A Professional Competency Model For Graduates of Engineering Colleges in Iran (Case study: Graduates of Sharif University of Technology)

The economic progress of a country, as well as the standard of living of the people, lies heavily on the engineers shoulders. One has higher expectations from engineers than just being knowledgeable in the basic and engineering sciences. Engineering education system should make every effort to educate competent engineers. Engineers are engaged in various fields of activities, yet one can develop a model for engineering competency, irrespective of their specialized field of expertise. In this article a competency model is developed through a Delphi approach, and by consulting prominent engineers and educators. Then the model is presented to the engineering graduates of Sharif University of Technology, Iran for self-evaluation and criticism. The final model consists of four fundamental competencies, with seven basic and twenty eight sub competencies. The four fundamental competencies are: exalted motivation to render the most effective and unconditional engineering service to those who need it most, scientific expertise, practical abilities and the desire for life-long learning and educating of younger engineers. In the competency model, engineering ethics is included in exalted motivation to render the most effective service to those who need it most, along with possessing human values.