Title: AC 2011-499: LESSONS LEARNED OFFERING A COMBINED BS ENGI- NEERING (WITH COOPERATIVE EDUCATION) AND MBA
Abstract: The development and implementation of a combined Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a Master of Business Administration program is described. The paper articulates the characteristics of combined degree programs and enumerates the lessons learned in the implementation so that other universities interested in pursuing a similar approach can learn from this experience. The first cohort of students graduate June of 2011 and their reflections on the program are provided. Background With the support of the Industrial Advisory Board, the College of Engineering & Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati created the Accelerated Engineering Degree (ACCEND) programs in 2002 to provide opportunities for students to complete both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in engineering disciplines. The programs take advantage of the structure of the cooperative education program to provide both experience in the profession and the opportunity to accelerate degree completion. The ACCEND programs require that students meet all the requirements of the undergraduate degree and the graduate degree, however, students accelerate the completion of both the BS and MS through three mechanisms: 1. Students typically enter the University with advanced placement through participation in AP coursework or Post-Secondary Education Opportunities 2. Students participate in 5 terms of cooperative education, as compared to 6 for traditional students. ACCEND students thus have one additional term of coursework. 3. ACCEND students take a course through distance learning while on cooperative work assignments The ACCEND programs are a significant factor in the College’s efforts to meet the goals of the University’s Academic Master Plan. In particular, these programs encourage academic excellence, create additional academic opportunity for students, and provide a mechanism to increase enrollment, particularly enrollment of domestic students in graduate programs. With the encouragement of the College’s Industrial Advisory Board and building on the success of combined BS Engineering with MS Engineering programs, the University initiated a combined BS Engineering with Master of Business Administration program in the fall of 2006. Program Description The College offers undergraduate engineering degrees in nine programs. All programs have a mandatory co-operatvie education component and require five years to complete. The Engineering – MBA ACCEND programs combine the undergraduate engineering degree with the Master of Business Administration so that students can complete both degrees in 5 years by accelerating degree completion through the mechanisms described above. An example curriculum for the EE – MBA program is provided in Figure 1.
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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