This UNESCO publication is the fifth in a series of background papers on various aspects of curriculum design, developed by The International Working Group on Curricula Design in Engineering Education. It presents a general approach to design and describes a framework within which a curriculum can be developed. The booklet comes in two main parts. Part I provides a series of descriptions of the engineering educational systems in selected countries, in order to illustrate the variety of philosophical and institutional structures, and to highlight certain aspects of engineering education in those countries. Part II presents a generalized approach to curriculum design. The methodology consists of three stages: problem definition, structuring the curriculum, and the implementation and evaluation of the final curriculum. The appendices include the recommendations that resulted from the meetings of this group and a series of references for further reading. (GA)