Developing a Practicum Plan for Undergraduate Students in Railway Design and Operation Major of Transportation Engineering

Because of the increasing complexity and advancements in the area of railway industry, there is a growing demand for graduates to be specialists with systematic views, specialized skills and innovative abilities.This paper presents an overview of the present typical arrangements of practicum curricula in railway design and operation major in transportation engineering education for the rapid development of railway industry in China.The experimental and practical courses are divided into several modules such as the module for basic skills, for specialized skills, for synthetic ability and for innovative ability.They are arranged into eight semesters and employ various learning styles and evaluation strategy according to their relations and positions in learning sequences.The national experimental and engineering education platforms are basis of this practicum plan to enhance practical skills and innovative ability of the students.