Executive Summary
Engineering and manufacturing corporations need technical leadership to survive in the global market. Located in the heart of the U.S. automotive industry, Detroit, Michigan, the Wayne State University College of Engineering and School of Business have developed and successfully implemented a program to meet this need.
The Engineering Management Master’s Program (
EMMP) has been successful at Ford Motor Company since 1995 and has graduated over 300 technical leaders.
EMMP has since evolved by opening the program to supplier organizations interested in applying advanced engineering, manufacturing, and management modes to their business. Engineers with high potential participate in a three year, two evenings per week curriculum, where they earn a Master’s of Science in Engineering Management degree upon completion. The curriculum is team based and includes two years of class studies and team projects in areas such as leadership, quality management, global marketing, robust design, and information systems. The third year of the program involves a team capstone project, which provides application of the knowledge gained to a current strategy or opportunity within their organization.
Previous capstone projects have resulted in tens of millions of dollars in savings or revenue generation. Some recent examples that were implemented include: adding aftermarket products by leveraging suppliers and dealers, formalizing, structuring, and prioritizing new product development efforts, and using deterministic models to optimize outbound shipping. A cohort of three or four students from a single company or from multiple companies can team together to focus on a project of immediate strategic value.
The program requires commitment by management to sponsor candidates and support them during the program. A more detailed explanation of the program is included in the
Ford/Supplier EMMP Brochure.
An on-campus version of EMMP, the Master of Science in Engineering Management, is offered to individuals not employed by Ford or Visteon.
Program Goals
- Develop systematic, analytic frameworks to support decision making
- Develop skills to manage technology and change
- Develop systems engineering expertise
- Develop business and human resource management skills
- Apply learning to improve product development and the manufacturing enterprise
Format
EMMP is a lock-step program that students complete in three years. Students attend courses two evenings per week. The program requires 45 semester hours of graduate study from four principal components:
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Engineering Management Core
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Business Core
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Systems Engineering Cognate
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Engineering Management Leadership Projects