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Determining the Relative Weights of Engineering Management (EM) Topics for an EM Managers Certification Test

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to determine the relative weights of Engineering Management (EM) topics/courses based on recognized graduate and undergraduate EM programs. The graduate EM programs examined are those certified by the American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM) and undergraduate EM programs those which have been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The topics and their relative weights can be used in testing for EM Managers’ certification.

Four years ago, ASEM established a certification process for graduate EM programs. The objective was to provide common standards to help schools evaluate their programs. Since this work began, four schools and six programs have been ASEM certified. EM graduate masters programs that are ASEM certified are: University of Missouri at Rolla, Old Dominion University, Stevens Institute of Technology and George Washington University.

ABET is the acknowledged standard for engineering schools. While ABET criteria have changed from more detailed criteria to outcomes assessment there is still a definable body of knowledge by discipline. EM programs which are ABET accredited are at the University of Missouri at Rolla, Stevens Institute of Technology and United States Military Academy at West Point. ABET lists other schools under EM but they combine other disciplines like Industrial Engineering, etc. Two newly ABET accredited programs will be added in a later analysis.

The above analysis was sent to the various schools for peer review. The results are reported in this paper. Analyses of these topics and the weight they occupy in the curriculum are used as a guide in establishing an EM Body of Knowledge. They can also be used to help determine the weight of test questions to certify engineering managers.

Overview of Paper

In a previous paper 1 proposed an Engineering Management Body of Knowledge (EM BoK). One use of an EM BoK is to help decide the topics and their relative weights in developing a test to certify EM practitioners. This paper also proposed topics and weights (see Table 2, Merino, 2005). An analysis of ASEM certified EM Masters programs and ABET accredited EM undergraduates programs were used to validate the topics and weights chosen. The previous study was revised based on feedback from the schools involved.

First, ASEM Masters Graduate programs are analyzed and then ABET undergraduate programs. Next, the graduate and undergraduate weights will be combined and then compared to the EMBoK weights previously proposed.

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Merino, D. (2006, June), Determining The Weights Of Engineering Management (Em) Topics For An Em Manager's Certification Test Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--113