An explosion of technological advances is continually transforming the way we live and do business. Engineering managers have incredible opportunities to play a significant role in shaping the development of these technological advances, and the course of the societal transformation they are fueling. Through the countless strategic and operational decisions they make, engineering managers guide the development of technology in the production of goods and services that fulfill commercial and social needs. To be as effective as possible, they must possess both the engineering expertise to understand the technology they are managing, and the managerial skills to facilitate the efficient development of that technology. Their effectiveness is further enhanced when they can integrate these two competencies by bringing “a management perspective to the engineering problem and an engineering perspective to a management decision.” The Engineering Management program at Cornell is geared towards engineers who want to stay in a technological environment, but focus on managerial roles. Through an in-depth, real world group design project, and course content in management science, project management, decision and risk analysis, information technology, finance and accounting, systems analysis, and organizational behavior, students gain the technical and managerial skills necessary to become effective engineering managers. They also learn managerial skills to help organize and supervise people from different cultures and backgrounds so as to maximize teamwork, creativity, and productivity, and to do so in an environment of global awareness and concern for ethical issues. Further, they learn to navigate this process with a broad, global perspective that considers the full range of technical, economic, environmental, social, and other consequences over an appropriate time horizon. While critically important to the success of engineering managers, many of these skills are not emphasized in traditional engineering curricula. Graduates of the Engineering Management program may work in the private or public sector, and in technological industries ranging from computers to manufacturing to construction. For companies to compete in today’s highly technical, dynamic, and competitive global economy, they not only need to have cutting-edge technology, but also the ability to manage it well. With a combination of solid technical expertise and managerial skills, graduates of the Engineering Management program are uniquely qualified to do so. Past projects in the Engineering Management area have included:
For additional information, see:
Master of Engineering (Engineering Management) Handbook
