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Dual Master’s Degree Programs Offer Students Combined Resources Of Separate Universities And Build Working Relationships Between Faculties

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Conference

2001 Annual Conference

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Publication Date

June 24, 2001

Start Date

June 24, 2001

End Date

June 27, 2001

ISSN

2153-5965

Page Count

6

Page Numbers

6.396.1 - 6.396.6

DOI

10.18260/1-2--9151

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/9151

Download Count

407

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Paper Authors

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William Marcy

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Marion Hagler

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Juan Ramirez

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Jose Tamborero

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Abstract

Because different universities have different strengths, students with access to the strengths at two different universities can exploit a combination of resources unavailable at either institution. In this paper, we describe a master’s degree program in which graduate students in engineering take a part of their courses from faculty at the University of the Americas (UDLA) in Puebla, Mexico, and a part of their courses from faculty at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, USA. When students complete the program, they meet the requirements to receive two master’s degrees in engineering, one from the University of the Americas and one from Texas Tech University. Each student receives not only a separate diploma from each institution, but also a certificate signed by representatives from both institutions in which the institutions certify granting this special dual degree. Faculty members from both institutions supervise each student together. Travel to joint meetings of the supervising faculty for planning the thesis research and for conducting the final oral examination is funded by a grant from industry. The student and the faculty advisors choose which institution will host the oral examination. The same grant provides scholarship support for student participants in the program. Graduates of the program, who have pursued their studies in two countries in two different languages, are uniquely prepared for the practice of engineering today, when more and more opportunities span national borders. Participating faculty build working relationships based on jointly supervising work of mutual interest and, thereby, strengthen ties between the institutions. The first two participants completed this new academic program in August 2000. Appropriately, one student began study at the University of the Americas and then came to Texas Tech University. The other began study at Texas Tech University and then went to the University of the Americas.

Marcy, W., & Hagler, M., & Ramirez, J., & Tamborero, J. (2001, June), Dual Master’s Degree Programs Offer Students Combined Resources Of Separate Universities And Build Working Relationships Between Faculties Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9151

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