Purdue News
Purdue News
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May 17, 2004 Purdue, IU offer distance-learning program for engineers to earn MBAs and MSEsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue and Indiana universities are offering a dual distance-learning program that promises to turn today's working engineers into tomorrow's business leaders. The distance-education program, delivered through a combination of online and media-based instruction, enables engineers to earn two advanced degrees: a master of science in engineering and an MBA. "The program appeals largely to young and mid-career engineers who want to give themselves an edge and get a broader framework of thinking," said Carol B. Sauerhoff, manager of marketing and client services for Purdue's Continuing Engineering Education office. "IU and Purdue are among the first research universities nationally to make available specialized graduate programs entirely through distance education." The dual program is administered by Purdue and IU's Kelley Direct Online Programs, part of the Kelley School of Business. The degrees together provide a powerful combination of skills and practical knowledge to help engineers make the leap to management, said Glen A. Larsen Jr., a professor of finance at the Kelley School. One of the program's benefits is that it is delivered entirely by distance education and enables students to keep their jobs while pursuing the degrees. Meanwhile, corporations benefit because employees are more productive and motivated, Larsen said. "Developing and managing technology requires business talent and education," he said. "The Purdue-IU dual degree program combines the strengths of the Purdue engineering and the Kelley Direct MBA programs and allows qualified students to obtain both degrees in 60 credit hours instead of the 78 credit hours needed if both degrees were earned separately. "This combination of technical and managerial expertise is increasingly central to helping corporations remain competitive in a high-tech global economy." Purdue and Kelley have developed a streamlined admissions process for the program. Applications are sent to Purdue because the engineering portion is the first degree obtained, although both schools review each application before making a joint decision. "Becoming a dual-degree candidate is conditional upon being accepted by both Purdue and IU," Larsen said. General Motors Corp., one of Indiana's largest private-sector employers, was largely responsible for developing the dual-degree program, said Edward Alef, a GM technical fellow and former manager of product planning and curriculum development for the company. The dual-degree program includes material tailored for the automotive industry in a way that redefines a traditional MBA degree by recognizing concentrations in engineering. The MBA "builds upon a strategically aligned Purdue degree" that offers minors in such automotive specialties as chassis, power train, vehicle performance, engineering design, and heating and air conditioning, Alef said. Student Garrett Buhr received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 2002 and is an engineer for DaimlerChrysler in Kokomo, Ind. He said he searched for a better distance-education program but couldn't find one. "This was the best dual program I found from two top 25 schools," said Buhr, a manufacturing engineer for the company's Chrysler Institute of Engineering. "In essence, the MBA teaches you what to build and where to build, and the master of science in engineering teaches you how to build it. "They complement each other extremely well. Most similar distance-education programs from reputable schools require multiple weeks on campus, whereas this program only requires one week per year. Taking the dual program saves a total of 18 credit hours, which represents a lot of time and money." Student David Shaffer, who earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue in 2001, said the dual degree will give him an edge over his peers. "The added technical competence of an MSE degree will set me apart from other people who have achieved only an MBA," said Shaffer, an advanced turbine design engineer at the Allison Advanced Development Corp., a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce PLC in Indianapolis. Prospective student Elizabeth A. Broniak, an engineer at General Electric's Consumer & Industrial Products branch in Louisville, Ky., said the program offers the same challenging, high-quality education provided by on-campus programs. "What I like most about the program is that the degrees have the same rigor and requirements for part-time, off-campus students as for full-time, on-campus students," said Broniak, who currently is working toward a distance master's degree in industrial engineering through Purdue. "The classes are identical, and the degrees are identical." Sauerhoff said the continuing engineering education office generally encourages students to take no more than one Purdue course a semester, although some students excel while taking a heavier load. No one has yet completed the entire dual program, which Purdue and IU began offering in the fall of 2001. Student Deborah VanDaele, an engineer at General Motors' Worldwide Facilities Group in Ypsilanti, Mich., recently completed her master of science in engineering degree and is now pursuing the MBA portion of the program. "The MSE degree has enabled me to incorporate new concepts and insights into my everyday work at General Motors," VanDaele said. "The dual degree will enable me to understand the technical intricacies of the engineering problems that I am faced with, while at the same time providing the breadth of understanding I'll need for the business goals of the group, team or corporation from a financial and managerial perspective." Prospective student Adam Schrader, a project engineer for Ohio Valley Gas in Winchester, Ind., said he is excited about pursuing the dual degrees. "I can receive two degrees in a reasonable time frame – about four years – while at the same time holding a full-time job," said Schrader, who currently is taking engineering courses at Purdue and plans to apply for the dual program. "My job doesn't offer much flexibility, so it's nice that the program works around my schedule. "The master of science in engineering phase of the program gives me additional technical knowledge that is valuable early in my career, while the MBA gives me business and management skills that will benefit me later on." Jacob A. Fehrman, an engineer at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, Conn., said the program proves that distance is no obstacle to high-quality education. "Effective communication, via program staff and a dedicated Web site, help assuage many of the concerns of a distance-learning program," said Fehrman, a new student in the program. "The master of science in engineering helps you to see the why and how of a situation, while an MBA allows you to understand how it affects your bottom line. "Those with the most forward momentum – for themselves and for their company – are people with the ability to see both sides simultaneously." Sources: Carol Sauerhoff, (765) 494-0469, sauerhof@purdue.edu Glen A. Larsen Jr., (317) 274-3794, glarsen@iupui.edu IU Media Relations Contact: George Vlahakis, (812) 855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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