Technology Accreditation Criteria of ABET, Inc. (TAC/ABET) Criterion 2 lists the eleven areas of expertise a graduate must possess upon program completion; most know these as the "a-k" criteria, and it is interesting to note that only four of the eleven criteria apply to technical areas. All other criteria relate to "soft skills." Soft skills play a crucial role in the outcomes for ABET-accredited technology programs in the U.S. The primary objective of this paper is to ascertain if technology programs elsewhere incorporate similar outcomes in their curricula. More specifically, the authors will compare a representative engineering/technology curriculum from a Chinese university with that of an American university, examining the role that soft skills education plays in each. Two of the authors, from the School of Technology at Purdue University Calumet, and a third author from the Inner Mongolia University of Technology in China, will provide an overview and comparison of a representative technology curriculum at each University. The comparison will focus on the role that skills such as communication, teamwork, and appreciation for diversity play in a technical curriculum.
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