Development of a minor program of study in Management of Technology

Abstract

The author describes the Management of Technology minor program of study at Vanderbilt University (USA) which is designed to provide a student majoring in one of the traditional undergraduate engineering programs the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of the fundamentals of business and engineering management. Vanderbilt University have determined that about half of their students are in some form of management position within five years after graduation, yet little is done in most engineering curricula to address this issue. With consultation from selected industry and academic advisors, they concluded that a strong technical education centered on fundamentals must remain the primary focus of their traditional engineering programs. This is the curriculum that industry expects and recruits, and therefore, it is also what parents and students expect. Nonetheless, they also recognize the growing importance of interdisciplinary activities and the great benefit their students may receive from an understanding of some economic, business, and management principles. The author details how these factors have lead them to the development of a minor program of study in Management of Technology.