asmme more than one cloak of has pursued a very narrow and deep study of specialization and broader and broader spectra specialization which results in a graduate of knowledge of the applications and areas of with perceptive knowledge of a specialized relativity of his field. An answer, in part, sub~ect. The older universitle~, established is a broader and broader discipline of’training before the turn of the century were with few during his graduate college program - a program exceptions, essentially liberal arts colleges that provides the freedom and motivation for designed to prepare teachers to offer the the candidate to delve into other fields rele- necessary pre-professional work for prospec- vemt to his area of specialization. tive lawyers, doctors and clergymen; ad to develop cultured gentlemen, whatever at any John R. Dixon, in the follow-up story to particular time that phrase might have meant. his “Lost Mission of Engineering”~5 points out We migM compare the with that some areas of knowledge, far out of pro- the trunk of a maple tree-straight, narrowly portion to others, have burgeoned in technology defined, with roots which go very, Very deeply and in demands of the new graduate, while the into the immediate region about which it has engineering educator has repeatedly resisted lived. The need, the value: the importance changes in teaching methods or curricula. He of the engineering smd scientific holder of continues in his point by remarking that, the graduate engineering degree, such as the “Though the~e have been some spotty and minor PhD degree, is obvious. The bulk of the tech- changes in engineering teaching methodology aad no~ogical advances which invade OUP lives at approach, it is wnazing how educators can de- every turn today bespeak of the value and vise whole revolutior~ry new engineering cur- regard for these engineering graduates and the ricula without making any significant changes merit of their educational development. in the mcmner in which they are presented to the students.”6 Since World War II engineering technology has been further accelerated by the re@re- One is justified, then, in asking these nents of the space age, the nuclear age, the questions: [I.]Is the classical, academic synthetic age, the complex weapons age, the foundation of the PhD degree of such all en- weapons race, the urban race and the population compassing proportions that it results in the explosion to name but a few. But with these graduate who is sufficiently educated for the demands have come the explosive results of doc%orate-level emulations of our technological burgeoning knowledge which face the new engi- future? [2] Is there another concept, broadly neer with more sad more extraordinary tasks of based, which could assist in providing industry Ieazming, interpreting, and applying the with -level graduates uho are not such ❑ethods, applications, and techniques pertinent highly specialized academicians? not-only to his-specializedarea-but-also-to as ...... - - -.. .-.— .- many related .&ndadjoining fields as time and We do not,propose to offe”rironclad answer~ profit will allow. .to thgse questions, nor isit envisioned that such exmwexs are even available.” It is, hov- In two short decades, the engineer has ever; the responsibility and charge of today’s moved from an applied art o-fthe “How.Toni. . universities to shed their conservatism and to’ methodology to.a near-traumatic”explosionof ‘ segk-bette~ and more flexible means”by which .. intellectual cliscipl.tueswhich seems.to reach they can ~sslst %ndustzy, business, and other out and touch every other discipliney+th ‘ vocations ‘inproviding the best product for” 2 SPE-1804 WOUTER BOSCH aqd ROBERT E ● CA.RLII.E 4

is such a concept now under consideration, not Two kinds of graduate-level engi.%eersare only by the Univerei.tyof Missouri at Rolls, envisioned by the preceding. First, there is but also by other leading technological in- the highly specialized and creative man who wtltutions. can carve out and create from the abs$ract, with limited judgment or foundation in the The degree, ~ctor of Engineering, is a applied; this i& the Doctor of Philosophy. awarded in recognition of’ Secondly, there is the very broad and creative Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/SPEATCE/proceedings-pdf/67FM/All-67FM/SPE-1804-MS/2087769/spe-1804-ms.pdf/1 by guest on 01 October 2021 a candidatevs.comme.ndof a comprehensive bgdy assimtlato~ of.,es,tablishedprinciples ?X’om. of technical knowledge in the field of engi- many disciplines relating to his problem, the neering and his demonstrated ability to under- expert in designing and building, improving take, pursue, and bring to satisfactory con- and broadening for industrial products and clusion the investigation of significant prob- appl~cations~ this is the Doctor of Engineering lems current In that field. The degree rel?re- graduate. The ability he has comes principally sents a broad mastery of the 6ub~ect matter from an awareness of the applicability of the and techniques of his chosen majo~ professional product or process to more than one area. area to a stage of competence and a standard of scholarship parallel with that required for the The DE graduate will have an industry PhD degree. The works of the degree aust doctorate, That is, he will be trained to t+g either extend the boundaries of knowledge of level of competence of the Doctor but moti- the profession or demonstrate distinguished vated, directed and taught for a professional achievements of a professional nature. ‘l?le role in industry rather than for the academic student must demonstrate the power indepen- and eductitionallife currently chosen by well dently to use and synthesize relevant existing over 50 percent of the current PhD graduates. knowledge for the solution of problems of the sort llkely to be encountered in professional His foundation