The academic achievement of upper-level students in engineering technology curricula: a prediction study

A major thrust for Technical Education in the 1980s is the emerging identity of Engineering Technology. During the past four decades the Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology has become increasingly popular as a means of entry into industrially related mid-careers. An increasing number of colleges that offer majors in Engineering Technology have been experiencing dramatic increases in the number of program applicants, with community college transfer students accounting for a significant percentage of the total mix. There is a concern among Engineering Technology professionals regarding the emerging source of transfer students who have insufficient academic preparation to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in the upper-division of the Engineering Technology curricula.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the strength of the relationships between selected previous academic work and the subsequent upper-division academic achievement of students who transfer from lower-division (community) colleges to the upper-division.