2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Many graduates enter the workforce with strong engineering management skills, yet they often lack the soft skills our industry needs. XXXXXX XXXX University’s Master of Science in Professional Science program in Engineering Management has incorporated these desired soft skills into its core curriculum. This cross-disciplinary program serves to provide Middle Tennessee with the best-educated and well-trained scientific workforce. The program was awarded the U.S. Department of Education’s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grant for Engineering Management (2019-2022), which supported nine students with a stipend, full tuition, and fees.
In 2023, the MSPS program completed a review outlining its successes in enrollment, graduation, and employment rates. Here, we analyzed data collected by internship employers from the 2015-2023 academic years to investigate the impact of MSPS business education on students’ work performance. When evaluated by internship supervisors, MSPS student interns are continuously rated above average in their performance compared to other employees or in accordance with the achievement of objectives. As a result of this innovative program, seventy percent of our students receive a job offer from the place of internship, and ninety percent of our graduates have a job offer by the time they graduate. Students typically make between $75,000 and $85,000 annually and are promoted to managerial roles quickly.
The MSPS program is designed to prepare students with science, technology, engineering, and math backgrounds to take on management roles when they enter the job market by providing them with the skills needed for a successful career. A compelling aspect of this program is the capstone internship. Students have the opportunity to gain exposure to their field of study. Students and their internship employers report that the MSPS program coursework prepares students for a successful internship. The internship program is mutually beneficial for the student and the employer. The students are continuously rated with above-average skills, including interpersonal skills, knowledge of concentration, oral and written communication, quality of work, and overall performance, which are all vital in their respective fields.