The MSEM Graduate School Program offers both the Plan A and Plan B Master of Science degree options. The Plan A option is designed for students who may wish to pursue a doctoral degree in Engineering Management upon completion of their Masters whereas the Plan B option is designed more for the working professional. Engineering Management courses are generally offered in the evenings to accommodate working and/or part time students.
2.1 Organizational Chart
Figure 1 given below shows where the Engineering Management Program is
located in relation to the organizational structure of the University.
Figure 1 - UMD MSEM Program Organizational Chart.
The Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department manages two undergraduate degree programs and two graduate degree programs, including the Master of Science in Engineering Management (MSEM) Program. The MSEM Program utilizes specific policies, procedures and requirements set forth by the UMD Graduate School.
MSEM faculty have their offices in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Department. The Executive Secretary for the Master of Environmental Health
and Safety Program, also in MIE, handles MSEM requests for Financial Assistance.
Continuing Education (CE) assists with publications for and marketing of
the MSEM Program brochure. Application to the MSEM Program may be done
through Continuing Education or the University of Minnesota Duluth Graduate
School.
Departments,
programs and personnel relevant to the MSEM Program structure are also shown
in the chart. Students are required to obtain one or two
program Advisors from their major area of study (MSEM). Students are
also responsible
for the organization of an Examination Committee that will consist of
faculty from both their major and minor areas of study, and may include
the Director
of Graduate Studies. The program currently offers graduate assistantships
in teaching and research through the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
(MIE) Department, and may be offering Graduate School fellowships in
the near future. The graduate assistantship application process will
be reviewed
later on in this document.
2.2 Coursework Requirements
Table 1 shown below gives the course requirements for both Plan A and
Plan B Engineering Management (EMGT) options. There are twelve credits
or four core courses required
for both Plan A and B students: EMGT 5110, 5120, 5130 and 5160. Plan
A students are required to take six elective EMGT or non-EMGT graduate
level
credits
and Plan B students, those choosing a capstone project, take nine elective
EMGT or non-EMGT credits. Both Plan A and B students need to take six
credits of non-EMGT coursework that are at the 4000 level or higher.
Plan A students
are required to take ten credits of thesis based coursework, EMGT 8777
and/or 8994, whereas Plan B students need to take the three-credit
capstone project
course, EMGT 8310. This gives a total of 34 credits required for Plan
A students and 30 credits for Plan B students. More specific information
regarding the
thesis requirements will be discussed in the Final Examination section
of the handbook.
The MSEM program requires that students take at least six credits of
non-MSEM coursework from other programs within, or outside of, the
Mechanical and
Industrial Engineering (MIE) Department. Some departments that support
this requirement include the Chemical Engineering, Electrical and
Computer Engineering,
Industrial Engineering, Math, Master of Business Administration,
Mechanical Engineering, and Statistics Departments. Approval for non-MSEM
coursework
from other programs in different departments may be possible by obtaining
advance permission from the MSEM Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
Table 1 - Coursework Requirements for the MSEM Program
2.3 Coursework Offerings
The Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department is where the MSEM faculty
and staff reside. MSEM faculty instruct MSEM core courses. MSEM faculty and adjunct
faculty instruct MSEM elective courses. MSEM faculty and staff instruct the Capstone,
Thesis Research, Directed Research and Seminar courses. MSEM faculty also instruct
non-EMGT elective courses currently offered through the Industrial Engineering
Department.
The MSEM faculty and staff have assembled a tentative four-year Graduate
School coursework schedule for MSEM core, MSEM elective, Capstone, Research
and Seminar
courses. This schedule is provided below as Table 2, the Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering Department Graduate School Coursework Offerings. Please note that
this table is subject to changes/updates, however it is a good guideline to use
for students who are planning their Universal Degree Program schedule.
Table 2 – Four Year Tentative GS Coursework Offerings for MIE Department
Additional information about course offerings and information specific to the MSEM Program is accessible on the University of Minnesota Duluth Engineering Management website.
2.4 Program Standards
The MSEM Graduate School Program sets standards and evaluates student progress
in graduate work using various criteria. Violation of the standards or deficiencies
in academic progress will result in formal complaints or registration holds,
respectively. Violation of standards will require resolution through the relevant
department and/or the Graduate School. Registration holds are resolved by preparing
a formal plan on how the problem will be addressed, and will be reviewed by the
Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and by the student Advisor(s).
The MSEM Program expects students to act in accordance to the University
of Minnesota Student
Conduct Code and to follow Professional
Ethics and Responsible Research conduct. Serious and repeated violation of these standards will be brought
to the attention of the DGS, the MIE Department Head and/or the Dean
of the Graduate
School. One or more of these individuals will then be scheduled to meet with
the student and his/her Advisor to discuss what measures need to be taken in
order to correct the problem. Dismissal may result in some cases.
Students are required to promptly complete any course deficiencies outlined
in their Graduate School acceptance letter. A cumulative Grade Point Average
(GPA)
of 3.00 is required in all graduate level coursework listed on the student’s
Universal Degree Program. Incomplete program credits on a student’s record
must be completed within one year if the course is taught annually. If the course
is not taught annually then a plan for the timely completion of the course must
be presented to the instructor of that course.
Students have seven years to complete their MSEM degree starting from the
date
they first register for MSEM coursework through CE or the GS.
2.5 Graduate Student Performance and Dismissal Criteria
Satisfactory performance is judged on the basis of a students’ academic progress and ability to carry out departmental responsibilities in the areas of teaching (for Graduate Teaching Assistants, GTAs) and research (all graduate students). Satisfactory performance for a teaching assistant is also based on their ability to communicate effectively in English, both on an individual basis and in a classroom environment. Should a teaching assistant fail to meet this requirement during their first year, the assistantship will not be renewed for a second year. In addition, graduate students must progress satisfactorily in their research program. This requires each student to (1) have his/her thesis or project proposal approved by the Advisor(s) and the Director of Graduate Studies by the agreed upon due date, (2) receive a favorable written evaluation from his/her major academic Advisor at the end of each semester, and (3) maintain active student status by following registration guidelines for Fall and Spring semesters. A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for graduation. A maximum of three semester credits of incomplete coursework is allowed at any time. The department does count S/N credit for seminar coursework toward graduation.
The Graduate School Constitution requires a written evaluation of each graduate student each semester. Student academic Advisors conduct the reviews. The review annotates the students’ progress toward his/her research goals during the semester and concludes with a finding of either satisfactory or unsatisfactory progress. The review is shared with students and becomes part of their permanent file. Any finding of unsatisfactory progress must be discussed individually with both the student and the DGS before the beginning of the next semester. Students may request a subsequent discussion with the DGS if desired.
2.6 Dismissal Process for Graduate Students
The Engineering Management Program adheres to the tenets of the University
of Minnesota Code
of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Any student found
to be in
violation of this code or the UMD
Code of Student Conduct will be subject to
immediate dismissal. Such violations include plagiarism and the inappropriate
access of computing resources (e.g., attempts to violate system security, access
files belonging to others, forge/falsify email, etc.).
The University of Minnesota Human Resources Policies and Procedures document
covers the dismissal, severance or termination process for students in academia
who may or may not be employed by the University. Please refer to the University-wide
Policies and Procedures Library link within the Human
Resources Policies and Procedures website to search for up to date information regarding
this process.
Dismissal or departure policies specific to graduate assistants are also
available in PDF format by linking to the Policies
and Guidelines for Graduate Assistants document.