Development Of An Online Master's Degree In Technology Management
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Engineering Technology
- Page Count
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9
- Page Numbers
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12.526.1 - 12.526.9
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--1942
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/1942
- Download Count
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422
Paper Authors
Gregory Arbuckle Western Kentucky University
GREGORY ARBUCKLE is currently an Assistant Professor in Technology Management at Western Kentucky University. He earned his B.S. (Mechanical Technology, 1996) from Indiana State University, M.S. (Industrial Technology, 1999) from Eastern Illinois University, and Ph.D. (Technology Management, 2004) from Indiana State University. Dr. Arbuckle has over 10 years of experience as a quality control engineer, quality manager, and educator. He is a Certified Industrial Technologist by the National Association for Industrial Technology.
Dale McDaniel Western Kentucky University
DALE McDANIEL is currently an Assistant Professor in Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences at Western Kentucky University. He earned a B.S. (Industrial Technology, 1989) from Western Kentucky University, and M.S. (Industrial Technology, 1991) from the University of Central Missouri (formerly Central Missouri State University). He is a Ph.D. candidate in Workforce Education and Development at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Mr. McDaniel has over 14 years of experience as an architectural designer, construction manager, trainer, and educator.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Development of an Online Master’s Degree in Technology Management Abstract
Continuous advancements in technology have paved the way for growth in distance education (DE). Nearly 90 percent of public institutions for higher education offer some DE courses. As these offerings continue to expand, more institutions are making the move to creating complete online programs, not just courses. This transition is especially viable for graduate education, where many participants are nontraditional students holding full-time employment. Many industrial personnel possess educational backgrounds in technical disciplines, but require management knowledge and skills to advance into management positions. As educational institutions partner with industrial organizations to fulfill this need the preferred delivery method of programs must be examined.
This paper describes a study to determine the need for an online Master of Science in Technology Management in a regional service area. While this program will be available worldwide, our university requires that we demonstrate a regional need for all new programs. Human resource professionals were surveyed to determine their plans for hiring, or placing employees in graduate programs. This study also sought to determine if industrial partners have a preference for the delivery method of master’s programs available to their employees.
Survey results indicated that industrial partners were interested in hiring graduates of master’s programs in addition to enrolling current employees in these programs. Additionally, industrial partners also showed preferences for online delivery of programs over traditional classroom delivery. As society continues to accept that distance education provides equal quality to that of a traditional delivery, specialized online graduate programs that meet the specific needs of full- time industrial personnel should also continue to increase.
Introduction
In 1991, Brey predicted that post secondary Distance Education (DE) programs would see an incredible rate of growth through the 1990s1. At that time less than 100 accredited universities in the United States offered DE courses. By 1998, over 800 institutions were offering DE courses. There is continuous growth in DE courses being offered in the United States today2. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the 2000 – 2001 academic calendar year nearly 90 percent of all public 2 and 4-year institutions were offering DE courses3. In the development of a new Master of Science in Technology Management degree there are many decisions that must be made about the program. There are several questions about the admission requirements, curriculum, competency testing, and research requirements. Over the last several years however a new issue has arrived for departments developing new programs. How was the program going to be delivered?
Arbuckle, G., & McDaniel, D. (2007, June), Development Of An Online Master's Degree In Technology Management Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1942
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