Hence my post
More are at the good old Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
So, you made me look it up with ABET's EAC (the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Engineering Accreditation Council)
In the list of program criteria for accreditation, there is a category for "general engineering", but it does not require any additional science or math compared to the program-specific criteria. It specified only the "general criteria" for accreditation, which includes this about curricula:
The curriculum requirements specify subject areas appropriate to engineering but do not prescribe specific courses. The program curriculum must provide adequate content for each area, consistent with the student outcomes and program educational objectives, to ensure that students are prepared to enter the practice of engineering. The curriculum must include:
- a minimum of 30 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of a combination of college-level mathematics and basic sciences with experimental experience appropriate to the program.
- a minimum of 45 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of engineering topics appropriate to the program, consisting of engineering and computer sciences and engineering design, and utilizing modern engineering tools.
- a broad education component that complements the technical content of the curriculum and is consistent with the program educational objectives.
- a culminating major engineering design experience that 1) incorporates appropriate engineering standards and multiple constraints, and 2) is based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work.
In addition to this, electrical engineering programs must also meet this criteria:
The structure of the curriculum must provide both breadth and depth across the range of engineering topics implied by the title of the program.
The curriculum must include probability and statistics, including applications appropriate to the program name; mathematics through differential and integral calculus; sciences (defined as biological, chemical, or physical science); and engineering topics (including computing science) necessary to analyze and design complex electrical and electronic devices, software, and systems containing hardware and software components.
The curriculum for programs containing the modifier “electrical,” “electronic(s),” “communication(s),” or “telecommunication(s)” in the title must include advanced mathematics, such as differential equations, linear algebra, complex variables, and discrete mathematics.
The curriculum for programs containing the modifier “computer” in the title must include discrete mathematics.
The curriculum for programs containing the modifier “communication(s)” or “telecommunication(s)” in the title must include topics in communication theory and systems.
The curriculum for programs containing the modifier “telecommunication(s)” must include design and operation of telecommunication networks for services such as voice, data, image, and video transport.
These don't add to the general requirements, but further specify it. So, a general degree might include "engineering topics" that are more generally into physics than some of the specialized courses required for a program, but may also include a breadth of the same sorts of courses from other programs. I don't see any language supporting what Wikipedia said, where the general engineering degree is intended to be more in-depth in math and physics to support greater versatility, though I'm sure there are good schools that do exactly that.
I looked at the list of accredited programs that had general engineering degrees, and there were 124 in the USA (out of 520 accredited engineering schools) comprising mostly small programs, but including a range of very large and highly respected programs (e.g. Purdue, Virginia Polytechnic University), so I draw no conclusions from that. None of the schools in my experience has them, which explains my narrow perspective.
Rick "thinking a lot of engineers don't pay attention during those probability and statistics classes" Denney