Fairfield University to offer master's program in Management of Technology | Press Releases

The Board of Trustees has approved a master of science degree program in the Management of Technology (MOT) that will be offered jointly by the School of Engineering and the School of Business.

The proposed two-year program is now under review by the State Board of Higher Education for licensure and accreditation. The State Board's approval, expected later this year, will allow the program to admit students this fall. The program is expected to be self-supporting after the first year and enroll approximately 90 students after five years.

"The goal of the management of technology program is to graduate men and women who will be effective leaders in the corporate environment, equipped with technical knowledge, enhanced organizational skills and the ability to provide creative management to the development and marketing of technology," said Dr. Robert Wall, academic vice president.

In addition, Dr. Wall said, both schools already have active information technology programs which will serve the needs of the MOT program. He cited the AACSB-accredited School of Business and widely experienced School of Engineering faculties as the "most substantive asset" of the program. "The credentials of the faculty from both schools combine advanced academic degrees and teaching experience with many years of technical and managerial practice," he said.

Prior to receiving approval by the University's trustees last December, the program was approved by the Academic Council, the faculty's Educational Planning Committee, the Dean's Council of the School of Engineering, the Advisory Board of the School of Engineering and the faculty of the School of Business.

The 36-credit MOT program will train engineers and scientists in the management of functions dependent on technology, such as design, automation and computer-aided manufacturing. The program's aim is to cross-train technically proficient workers by adding to their knowledge base a deeper understanding of the management process, to improve technical capabilities in design and manufacturing disciplines and cultivate a deeper understanding of their impact on management, and to provide students with up-to-date skills in information technology and applications in management.

The courses in the MOT program emphasize solving real-world problems that are encountered in the creation of competitive products in an international arena. They integrate diverse elements into sophisticated learning modules. For example, in the course in Design for Economy and Reliability , the principles of creative design, design-to-cost procedures and ethics and public policy are integrated into the syllabus.

Furthermore, the proposed curriculum incorporates an environmental component into its Management of Design and Manufacturing concentration. Principles of "green" engineering, sensitive to the environment, are introduced into this area of studies.

Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael, dean of the School of Engineering, said, "The master's in Management of Technology is the first graduate program proposed at Fairfield with a strong engineering component. The program will emphasize that technology must be directed within an organization, rather than allowed to evolve in an arbitrary manner. Although common in industry in Europe and Japan, the technology manager is not a common breed in American industry. Once the concept is embraced, however, American industry and business will sharpen further their competitive advantage."

Dr. Walter Ryba, acting dean of the School of Business, added that "this program was created with the realization that the effective management of current and future technology requires a proficiency on the part of the manager in technical and information disciplines."

A search for a new full-time director, who is expected to teach in the program as an adjunct and will report to the deans of the School of Engineering and School of Business, is planned. The program will draw students who have bachelor's degrees in science or engineering, from local industry, engineering schools and engineering and science alumni, and from the current and future student body.