Summer's here...

First off I hope everyone is enjoying their memorial weekend. I wonder how many weekend plans have been affected with the high gas prices. With the price at the gas pump increasing almost daily, I wonder if anyone has changed their driving habits. I know I have. I used to drive to and from work everyday. After gas prices hit $3, I have been riding the bus. I had been fortunate (maybe even spoiled) in not having to use public transportation, but with gas prices increasing at its current rate, I have had to consider other alternatives. But now having rode the bus for some time now, its not so bad. I have been able to get 20 minutes of sleep on the bus each way..... not bad huh?

I decided to spend my memorial weekend working on my summer master's research paper. For the engineering management program at UT, during the first summer, the students select a topic to research and write a paper on our findings. During the next summer, students write a master's report on another topic, or continue on the topic from the previous summer. I am still trying to find a topic to research about. I appreciate my professor's assistance on my research paper. I am thinking about researching about knowledge sharing... people's reasons against knowledge sharing, solution for better knowledge sharing, and its advantages. I think the greatest advantage that a company has is its knowledge, and I believe that it is such an important leverage, it can provide means to get ahead of its competition.

During the last couple of weeks, I have realized how unfamilar people are with the area of engineering management. I guess this is the reason why the HR of the company I work for is hesitant in providing me financial assistance. They are familar with MBA, but not engineering management. And so they aren't quite so ready to provide me with financial assistance. I believe students who persue a degree in engineering management will face some difficulties in explaining to people what is engineering management. Because so many companies are familar with MBA's, I think that companies may not be so ready to fulfill a position by a candidate with an engineering management degree. The good news however is that many schools are beginning to provide degrees in engineering management. This will slowly create a better understanding of engineering management among companies and management.

What is Engineering Management?

So my first semester in the Engineering Management (EM) program at UT comes to a close this month. Since I have been in this program, the question I have been asked quite often by peers and co-workers is "what is engineering management." After having explained this countless times, I have determined the best and quickest way to answer this question is the following: "It's a MBA for engineers." And this is exactly what this program is about. Its aim is to bridge the gap between engineering and management (hence engineering management). Yeah you probably could go and get a MBA (just like everyone else) or you could go a different route and get degree which you can standout with and can actually use. The main selling point for the EM program is that you learn all the material as you would in a MBA program (and then some), but the material is geared towards an engineering/technical environment. And so perhaps a MBA will prepare me to work at Wall Street or some financial institution, but it's not what I want to do. I plan on being involved in a technical environment, and this program is best at preparing me for a management position in a technical environment.

Another great benefit of this program is that they understand that you have work and family. Therefore, you only go to school one weekend (Friday/Saturday) a month. Does it get any better than that? And let’s admit it, online classes just don't cut it. So you go to school one weekend a month for two years (~ 48 days) and then you graduate. Thus, you can keep your day job and go to school. There are several reasons why anyone should consider the EM program at UT, but I think their selling point is how they focus the material towards an engineering/technical environment and how they gear the EM program towards a working individual (who may have a family).