MISSION: Program Relationship to Mission The mission of this program and that of the University of South Carolina, as defined by the Commission, are similar. In particular, this program will result in producing engineers and other technical personnel who will contribute to the economic development of the state. Such contributions will include developing and efficiently utilizing the available natural and human resources, attracting new businesses from other states as well as from other countries and exporting products and providing technical services inside and outside the state.

Engineering managers supervise and lead teams of engineers and other technical personnel for product development, manufacturing and marketing, for the planning, design and construction of project components and structures, participate in the analyses for making economic decisions, optimize the utilization of available resources to meet project objectives, lead and/or participate in the negotiation teams for acquiring new projects and for undertaking various activities of ongoing projects at the local, state and international level. In addition to the technical knowledge and expertise in the related area of specialization, these activities require knowledge of economics, finance, marketing, human resources, contract and environmental law and other legal issues, environmental impact of the project, sustainability issues, public relations, etc.

Almost all undergraduate engineering programs in the United States concentrate mainly on the technical subjects in the area of specialization and include some university mandated material on arts and humanities. However, the topics listed above that are necessary for management are usually not covered in a typical undergraduate curriculum. Thus, a significant number of engineers who are called upon to fill the managerial roles in their organization as they attain seniority lack suitable training in management-related activities and learn by trial-and-error once they are on the job. As expected, this could have disastrous consequences for the organization as well as the morale of personnel involved. To provide training in this area, several educational institutions in the United States have started to offer a MS degree in Engineering Management in recent years. Other than a related program of Project Management at the Citadel, approved in 2009 by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, no other institution in South Carolina offers a program for engineers and technical personnel that lead to a Master’s degree in engineering management.