ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to bring out the distinctive features of engineering knowledge as a component of engineering professional competence. Engineering knowledge is one facet of professional competency, along with skills and attitudes. Engineering competency develops in stages and the mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes changes. It discusses the engineering knowledge on the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) knowledge profile. The IEA graduate attributes knowledge profiles are defined for engineer, engineering technologist and engineering technician roles to support the outcomes defined for each role. The IEA graduate attributes knowledge profile suggests that the conceptual base of engineering has four components: engineering specialisation, engineering fundamentals, natural science and mathematics. Engineering activity seeks to provide benefits for people, societies and economic activity. From the 1950s, engineers became involved in the solution of problems of information and complex systems. Today people regard the basic materials of engineering as being both physical and informational.