The whole of the US education system is quite different from that in the UK. Generally, students stay in full time education longer, and in general will study nine subjects to age 18. The level is pre ‘A’ level and has avoided any real specialisation. The US has no national curriculum, so subject content is state dependent. Consequently universities have to start their teaching at a lower level to take account of the breath and variety of skills and understanding which students arrive with.

Entry into a US university is by general admission to a school or college (e.g. to the Engineering College/School), and is handled centrally with no need for academic staff to be involved, making this process far more efficient. All engineering students follow the same broad programme for most of the first two years: maths, chemistry, physics, general engineering, and some non-technical electives. Very few of these courses are given by chemical engineering departments. Even in the final two years, at least 25% of the courses are electives taken outside the department, with compulsory non-technical electives taken during the first three years. By concentrating teaching resources in this way, staff normally teach one undergraduate course per year. This is common to virtually every university visited. Some places noted that special attention needs to be paid to the content of courses delivered externally to the department, to ensure that they are suitable for chemical engineers. The smaller size of chemical engineering departments in the US relative to student numbers is achieved by this ‘service’ teaching in the first two years, which for example, enables 19 staff at Berkeley to have 650 students. This strategy means that it is possible to have very high quality small departments.

As the core chemical engineering modules are a small fraction of the total number of undergraduate modules required for a degree, (for example, Princeton require twelve departmental modules out of a total of 36, there is substantial scope for undergraduates to develop a programme of modules leading to what is known as a minor in another discipline. Most universities recognise this parallel minor degree in a second discipline where approximately half the number of modules required for the major must be taken. Many universities will recognise ‘double majors’ where the student

satisfies the requirements of two different departments. This flexibility permits students to create formal interdisciplinary courses to suit their own interests. Some universities allow this flexibility of programme design for a unique single major, where the student can formally petition the Dean to recognise, for instance, a B.Sc. degree in engineering on the theme of combustion science and pollution management, where the university offers no such programme. The Dean has the authority to decide if the designated programme of course modules and independent study is of sufficiently high calibre and content to award the bachelor's degree. Students themselves often cite the flexibility of programmes as a key feature attracting them to technical majors. Furthermore, the combination of a technology based major with a liberal arts minor or even as a double major, is seen as attractive by employers. In addition, the combination is viewed attractively by postgraduate admissions tutors in medicine, law, and business administration, as well as to the traditional engineering disciplines.

Courses tend to comprise three hours of lecturing per week with a one-hour problems class; and staff will offer several quizzes and mid-term exams within their courses. This continuous assessment can be more prevalent at the early years so that students are always well aware of how they are progressing. These marks always count towards the final assessment, as there are rarely any final or formal examinations. The US system is genuinely modularised (i.e. students can take modules at different times), which allows students to slow down the rate at which they have to take courses in order to allow for a substantial amount of gainful employment to help them with the course fees. These fees can be substantial – over $24,000 p.a. at MIT, down to less than $2500 p.a. for an in-state student at a state university (table UM.1). This approach does not academically penalise students from less affluent backgrounds, and is often the only way such students can get through college. This system also allows for those who fail exams the first time round. An arrangement which some universities operate is a so-called ‘work/study’ programme, whereby the university employs students in a part-time job, and the students’ pay is directly deducted from the courses fees.

Table UM.1. Examples of Undergraduate Fees at Universities we Visited.