Pros/cons of project-based curriculum?

Colleges & Universities Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2

<p>From what I can tell, there is plenty of structure unless you don’t want any.
Humanities and arts requirement includes a capstone Inquiry Seminar or Practicum which can be a set of courses or could be a project of the student’s design. My student is taking advanced courses in the German department to meet this requirement. So it doesn’t have to be a “project” per se. <a href=“https://www.wpi.edu/academics/hua/ugrad-requirements.html[/url]”>https://www.wpi.edu/academics/hua/ugrad-requirements.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>IQP - the majority of students work on projects that are done in conjunction with government agencies or non-profits of many kinds in project centers all over the world.<br>
[Interdisciplinary</a> and Global Studies: Interactive Qualifying Project - WPI](<a href=“http://www.wpi.edu/academics/igsd/iqp.html]Interdisciplinary”>http://www.wpi.edu/academics/igsd/iqp.html)
[-</a> Starting a Project](<a href=“http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Projects/started.html]-”>http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Projects/started.html)
If you read those pages you can see that students CAN design their own projects.</p>

<p>MQP - Many of the MQP projects are sponsored by corporations but also some government agencies. Again students can create their own under the guidance of faculty. Each major provides specific MQP opportunities both on campus or off-site. You can read more in the course catalog that explains it in depth:
[ugrad13-14[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Here’s the current list of locations for IQP and MQPs:
[url=&lt;a href=“http://wpi-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll]Programs”&gt;http://wpi-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll]Programs</a> > List All > The Global Perspective Program](<a href=“http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/flip/?page=18]ugrad13-14[/url”>http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/flip/?page=18)</p>

<p>My son did not do the optional First Year program “Great Problems Seminar” -
[First</a> Year Experience: Great Problems Seminar (GPS) - WPI](<a href=“http://www.wpi.edu/academics/firstyear/gps.html]First”>Great Problems Seminar | Worcester Polytechnic Institute)</p>

<p>The use of projects within the curriculum is one of the main reasons my son chose WPI over many other schools. He will do an IQP in Copenhagen this year :)</p>