Polytechnic University's paradigm for graduate manufacturing engineering education

The paper describes Polytechnic University's Graduate Program in Manufacturing Engineering. We have developed a manufacturing engineering program focused on generally applicable methods that serves the needs of students, industry and the university effectively. The experimental approach we advocate and teach is portable, broadly applicable, inexpensive to implement and well-tuned to producing increased productivity and profitability in military and commercial firms alike. Our approach concentrates on methods that increase profitability and competitiveness by improving quality, cycle-time, design and production. The program is offered full-time and part-time. Full-time students can obtain the M.S. degree in one year. Because the methods we teach are generally applicable they are portable. They are equally applicable in defense and commercial manufacturing and contribute strongly to developing the "dual-use" capability sought by the APRA/TRP program. Within the University the program is cost-effective helps to prepare students to work in the industrial environment, and helps to develop fruitful relationships with industry.