Key Takeaways
- The Engineering and Technology Management Program at Colorado School of Mines is a one-year master’s degree designed for STEM professionals who want to develop their business and technology management skills.
- The program is tailored to help STEM graduates broaden their career options and advance in their companies.
- The program offers two specialization options: Technology Management and Innovation or Engineering Management and Optimization.
- Graduates of the program can pursue a variety of career opportunities, including operations manager, client services analyst, and project leader.
- The program provides hands-on experiences, including an executive-in-residence seminar series, a communications workshop, and a leadership and team-building event.
Introduction to Engineering and Technology Management
The Engineering and Technology Management Program at Colorado School of Mines is a unique one-year master’s degree that is designed to help STEM professionals develop their business and technology management skills. The program is tailored to help STEM graduates broaden their career options and advance in their companies. According to Colby Frias, a graduate of the program, "Having a background in business will help me get there" in terms of achieving his career goals. The program is designed to equip students with the knowledge of how to use their STEM skills to improve business operations and organizational processes, keeping up with rapidly changing technology.
Program Design and Curriculum
The program is designed to integrate engineering problem-solving with the managerial perspective of modern business, evolving as industry changes to keep pace with global change. The curriculum consists of a set of core courses along with a variety of electives, allowing students to mold the program to their interests and strengths. With 15 credits of core courses and 15 credits of electives, students in the program get a strong mix of base knowledge and specialization. The program’s co-curricular requirements outside of the classroom include an executive-in-residence seminar series, a communications workshop, a Python software engineering workshop, and a leadership and team-building event.
Comparison to Traditional MBA Programs
A master’s in business administration, or MBA, is a common route for those looking to pivot their careers into a more business-focused track. However, the Engineering and Technology Management Program is distinct from a traditional MBA program. While an MBA program takes a broad look at business as a whole and can be pursued by graduates with any academic background, the Engineering and Technology Management Program is specifically tailored to STEM graduates who want to develop quantitative-based analytic skills. The program is designed to be a bridge for STEM-minded professionals to use their previous education to make an immediate impact after graduation.
Career Opportunities and Support
Graduates of the program can pursue a variety of career opportunities, including operations manager, client services analyst, and project leader. According to a recent survey, 98 percent of Mines master’s degree graduates recorded positive outcomes. The program provides strong support from the Mines Career Center, helping students to achieve their career goals. Holden Murphy, a graduate of the program, used the Engineering and Technology Management program to position himself for a career where he could use his communication skills more, without leaving his engineering background behind.
Hands-on Experiences and Future Developments
The program offers a variety of hands-on experiences, including an executive-in-residence seminar series, a communications workshop, and a leadership and team-building event. Through the Beck Venture Center and the National Organization of Business Engineers, students can connect with actual entrepreneurs seeking funding, providing documentations and giving presentations on where the entrepreneurs are at in the funding process. The program is also looking ahead to what’s next in business, with a focus on integrating AI and teaching students how to use it successfully with a business focus. According to Crystal Dobratz, director of the Engineering and Technology Management Program, "AI is a useful tool, but it’s also a tool that can be incredibly misleading. We want students to learn how to analyze and evaluate the results and know whether or not they’re getting something that could benefit their decision making."