Abstract

As fostering and enhancing the creativity of our engineering students is of prime importance, the goal of the interdisciplinary learning stream as outlined in this paper is to lay the creative foundation for the engineer of the future. The qualitative coupled with the quantitative is the ground upon which the interdisciplinary strides, a place where the new idea is coddled and put forth. The permission of this idea is found in the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Entertainment Engineering and Design (EED) program. The interdisciplinary learning stream, the cornerstone of the EED degree, consists of five components: 1) A four-semester, cornerstone, interdisciplinary learning stream focuses on engineering design from a hands-on, industrial perspective. Students take these courses during their freshman and sophomore years in the program. A key component of the sophomore year courses in this learning stream is mentoring local high school teams taking part in the FIRST Robotics competition. 2) The course "The History of Art, Entertainment and Technology,” focuses on the influence of social and cultural events on technical development and vice versa. Students take this course during their sophomore year in the program. 3) An industrial internship program with entertainment companies such as Cirque du Soleil provides students with a firm industrial perspective on engineering design. Upon completion of the interdisciplinary learning stream, students are eligible to apply for these internships. 4) An academic exchange program with the School of Design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University provides the students with an international perspective on engineering design. Upon completion of the interdisciplinary learning stream, students are eligible to apply for this exchange program. 5) An annual "Creativity in Engineering Education" workshop to serve as a focal point for informational exchange on the progress of the program.