This paper analyses the potentialities of changes in the Production Engineering undergraduate courses generated by the Curricular Guidelines for Engineering undergraduate courses. Considering competency as a fundamental concept of the Curricular Guidelines, several approaches are studied and a concept for competency is proposed. The following relevant principles of competency for the teaching of Production Engineering are identified: the ability to cope with complex situations and a new focus on teaching, research and extension; the mobilization and the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge, skills and attitudes; the singularity of formation and the progression of learning of the competencies. Within a case study carried out in managing the undergraduate course of Production Engineering of the EESC, the way the Curricular Guidelines and the concept of competency generated and caused changes is analyzed. Three moments of this undergraduate course are analyzed: the formulation of the pedagogical project, the curricular re-structuring and the strategic management.
Production engineering; undergraduate course; Brazilian legislation; competency; pedagogical project; structure
