Effects of Interdisciplinary Courses on Engineering Students’ Competencies

The Fourth Industrial Revolution become a major global topic around, and as a result, universities in Korea have been carrying out structural reforms in preparation of a highly technological future. Engineering colleges, particularly, are participating in the reform by supporting interdisciplinary education programs that combine knowledge and experience across a variety of areas. This study attempts to examine the effects of interdisciplinary education for engineering students by observing students' competencies before and after the program. We studied the effects of education over three years, finding improvements in competencies due to interdisciplinary education every year. Among the 12 competencies we developed, leadership significantly improved during all five semesters. Analytical thinking, interpersonal competency: professional attitude, global mindedness, and creative attitudes also improved across numerous semesters. Future studies can elaborate on competencies based on our findings. Further research is needed on the development of interdisciplinary courses and teaching methods aiming to improve competencies.