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Man of Genius

 J.M. Syken

Course Outline

Through the viewing of several archival/documentary films produced in the 1950s, we will examine the profession of engineering starting with the potential student of engineering, the graduate engineer, the professional engineer and the combat engineer.

We will examine the skills, aptitude, ability etc. required to be a successful engineer and the various branches of engineering as they existed/served society in the middle of the 20th Century. We will also examine the great work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, from their founding in 1775 up until the time of the Korean War.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers, contractors and other design/construction professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the practice/profession of engineering

Course Introduction

The course incorporates the viewing of several archival/documentary films broken down as follows;

Part 1 examines the potential engineering student based on aptitude, interest, ability etc. Part 2 examines the opportunities available to a graduate engineer in industry. Part 3 examines the various branches of engineering and the role of the professional engineer within each branch. Part 4 examines the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in both war and peace.

Course Content

Part 1 – The Potential Engineer;
TITLE: Getting Acquainted With Engineering – Part 1 (1953)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/getting_acquainted_with_engineering_1
DURATION: 15:32
 TITLE: Getting Acquainted With Engineering – Part 2 (1953)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/getting_acquainted_with_engineering_2
DURATION: 07:03
Part 2 – The Graduate Engineer;
TITLE: Mechanical Engineering at DuPont (ca.1951)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/mechanical_engineering_at_dupont
DURATION: 21:06
Part 3 – The Professional Engineer;
TITLE: American Engineer (1956)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/0543_American_Engineer
DURATION: 28:18
Part 4 – The Combat Engineer;
TITLE: The Engineer Mission (1954)
LINK: http://archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.69352
DURATION: 25:23

Course Summary

The practice of the profession of engineering calls for persons of high intelligence, integrity, responsibility and resourcefulness. Most of all, it calls for people willing to accept a challenge; to do something with the raw materials of the earth and application of physical laws – known and unknown, to do what has never been done before and/or was thought impossible to do. It requires courage to think and dream boldly for the benefit of mankind and to literally shape human destiny.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Engineering
http://www.usace.army.mil/

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.