Abstract

Of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) fields, women remain underrepresented in many engineering disciplines. Obstacles persist for entering the field via enrollment in an engineering program of study, but also for entering and remaining in an engineering profession. The push for more diversity and inclusion in STEM fields has led to many STEM enrichment programs, within and outside the school environment. These career-relevant learning experiences, both prior to and during university, influence students’ perceptions and attitudes towards engineering. According to Social Cognitive Career Theory, individuals choose to pursue a career based on their skills and their expectations of the career, which can be influenced by external factors, such as participation in career-relevant learning experiences. To this end, I study the effect of pre-university engineering experiences and university extracurricular experiences on undergraduate students’ perceptions of engineering and, ultimately, their decision to remain in the field. One hundred and ninety-four engineering students from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada responded to a survey about their pre-university and during-university career-relevant experiences, and their attitudes about the engineering profession. Results suggest that pre- and during-university engineering experiences are beneficial to engineering students, improving their self-efficacy and perceptions of the field. Engineering companies and educators may want to invest in these experiences if they want to support the next generation of future engineers and benefit from a more diverse workforce.