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On the Structure and Character of Graduate Education in Manufacturing David L. Wellsa, Ronald J. Bennettb and Casey W. Radtkea North Dakota State Universitya and University of St. Thomasb

Abstract: Graduate study in manufacturing is undertaken in various guises. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers, through its Manufacturing Education and Research Community, has undertaken a focused effort to support, promote and sustain all forms of graduate study that support manufacturing industries and manufacturing engineering. The first step in this effort has been a survey of graduate programs that have self- identified as offering post-baccalaureate study in manufacturing. The first two authors are co-chair and chair of SME’s Graduate Studies in Manufacturing Technical Group and have produced and circulated the initial survey. The survey and other investigation conducted by the authors seek data on demographics, size and productivity, and topical concentration of a wide variety of programs that teach manufacturing subjects. This paper will present some background history, summarize the data collected and offer some conclusions that point towards results that can be useful to any interested college, department or program.

Historical Context: For about the past twenty-five years, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers has sponsored and supported a wide spectrum of works in a particular vein with a consistent thread. From the early 1980’s, SME has issued nearly a dozen publications whose focus has been the strengthening of the unique identity and character of college- and university- level education in manufacturing engineering and manufacturing engineering technology. Though support at the highest levels of the Society has wavered from time-to-time, a strong and vital fabric of program philosophy, learning objectives, curricular guidance and, even, model syllabi has been constructed.[1,2,3,4,5] There have, of course, been highly useful documents issued by other publishers during the past two decades.[6,7,8] However, collectively, the SME series stands as the most comprehensive body of reference work available on manufacturing education.

The majority of this work has been directed to undergraduate education. However, the Curricula 2002 workshop in 1994 produced a view of graduate-level education in manufacturing engineering and manufacturing engineering technology.[9,10] That work was the first focused attempt to articulate a comprehensive and cohesive vision for graduate studies in manufacturing and offered a general framework for orientation and content of post-baccalaureate education in the discipline. In the intervening years, however, there has been only fragmentary examination as to the extent to which a consistent approach has been adopted.

At whatever level of education, manufacturing engineering and manufacturing engineering technology remain small in the academic world -- and relative newcomers as separately- designated disciplines. A distinctive identity remains a work-in-progress. A significant portion

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Wells, D., & Bennett, R., & Radtke, C. (2007, June), On The Structure And Character Of Graduate Education In Manufacturing Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1515