Development of an Engineering Management M.S. Option Coupled with Undergraduate Culminating Design Article Swipe

Development of an Engineering Management MS Option coupled with Undergraduate Culminating DesignAbstract: This article describes the elements of a new civil engineering MS management option currently beingimplemented in our program. In addition, the article summarizes the assessment of the classes’ outcomes andstudent evaluations as a means to determine the effectiveness of the new option. The motivation for this newoption comes from 1) the desire to strengthen our undergraduate culminating design experience, 2) a strongrecommendation and support from our advisory board to include civil engineering management in the curricula,and 3) the ASCE vision for civil engineering in 2025 to include leadership, teamwork, public policy, andmanagement as educational outcomes. The option is centered on two new graduate courses that provide a richexperience in the above stated outcomes and their coupling with our undergraduate culminating design classes.The first course, Civil Engineering Business Management (CE BM), is taught during the fall semester and focuseson providing a basic understanding of developing a business plan for a civil engineering firm. Topics discussedinclude accounting, finance, profitability, marketing, and legal aspects. The second course, Civil EngineeringLeadership and Project Management (CE LPM), is taught during the winter semester and focuses on projectmanagement, interpersonal skills, teamwork, evaluation of performance, and conflict resolution. Both classesare team-taught by faculty and a variety of professionals with years of practical experience.The coupling of the new MS management option with our undergraduate culminating design class is achievedthrough a required design project. During the fall semester, graduate students in the CE BM class have anassignment to develop an outline for a culminating design project for the undergraduate class from localmunicipalities, state agencies, or regional engineering companies. These projects serve as the capstone designprojects for the undergraduate teams. Although not a requirement, the graduate student can use the designproject as his or her Master’s Project. Graduate students determine the scope, deliverables, tasks, timeline, andmilestones for the project. During the winter semester, the design projects are proposed on, won, andcompleted by the undergraduate teams. The graduate student serves as the project manager of the multi-disciplinary undergraduate project design team . The setup provides hands on experience for the graduatestudents, who are learning in the CE LPM class leadership and management skills. The graduate studentmentors an undergraduate team; manages the project to completion on time, on budget, and to the client’ssatisfaction; and supervises the preparation and delivery of a design project report. In case the design project isused as the graduate student Master’s project, the graduate student writes a separate report that will includemanagement issues encountered during the execution of the project as well as any other degree requirements.The CE faculty oversees the overall program and mentors the graduate and undergraduate students involved inthe MS management option.Some advantages of the MS management option include (a) a structured mentoring experience for graduatestudents, (b) an effective means to acquire projects for the undergraduate culminating design class, and (c) aforum that allow practicing engineers to share professional expertise directly with students. In addition,students gain an understanding of how technical proficiency must be meshed with business acumen to have asuccessful career in engineering management.