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Spain’s Master of Leadership in Civil Engineering: Case Study Abstract

The paper suggests the value of developing a civil engineering graduate program focused on management, leadership, and innovation. Described are the creation and operation of a Master of Leadership in Civil Engineering (MLCE) program in Spain supported by a private foundation, organized by one of Spain’s youngest civil engineering schools, and involving collaboration with the nation’s other nine civil engineering schools.

The paper describes the motivation and inspiration for the master’s program and outlines the entrepreneurial effort required to create it. Personal contacts were helpful as was establishing the program within a young, dynamic, and developing school and drawing on knowledge of potential sources of external financial support. The paper discusses how the scheduling and scope of the program complement Spain’s five-year baccalaureate civil engineering degree.

The paper explains how 20 students are admitted to the program by selectively drawing on Spain’s 10 civil engineering schools. The paper also outlines the curricula and describes the selection and role of a faculty composed of a mixture of leading Spanish and foreign academics, practitioners, and specialists in management, leadership, and innovation.

The paper includes an evaluation of the program and a discussion of the potential usefulness of applying all or portions of it in other environments, including other countries. Various aspects of Spain’s unique Master of Leadership in Civil Engineering may interest U.S. civil engineering educators who are pondering ways to tailor elements of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (BOK) to their programs. Spain’s effort may also be of interest to educators in other nations who are improving their programs. Possibly applicable elements of the Spanish master’s program include adopting a management-leadership-innovation theme, using some of the content, incorporating an internship, selecting top students from within a system of universities, and assembling a heterogeneous faculty.

Keywords – BOK, civil engineering, consortium, curriculum, faculty, industry, innovation, internship, leadership, management, master’s degree, project, Spain

Introduction

Spain’s five-year civil engineering programs devote very little time to group and personal management and leadership behaviour. That, and innovation, are increasingly relevant in enterprise development and in civil engineering. Accordingly, a Master of Leadership in Civil Engineering (MLCE) program was developed. Supported by a private foundation, the master’s degree program was organized and is operated by and at one of Spain’s youngest civil engineering schools and involves collaboration with the country’s other nine civil engineering schools. The purpose of this paper is to share ideas and information about the master’s program that might be of value to engineering educators in other countries, especially U.S. educators who

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Walesh, S., & Conde, J., & de Urena, J. M., & Turmo, J., & Vizcaino, R. (2010, June), Spain's Master Of Leadership In Civil Engineering: Case Study Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--15824