Summer ’19 Newsletter: Online Engineering Management Program

By Ashley Jefferson | July 24, 2019

Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Elizabeth Gentry
Director, Engineering Management Program

What classes do you teach?
I teach Operations Management, Decision and Risk Analysis, Financial Management, Statistics II, and Effective Communication.

What do you like most about teaching in the engineering management program?
My favorite part about teaching in the EM program is getting to know my students. It is great to hear about how they used a concept that they learned in one of my classes and it is helping them at their work. Even though the program is completely online, the students talk to their classmates and me about their jobs and even their personal life. I had two students this summer who were planning their wedding and using some tools learned in class!

What is your favorite topic to teach?
I am very passionate about six sigma! It is a great process improvement methodology that uses a lot of data analysis. I cover it in my statisics II and operations management classes. I also teach a green belt and black belt class in six sigma for the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.

Where would you like to travel to next?
I always am up for going to Disney World! I am going there in November to run a half marathon. A place that I have never been and would love to go to is Germany. It is a dream of mine to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. Also, a friend of mine plays basketball there.

What is your favorite TV show?
It is hard to choose my favorite tv show! I love watching college basketball and most sports. On Netflix, though, I love watching Friends and Grey’s Anatomy.

Interested in joining the online EM program?

Fall Term 1 starts August 19
Fall Term 2 starts October 14
Spring Term 1 starts January 6

Click here to get started!

Student Spotlight
Meredith Cooksey ’18

What was your favorite EM class?
My favorite EM class was Operations Management, but I really enjoyed all of the classes. Operations Management gave an introduction to many of the topics covered in the various other classes. Not only was the class interesting, but the book that was read, “The Goal”, allowed me to understand bottle necking of processes which I see everyday in my role. I value using root causes with methods from the book to really solve the problem at hand rather than band-aiding the many issues stemming from the real issues.

How are you using EM in your work?
I think one of the most valuable parts of the EM program was seeing how the concepts I learned were immediately applicable to what I was working on in my job. Plus, many of the discussion boards focused around how topics could be applied to work. This not only allowed me to think, but also to hear from peers how they applied the concepts. I am using the skills I learned in Project Management the most in my role now because of a big project for optimization of downtime I am current working on. I am implementing RACI (Roles and Responsibilities), GANTT charts, and financial project planning to complete the project successfully on time and under budget.

What made you choose the UofL EM program?
The decision was easy in many ways for me. Not only did I already love the university from years of cheering on the Cards and attending undergrad, but it also had great flexibility and compatibility with my career goals. The professors are all incredibly knowledgeable, accessible, and helpful. In addition, the convenience of online learning allowed me to learn while working full-time, but also at a pace that gave me time to fully understand the topics and concepts.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?
This summer, I am looking forward to some fun trips exploring cities with friends and family which I have planned. Before the end of summer I’ll have gone to Milwaukee, Denver, Toronto, and Cleveland. But the rest of the weekends you’ll find me relaxing on Lake Cumberland, which is something I look forward to year-round to get away from the stress of work and the city life.

Click here to join our LinkedIn Group!

Career Coaching
The JB Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville offers a one stop shop for all students in terms of their professional plans. Our staff can provide career coaching in terms of resume and cover letter preparation, practice interviews (in person or over the phone), LinkedIn profile reviews, graduate school applications, and salary negotiation.

Students that are taking online courses are also eligible for these services. In addition, we can provide information on relocating, new graduate salary statistics for UofL engineering students (mostly local offers), and job search strategies.

If you have any interest in utilizing these services, please reach out to Mary Andrade.

**Mary Andrade**
Engineering Career Services Associate Director
mary.andrade@louisville.edu
502-852-3196

Know someone who’d excel at the online Engineering Management program?

We’re always looking for new engineers who we can help take their career to the next level. Refer a friend by emailing elizabeth.gentry@louisville.edu and receive a small prize.

Winter ’19 Newsletter: Online Engineering Management Program

By admin | February 15, 2019

Faculty Spotlight
Prof. Rachel Hansen

What classes do you teach?
I teach Intellectual Property Law for Engineers and Management Law.

What do you like most about teaching in the engineering management program?
What I like most about teaching in this program is the relationships I build with students. It may sound unlikely to hear that in an online program, but through our communications we really get to know one another. I have helped students with law school applications, written numerous letters of recommendations, and even gotten into hilarious debates about college football!

What brought you to start teaching engineers in law topics?
I was brought into the EM program in 2013 by my dad, who had recently retired as Dean of Speed School of Engineering. The EM program needed someone to teach Business Law, and my dad knew that was one of the courses I teach at a college near my home. He told me about the opportunity, I applied, and the rest is history. That original Business Law class has transformed into the Management Law course I now teach, and I added the Intellectual Property Law course a couple of years later.

Where would you like to travel to next?
My current dream travel destination is Iceland to see the Blue Lagoon.

What is your favorite TV show?
My favorite TV show is College Game Day.

Student Spotlight
David Langner

What is your favorite EM class?
I have enjoyed Engineering Statistics II because it has taught me the mathematical concepts behind process variation, which I really wanted before being able to take on process related projects at work. I also had a lot of fun in Marketing and the Engineer. The entire class was a cool exercise in thinking about WHY companies do what they do, and how engineers play a part in that. Sometimes, it’s fun to step away from the math to explore the psychology and politics behind a company’s directives.

How are you using EM in your work?
There are two big things I’m working on now. On a technical level, I’m working on a regression algorithm that could help our Software Quality Assurance Engineering group predict how long certain test requests will take to complete. This is fun because I can wear my Electrical Engineering hat AND my Engineering Management hat in the same day. In terms of softer skills, I am really working on something that was taught in Effective Leadership…information delivery. So many times, engineers give an overwhelming level of detail when presenting to leadership. Meanwhile, leadership is thinking, “umm…ok. So does it work?” I’m trying to recognize when I need to simplify results, and when I need to get into the low-level detail.

