3.1. Professional Master's Programs

3.1.2 Master's in Engineering Management

• Engineering Management links the disciplines of engineering and management so as to plan and implement technological capabilities to accomplish the objectives of an organization. It integrates the technology of an activity with the management of the activity.

• In the past, a significant number of engineers have undertaken postgraduate studies for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, often after a number of years employment and at a stage when they were acquiring some management responsibility. It is the view of many in industry that the needs of many engineers could be met adequately, and potentially better, by a postgraduate program shorter than the two-year MBA and including a mixture of management and technical subjects appropriate to engineering industry.

• Some valuable experience in addressing this market has been gained from several 5-year undergraduate programs combining an engineering discipline with management. With the proposed broadening of undergraduate programs, and the expectation that many will wish to enter management studies sometime after initial employment, it is considered that a one-year postgraduate program is an effective way of providing education in engineering management.

• Close cooperation of professors in engineering with those in management will be needed to develop and present the programs in engineering management. An important byproduct to be expected of this cooperation is a broadening of outlook by both engineering and management staff.

• Special consideration should be given to inclusion of foreign language studies in engineering management programs.

• The establishment in 1989 of a program of Chairs in the Management of Technological Change jointly by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council and the Social Science And Humanities Research Council in partnership with industry provides an important initiative and resource for this professional master's program.

RECOMMENDATION 30: Engineering faculties should cooperate with Management faculties in designing and presenting one-year professional masters programs in Engineering Management.