BSc Engineering Management

Does anyone know of a RA or SA institution that offers a BSc or similar degree in Engineering Management?

Thanks

 

I think you´re more likely to find that type of studies at the post graduate level. Someone was just talking about Eastern Michigan University but there are many options.

 

While it is true that Bears' Guide 15th edition lists thirty master's programs and three doctorates in engineering management available via dl, it also lists nine bachelor's and even two associate's degrees. Here are the undergrad dl programs available in the field.

Golden Gate University http://cybercampus.ggu.edu (BG15, 113)
* Grantham College of Engineering www.grantham.edu (BG15, 114)
University of Houston www.uh.edu/uhdistance (BG15, 137)
New Jersey Institute of Technology http://cpe.njit.edu (BG15, 124)
* Open University and Open College www.ola.bc.ca (BG15, 126)
Pace University www.pace.edu (BG15, 167)
Southern New Hampshire University www.snhu.edu (BG15, 130)
Upper Iowa University www.uiu.edu (BG15, 149)
Washington State University http://distance.wsu.edu (BG15,150)
* Indicates both Associate's and Bachelor's programs

 

Re: Re: BSc Engineering Management

Ted,

Out of all the degree programs you listed, only one (Grantham) has a BS program specifically in Engineering Management. Two or three more has programs in Technology Management; however, the rest I didn't see anything except standar Management.

 

From what I understand of an "Engineering Management" degree, is that it is designed as a graduate program for students who have a Bachelors degree in engineering. It's specifically designed to give engineers and other technical degreed individuals some crossover experience with management. Thus having an Engineering Management degree at the bachelors level seems unusual. I think you will have more luck if you look at standard management or technology management bachelors degrees instead.

 

Re: Re: Re: BSc Engineering Management

Interesting! All nine schools are listed in the Subject Index of Bears' Guide 15th edition as offering dl bachelor's degrees in engineering and technology management. However, with five of the nine I cannot seem to find anything in the way of a bachelor's in engineering/technology management on their websites.

Grantham University offers the BS in Engineering Management.
Thompson Rivers University (formerly known as Open University and Open College) offers the BBA in Technology Management.
Southern New Hampshire University offers the BS in Technical Management.
Upper Iowa University offers the BS in Technology and Information Management.

 

ABET accredits several Bachelor's level programs in Engineering Management. They are unusual because - as others have noted - this is normally a graduate study. The currently accredited programs are:

University of Arizona BSEMgt
University of Missouri-Rolla BS
University of the Pacific BS
Stevens Institute of Technology BE
West Point BS

Another reason ABET-accredited programs are not abundant at the undergraduate level is that the field is adequately covered by the BSIT degree in Industrial Technology. See www.nait.org.

 

I think this enginering management is a very versatile degree which offers lots of opportunities in service and industry sectors in the information economy. But I would stick to harder programs, those that include higher level math instead of those hands-on programs, less academic programs like industrial technology.

That BS in Engineering Management at the University of Missouri–Rolla is absolutely great!

 

BSEMgt vs BSIT

The BSEMgt does have more math than the BSIT. It's the old question of whether time is spent on higher math or on "hand's on" studies. Both the BSEMgt and BSIT have their place.

One practical problem with the Engineering Management degree - which I think is why they are not popular at the undergraduate level - is where exactly do you place such an individual for his first job ? Production and QA department have Manufacturing, Production and Industrial and QA Engineers. Sales has Systems Engineers. Design departments have specific Electrical or Mechanical or Chemical Engineers. But you can't have a raw engineer straight out of school Manage anything. So there's the practical placement difficulty - which leads most engineers to have some form of Management training as their 2nd degree - after they've put in some time at a functional level.

 

I agree with all that. But an engineering management graduate has similar skills to those of an industrial engineer. As you pointed out, quality, production are typical areas where this type of graduates could find meaningful employment and also in a position linking technical and managerial functions of an organization. A master´s degree in quality or in manufacturing engineering could further these individuals' utility a lot. An MBA could be of help too, but I think it would be better a "soft"engineering degree may be more useful. Those degrees are very versatile and also the service sector offers tons of opportunities. After all, a simulation analysis in a hospital, for instance, is very similar to the one you would conduct in a manufacturing setting. Nevertheless, that degree at Missouri Rolla is simply spectacular: a perfect match between technical and management courses. Very impressive.