Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

Engineering Technology Management MS | Program Details

Master of Science Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Engineering Technology Management (MSETM) provides students with a comprehensive program to meet the needs of engineers and scientists whose objective is to advance to technical management positions in business, industry, or government.

A minimum of 45 credits in approved graduate courses is required to complete the program. The program consists of 20 credits in the core, 20 credits of specialization options, and 5 credits of integrative experience.

Core (20 Credits)

Take all three of the following courses (12 credits):

  • ETM 520 - Management of Engineering and Technology - 4 credits
  • ETM 522 - Leveraging Human Capital - 4 credits
  • ETM 555 - Technology Marketing - 4 credits

Take two of the following four courses (8 credits):

  • ETM 530 - Decision Making - 4 credits
  • ETM 535 - Advanced Engineering Economics- 4 credits
  • ETM 540 - Operations Research - 4 credits
  • ETM 545 - Project Management - 4 credits

Specialization Options 
(20 credits)

Admitted MSETM students in good standing may choose to add any ETM graduate certificate: New Product Management, Project Management, or Strategic Management or Technology.

Other graduate certificates in the Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science can be applied toward MSETM satisfying the specialization option if you are admitted to that certificate program. The Business Intelligence and Analytics Graduate Certificate and the Energy Policy and Management Graduate Certificate can be used to satisfy the elective credit requirement. 

Additional elective credits from ETM can be taken to reach 20 credits or for those whose career goals do not match one of the graduate certificates. Up to 4 credits of ETM 504 internship credits can be applied toward the elective requirements.

Integrative Experience 
(5+1 Credits)

Take one of these two options:

ETM 590 - Engineering and Technology Management Synthesis - 4 credits
ETM 506 - Capstone Project - 4 credits (this is a unique substitution, requiring department approval)

Earn a minimum of one credit:

ETM 508 - Learning Lab - 1 credit per lab 

Technology Management Doctorate Program Requirements

The Ph.D. in Technology Management is a research-focused, part- or full-time doctoral degree program. You conduct research to expand fundamental and generalizable applied knowledge in the field of technology management, using a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Emphasis on research occurs early in the program, giving you an opportunity to develop research projects that align with your experience and professional interests. About two-thirds of graduates pursue careers in industry about one-third become faculty.

The doctorate in Engineering Technology Management requires the successful completion of the equivalent of at least 60 credits of coursework beyond the Bachelor’s degree. These credits fall into three categories:  

A minimum of 45 credits in approved graduate courses is required to complete the program. The program consists of the following:

  1. Coursework.
  2. Independent Study: Earn 12 credits of independent study credits. Projects are supervised by the ETM faculty and must be deemed at the level of acceptable papers for a national or international conference on Engineering and Technology Management.
  3. Completion of a Comprehensive Exam: Demonstrate mastery of the Engineering and Technology Management Field through the comprehensive exam, including the defense of the research paper developed through the independent study.
  4. Select Dissertation Advisor: Select your dissertation advisor from the ETM faculty and form your dissertation committee including one member appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
  5. Dissertation Proposal: Develop your dissertation proposal and get approval by the Ph.D. committee, approval results in Ph.D. candidacy.
  6. Publishing: Preparation of at least one publishable paper for a research journal or recognized refereed technical conference proceedings based upon the dissertation research.
  7. Defense of the dissertation and publication of the accepted thesis.

 

Coursework

Core (at least 20 Credits)

Select five courses from the list below and a minimum of one per group.

Group 1

  • ETM 520: Management of Engineering
  • ETM 549: Management of Technological Innovation

Group 2

  • ETM 545: Project Management
  • ETM 555: Technology Marketing

Group 3

  • ETM 526: Strategic Management of Technology
  • ETM 527: Competitive Strategies in Technology Management

Group 4

  • ETM 531: Technology Assessment and Acquisition
  • ETM 533: Technology Transfer

Specialization 
(at least 20 credits)

Complete at least 20 credits from courses supporting the proposed research area, including Communications and Team-building, Strategic Planning, Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Manufacturing Systems Management, Total Quality Management, Technology Forecasting, Managing Intellectual Capital, Ethical Issues in Technology Management, Technology Entrepreneurship, Project Management Framework, Project Management Tools, R&D Management, New Product Development, Managing New Technology Introduction, Human Side of Technology Management, Mgmt-544: Technology Management, Mktg 548: Product Management and Innovation, MIM 524: Global Sourcing and Supply, Psy 578: Leadership and Group Effectiveness, Psy 615: Advanced Industrial/Organizational Psychology, PA 545: Organization Development, PA 555: Program Evaluation and Management, PA 598: Value-based Management, Soc 557: Complex Organizations, Ec 531: Urban Economics, Ec 532: Environmental Economics.

