Education: Engineering curricula: `Professional' vs. `two-track': In the debate over possible changes in engineering education, one of the key questions is what is meant by `professional school'

Engineers in industry have complained frequently about the kind of engineering education that takes place in colleges today. Engineers in academe are quick to defend their accomplishments and poke holes in the arguments of their detractors. Much of the current debate centers around two proposals. The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has issued a call for 'professional schools of engineering' that are 'independent' (see box on p. 54). The other is a change to a two-track system that offers a four-year bachelor's degree in general engineering or a five-year practice-oriented master's that might be the first professional degree.