Developing a sense of purpose in graduating engineers

While some graduating engineers have a highly-developed sense of purpose and direction for their careers and lives, many students are merely aware that they possess valuable technical skills and enjoy working on engineering projects. At Seattle Pacific University, our mission includes not only training technically competent engineers, but also preparing them with a sense of purpose developed from our Christian worldview. To this end, we have added a significant component to our senior design courses that engages students in discussions and reflective writing about their purpose in becoming an engineer. Drawing on the concept of vocation, we examine and discuss ways that an engineer can find significance in his or her career that goes beyond simply having a good job that pays well. We hope that after completing this course, engineering students are better prepared to find a particular career that fits their life goals, graduates will have a better sense of purpose in their work, and practicing engineers are more motivated to make transformational changes in their workplace. This work-in-progress presents our curriculum components and provides an early look at the student outcomes.