Methodology 
(at least 20 credits)

Complete at least 20 credits from the following courses: Decision Making, Advanced Engineering Economics, Benchmarking Using Data Envelopment Analysis, Operations Research, Manufacturing Systems Simulation, Research Methods for Engineering and Technology Management, Technology Forecasting, Decision Support Systems: Data Warehousing, Project Management Tools, Strategic Intelligence, Psy 621: Univariate Quantitative Methods, Psy 622: Multiple Regression & Multivariate Quant Methods, Psy 623: Factor Analysis & Covariance Structure Modeling, Psy 593: Decision Making Laboratory, Mth 667, Mth 668, Mth 669: Stochastic Processes and Probability Theory-I, II, III, Mth 692: Research Methodology and Design, Stat 451, Stat 452: Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists-I, II, Stat 564: Applied Regression Analysis, SySc 514: System Dynamics, SySc 625: Agent Based Simulation, SySc 627: Discrete System Simulation, SySc 629: Business Process Modeling and Simulation, USP-655: Structural Equation Modeling, USP 656: Multilevel Regression, Soc 597: Applied Survey Research, Ec 586: Project Evaluation, Ec 570: Econometrics. 

You may also choose additional courses in other academic units throughout the University, approved by their adviser, if such courses are supportive of their proposed research areas.

Qualifying Courses

Refer to the Bulletin for a listing of qualifying ETM courses and courses from other programs. Additional courses, not listed in the bulletin, and credits earned in other graduate programs can be applied with advisor approval.

ETM for Undergraduates

ETM offers two courses for undergraduate students as part of the University Studies Cluster in Design Thinking, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship.

 

Course Information

Part-time students usually take 1-2 courses per term. Full-time students take a minimum of 9 credits (2 courses + seminar). To help you plan, contact etminfo@pdx.edu. Use the course planning tool, which provides a multi-year projection of what courses will be offered. Our Resources tab at the top covers many topics including advising, registration, credit transfers, and others.

Making informed, data-driven decisions is central to successful management. Courses in this area provide foundational knowledge on how to analyze data and structure decision problems and cover hands-on exercises and applications. These courses are the fundamental “toolbox” for any engineering manager.

Many engineers enter management roles as project or program managers. Courses in this cluster prepare students for this responsibility and hone the skills of those already active in the field. The content aligns with but goes beyond the curriculum of Project Management Institute, which certifies project management skills. ETM does not offer PMI certification. This curriculum closely aligns with the Graduate Certificate in Project Management.

Engineers with product responsibility are tasked with turning ideas into successful products and business value. Courses in this area cover a range of skills, such as user-centered innovation, determining requirements, managing product development, planning the product life cycle, and developing new business opportunities. This curriculum closely aligns with the Graduate Certificate for New Product Development.

In high-tech, products are the result of integrating existing, newly developed, and externally sourced technologies. Companies need to keep track of hundreds of constantly evolving technologies and invest wisely in the ones that will be critical to their future business. Courses in this cluster provide the knowledge to make these decisions. This curriculum closely aligns with the Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management of Technology.

Adding Degrees & Applying Credits

Our programs are flexible and leave considerable room for applying credits from other programs, switching programs, or earning multiple degrees in parallel. Review FAQ below or contact our front office at etminfo@pdx.edu for more information. 

Our programs are flexible and leave considerable room for applying credits from other programs, switching programs, or earning multiple degrees in parallel. Review the information below or contact our front office at etminfo@pdx.edu for more information. 

Earning Both a Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate

You are allowed to count the same credits towards the Master’s and a Graduate Certificate. The certificate can help you highlight your expertise in a particular topic area, while the M.S. degree shows the breadth of your knowledge. However, the process is not automatic - you need to officially add the Graduate Certificate to the programs you are pursuing. Contact our front office as soon as possible to fill out a GO-19 form if you wish to add a certificate.

Current graduate certificate students can add the Master’s program and complete the certificate concurrently. Contact etminfo@pdx.edu as soon as possible for approval.

Applying Nondegree Courses to a Degree Program

Students who have taken ETM courses as a nondegree student may be able to transition to degree-seeking depending on several factors. Contact etminfo@pdx.edu and your advisor to discuss your specific case.

Applying MBA Credits Toward an MS or PHD in ETM

It may be possible to apply credits from an MBA to an ETM graduate degree, however, this depends on a lot of factors, such as where and when you took the credits and if you used them for another degree. If you are pursuing a Ph.D., it may be possible, but if you are pursuing an MS, transfer courses cannot be more than 7 years old and cannot have been used to complete another program. Contact etminfo@pdx.edu and your advisor to discuss your specific case.

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