Flexible post-calculus engineering mathematics electives

The University of Louisville offers six engineering degrees that are ABET-accredited at the advanced level. The mathematics course requirement for these programs, taught by Engineering Mathematics faculty within the engineering school, is well above the minimum required for advanced level accreditation. All engineering programs require 12 semester hours (SH) of calculus, 3 SH of ordinary differential equations, and 3 SH of probability/statistics; five of the six programs also require a 3 SH linear algebra course and/or a 3 SH numerical methods course. This paper describes how the nonprobability/statistics courses were revised in response to an accreditation-driven request to decrease the number of semester hours of basic mathematics. The revisions sought to do this while maintaining the students' high level of mathematical preparation and ensuring that they also have baseline computer algebra system skills early in their education. The revised curriculum will be phased in starting Fall 1998.