Abstract

This paper presents the recent development of undergraduate and graduate production engineering programmes in Brazil. Initially, a knowledgebased approach to design programmes, which was based on legislation made production engineering programmes rigid. More recently, a competence-based approach which considers not only knowledge, but also skills and attitudes to design programmes is presented. Changes which have already been made like flexibility and innovation in curricula of undergraduate and graduate production engineering programmes in their research areas and laboratories are analysed. The current greatest challenge is to deal with the complexity of the various elements of undergraduate and graduate programmes - objectives, curriculum, courses, bibliographic collection, laboratories, people, etc. - as well as searching for a systemic integration of these aspects. This paper is also aimed to stimulate readers to proactively investigate these programmes. Copyright © 2009 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.