Revamping the Nontechnical Part of the Curriculum

There are many topics which are ofgrowing importance to engineers. The list is long, but includes entrepreneurship, innovation, patent practices and rights, law and taxation, economics, ethics, energy policy, pollution policy. Such courses are seldom available, although MIT has recently undertaken an experiment to develop them. On the other hand, two decades of experience have shown us that the ECPD required courses in the social sciences and humanities are often sterile, dull, and contribute little to general education for our undergraduates. Isn't it time that we reconsider the nontechnical component of the electrical engineer's education?