What made you choose the UofL EM program?
First, I wanted to start making full-time money as soon as possible after my undergrad was done. (It’s criminal what it costs to take a baby to the doctor!) Also, I believed that a Master’s in EM would supplement my pre-engineering school experience quite well. I figured it would help me put math behind the things I had experienced in the workplace years ago.

ARTICLE: The Rise of the Master of Engineering Management Degree
This ASME article describes the versatility of the EM degree, detailing how all engineers can benefit from the knowledge and skills gained.

Program Registration Dates
Registration for Summer and Fall Classes starts in a few months. If you have any questions, please reach out to us. We would be happy to hear from you!

Dr. Liz Gentry
EM Director
elizabeth.gentry@louisville.edu

Leigh Ann Elles
Graduate Academic Counselor
leigh.elles@louisville.edu

Growing Your Engineering Career: Advice From an Engineering Management Master’s Graduate

By admin | November 7, 2017

From the moment Corey Dixon began his internship at Chrysler, he saw potential and dreamed big.

His undergrad degree in mechanical engineering prepared him for a career focused on industrial engineering, a focus that led him into the automotive field. At Chrysler, he quickly rose from intern to Quality Shift Manager, overseeing a growing team on the production floor. But Corey realized that, with the right degree, his career path could take him to new heights.

“To make the career move you want to make these days,” Corey says, “you almost have to have a Master’s degree.” Together with a classmate from undergrad, Corey explored the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree from the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville.

The engineering management degree was attractive for several reasons. “It’s great to be pursuing a degree that’s offered 100% online,” says Corey, who is now on target to graduate. “It’s a flexible degree. I can live my everyday life and still go to school to get the degree I need.”

“It was also nice not having to take the GMAT,” Corey also notes. “Standardized tests just don’t speak to everyone and their full suite of skills. Plus, I can focus my studies and my projects on the industrial side of engineering, a focus that fits with my career goals.”

About 25% of Corey’s classmates are focused on industrial engineering like he is; many others come from a military background or through private engineering firms and consultant groups.

Corey is already seeing parallels between the engineering management courses he takes at UofL and the “real world” experience he’s living at Chrysler. “The project management skills I learn are put into practice in my career,” he says. “We’re doing Gant charts right now, for example, and creating key timelines as we work together to launch a new plant in Northern Virginia. It’s interesting to see my classwork already in action. I see a lot of application of text and theory.”

The new plant also holds the key to Corey’s career growth. Corey will be relocating to that site at launch, joining the supply chain team in a position that allows for more vertical moves within the company. His end goal is to become a plant manager — a goal that is closer than ever with his graduation coming up and his new position in the smaller, more mobile unit of Chrysler.

His advice to other students?

“Go for it. The flexible classes are great. And the teachers are wonderful — they present and lecture very effectively — no fluff, right to the meat of the course. They make the program achievable and challenging, yet easy for you.”

Learn more about the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree from UofL. View all our online programs here.

Engineering Management: A Career in Profile

By admin | October 25, 2017

How do you know if Engineering Management is right for you? That depends on your goals, personality, and desire to move into leadership roles. An engineering manager guides projects from conception to completion and sets the milestones that lead the team to success. Imagine taking a step back from design and implementation and working with people involved in all steps of a project. Does this sound like where you want to be?

A Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree, available 100% online from UofL, brings together the skills and talents of great engineers and excellent managers. With a focus on business practice, this degree marries the technological and analytical savvy of an engineer with the organizational and tactical abilities of a manager.

A good engineering management candidate has all the characteristic of a dedicated engineer. Whether you’re drawn to design, development, construction or evaluation – and no matter what kind of structure or machine you’re focused on – engineering requires a strong command of math and science.

Engineering managers complement the technical side of engineering with a thorough knowledge of the best practices in business as a whole. Financial management, risk analysis and intellectual property law play a significant part in the role of an engineering manager.

Potential Careers for Engineering Managers

Graduates from UofL’s online engineering management program can apply their credentials to various fields and positions. In the past, these have included:

Civil/construction engineering
Health care engineering
Logistics/distribution engineering
Manufacturing engineering
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
Pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing
Transportation equipment manufacturing
Biomedical engineering
Environmental engineering
Aeronautical engineering
Chemical and petro-chemical engineering
Federal, state, and local government positions

Earning Potential in Engineering Management

According to BLS.gov, the annual median salary for architectural and engineering managers in 2016 was $134,730. Relative to all management occupations, the median for engineering managers was nearly $34,000 higher.

How UofL’s Engineering Management Degree Can Help Advance Your Career

UofL’s online master’s in engineering management is designed for professionals with a bachelor’s in engineering or a hard science who want to develop superior skills in managing engineering projects. The program comprises 10 courses — thirty credit hours — that build upon prior engineering education and experience in the industry.

All courses in the engineering management program are taught 100% online. This allows students to earn their engineering management degree regardless of their location or current life situation. Students can be working or living in the U.S., or any other location worldwide.

The degree can be earned in as few as two years (24 months). Students can transfer up to six (6) credit hours from another graduate engineering program at UofL or from a regionally accredited institution, subject to department approval.

Learn more about the online Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree from UofL.

About UofL Online Learning

The University of Louisville currently offers online programs in various areas of study for adult learners who are not able to come to a physical campus, but want to earn a college degree or certificate and advance their career.

The University of Louisville is a nationally-recognized, metropolitan research university, with a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, as well as the intellectual, cultural, and economic development of our diverse community of learners.

Tag: Engineering Management