Advances in Engineering Education - Iron Range Engineering - Abstract - Key words: Professional Practice, Educational Setting, Diversity

Oct 15, 2026

This paper presents achievements and lessons from developing and implementing the Iron Range Engineering (IRE) program over ten years, and outlines its future directions. IRE applies research-based instructional strategies to deliver a project-based learning (PBL) curriculum grounded in authentic industry design projects across three engineering domains. Offered as an upper-division program for community college graduates, it broadens gender, racial, and socio-economic diversity. The rural model was replicated in a metro setting, and strategies now inform the Iron Range Engineering Bell program to expand enrollments while reducing resource intensity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Motivation and origins of IRE

ABET alignment and recognition

Scalability limits and the IRE Bell program

Background

Calls to improve engineering education

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FALL 2021 Iron Range Engineering RON ULSETH Iron Range Engineering Virginia, Minnesota BART JOHNSON Itasca Community College Grand Rapids, Minnesota AND CHRISTINE KENNEDY Iron Range Engineering Virginia, Minnesota ABSTRACT In this paper, we address the achievements to date and the learnings from the development and tenyear implementation of the Iron Range Engineering (IRE) program while articulating its future directions. IRE uses research-based instructional strategies to implement a project-based learning (PBL) curriculum where authentic design sits at the heart of each semester’s learning experiences. Industry projects are used to provide the learning context that spans the three engineering domains of professional, technical, and design capabilities. Delivered as an upper-division program to graduates of community colleges, the IRE model attracts a wider gender, racial, and socio-economic diversity. The rural IRE program has been replicated successfully in a metro region. Both programs have small enrollments, are resource intensive, and immerse student engineers in two years of PBL curriculum with industry clients leading to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) . Many unique learning strategies with the potential to advance engineering education have been developed by these programs. In an effort to propagate the use of these strategies, IRE has developed a new program designed for higher enrollments while both decreasing resource intensity and further expanding the diversity of the profession. This new entity, known as the Iron Range Engineering Bell program, attracts community college graduates from across the U.S. Using the framework of looking forward, this paper briefly describes the motivations behind the IRE model, its background, and the specific details of its philosophies and implementation. In the results section, both advancements and new learning strategies are described in a way that others can seek inspiration for possible adaptation. Finally, the new Bell program is described along with its potential for impact on change in engineering education. Key words: Professional Practice, Educational Setting, Diversity ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Iron Range Engineering INTRODUCTION The motivations to start the Iron Range Engineering (IRE) program came from regional economics and dissatisfaction by the founders with the status quo in engineering education (Ulseth, 2016) . IRE emerged from a successful community college engineering program and became a collaboration between that college, Itasca Community College, and Minnesota State University, Mankato with Mesabi Range College as the host location. The curricular model was adapted from the Aalborg University (Denmark) model of project based learning (PBL) where semester projects from industry sit at the center of the curriculum. This contrasts with traditional engineering curricula that have technical and professional learning that is separate from the student design and professional practice experience. Students who complete the program earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Student engineers can choose a focus area and graduates have focused in mechanical, electrical, biomedical, chemical, civil, aeronautical, process, software, computer, or environmental engineering. One of the specific aims of the startup program was to better align instructional practices with ABET outcomes (Bates, Allendoerfer, Ulseth, & Johnson, 2016 and Johnson, 2016) as compared to the founders’ perceptions of how traditional programs were aligned at the time. Validation of the alignment was received with the awarding of the 2017 ABET Innovation Award ( [https://vimeo](https://vimeo). com/239716994) . The model was replicated as Twin Cities Engineering (TCE), which is hosted by

FAQs

What core learning approach does the Iron Range Engineering (IRE) program use?

IRE uses research-based instructional strategies to implement a project-based learning (PBL) curriculum where authentic design from industry drives each semester’s learning experiences.

How does IRE address diversity in engineering education?

The program is delivered to community college graduates and its model attracts broader gender, racial, and socio-economic diversity. The rural program was replicated successfully in a metro region as well.

What is the purpose of the Iron Range Engineering Bell program?

The Bell program translates innovative IRE strategies into a new entity designed for higher enrollments, decreased resource intensity, and further expansion of professional diversity, with students completing online academic requirements plus industry co-op placements.

Oct 15, 2026

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