will.parallel that of the practice of the high-level rather than the PhD in engineering fumdmentals. His depth routine type. The program of study will in- of specialization will be pertinent to the areb clude preparation in non-engineering fields - of specialization chosen for his degree. His economics, bus’lnessadministration, public motivations will be current problems of indus- administration, law, foreign languages end try, profit, sad application of his knowledge. mathematical statistics - which will lend broa~ This will.,in part, stem from the minimum of support to the professional studies. one year’s tenure in industry prior to grad- uation or completion of his dissertation. The The DE degree is conceived as a profes- project chosen will be of induztry origin, sional degree recognizing the highest educa- with current application, and with immediate tional peak to which one CSXIrise, except by productivity or profit yielding the impetus experience, The emphasis is, of course, on for investigation end pursuit. professionalism. The DE program recognizes first end foremost the heterogeneity of today’~ The philosophy of two similar doctorate- demands on the engineer - particularly the level degrees is difficult for many to accept, I graduate-level engineer. This heterogeneity lhe fi26t argument against this need is a most of tasks, unusually prevalent in the oil and valid one, that is, that the candidate must be gas industry, repeatedly demands m unusual given the right to specialize. He ❑ust be per- broadness in the background and adaptability mitted to acquire a technical proficiency which of the engineer. It require6 =peated movemenl he could not readily obtain in indU6try amd one into more than one area of specialization, or, which will sustain his value to his employer if you wish, broader and broader boundaries of and his industry longer than the now classical application ad knowledge to the specialties 10-year life spaa of engineers, before obsoles- of the engineer, The En ineers Council for cence creeps in. In the same sense, howev&, Professional Develoyent 5 defines the engi- the student must not be permitted ‘todirect his neering profession in the following manner pursuits o.ndstudies in such away that his [with our modi.flcatione.included]. future value to his employer ad industry will be directed solely toward one facet of industry !ihglneeringis the profession in which a one industrial.problem, or one Industrial spec- knowledge of the mathematical and phyEtcal ialization which could well become obsolete to -. --sciencesgained by study$experience,-and-- both-him and his employer--- ~~~ ------practice is applied vi,%hjudgment to de- +elop end create methods to utilize eco: .Competitionwithin industry forengineerin nomically the materials and forces of talent has become very serious buskess.. par- ‘tituret the earth on which we Mve, and ‘ ticularly in the oil and gas industry. Com- our natuxd. surroundings for the benefit petit.ion.witkigovement.al. agenci.es$government ‘.‘and progressive.well-beingof’our funded , contz’actingagencies,-and the .mau..‘...... maay other industries hungry for engineering ..- ...... THE RO.?XOF THX DOCTOR OF ENGINEERING DEGREE —.IN GRADUATE EDUCATION sPE-180b problem is further magnified within large In summary, a Dactorate in Engineering companies where competition is keenly act%ve ha6 a valid place in fknericanhigher education between research, development, manufacturing, as long as it has a significant function and operations, and production department or is not created as an escape f’romthe require- sections. Couple these improvisations with ments of the PhD degree, Ideally, it is the oftentimes shortsighted capabilities of oriented to the engineering profession and management to forecast future technical needs; is designed to meet the needs of that pro- Downloaded from http://onepetro.org/SPEATCE/proceedings-pdf/67FM/All-67FM/SPE-1804-MS/2087769/spe-1804-ms.pdf/1 by guest on 01 October 2021 then theproblemisexplosive. fess%on on the highest level of education emd. ia the deepest of technological problems in One partial [and admittedly un6atis- industry. At Its best it serves a function factory] smwer to the growing problem of the that is parallel but not in competition with shortage of talented technical manpower is the the PhD degree in quality, competence and acquisition of engineers who are capable of product. moving in more than one narrow specialization. REFERENCES As to a possible offering of the Ibctor of Engineering degree in some disciplines at 1. Stever, H. G.: Inauguration Program, the U. of Missouri at Rolls, it is realized Carnegie Institute of Technology [Oct. 21- that the degree is characterized by studies 22, 1965] emphasizing breadth of learning, the modern 2. Ragland, Dcuglas: “The Great Engineering tools of professional engineering, and a major tiplosion”, J, Pet. Tech. [MC.) I-9621lXLI design or development prodect attainable with- 1318. in three years past the master’s degree. In- 3. Harnish, D, H., Jr.: “The Petroleum Engi- 6tructional content will emphasize such neering Profession - A Reality or a Con- subjects as operational mathematics, 6ystems tradition?” J. Pet. Tech. [Nov., 1962] engineering, advanced engineering, economics, 1195-1198. design and engineering management. Courses in 4. schiller~ Ronald: “Help Wanted: Eugi- advaced social science and humanities are not neers and Scientists’’,.Readerc Digest excluded from the program. As to the disser- [March 2, 1967]. tation, it should deal wiih a design problem, 5. Dixon, Joha R.: “The Lost Mi6sion of Engi. which dictates an internship of at lea6t one neering”, Jour. Eng. Education [April, year in fndustry under the supervid.on of a 1962]. design profes60r of the candidate’s advisory 6. Dixon, John R.: “Challenges of chance: faculty. Curriculum, Teaching, amd Jobs”, Jour. Eng Education [Oct., 1965] 33.