Frequently Asked Questions

MBA programs traditionally emphasize management by the numbers, i.e., using financial measures to gauge performance, marketing analysis to forecast profitability, etc., with some organizational behavior. Business management generally considers marketing, financial, and human resource concerns and focuses on allocation of existing resources. Business management traditionally emphasizes economies of scale, cost structure, and specialization.

The MSEM program considers the integration of the design, the technical application, and the social impact. It focuses on capturing, mastering, and shaping the effects of engineering technology on business and builds upon your social and technical expertise; adding the managerial aspects of leading in a technologically-rich environment. The MSEM is about adaptation, learning, and proactive, systems-type problem-solving. Students learn about engineering economics, organizational behavior, quality systems, legal and ethical issues, supply chains, project management, and emerging technologies. If you plan to manage engineering or technical professionals, the MSEM program is appropriate. There are students in the MSEM program who have earned MBAs. They are in the MSEM program because it is applicable to their technical-professional growth and salary.

Engineering is about the design or invention of something new and deals primarily with mechanical, electrical, civil, or industrial systems. Engineering MS degrees are usually heavily loaded with prerequisites in the specific engineering discipline (e.g., mechanical, electrical, etc.).

Engineering management is managing the production and the product design process. Engineering management is about innovation; that is the how, not the what, for solving a problem and the application of engineering and science solutions within any context. Engineering management is managing systems, processes, operations, and people. What is required is a fundamental knowledge of the technical requirements for a specific business and a high level of technical literacy. Most specific business knowledge can be learned with business/industry experience. Today, in many companies, an advanced degree is required for a promotion. Thus, the MSEM degree provides the skill sets needed to manage in a technical environment and thrive.

The MSEM career path would lead to job titles like Chief Operations Officer (COO), Plant Manager, Facilities Manager, Engineering Manager, or Information Technology Manager. Our graduates fall into four primary categories:

• Managers
• Engineers
• Entrepreneurs
• Educators

Imagine job titles such as Project Manager, Project Engineer or Quality Manager, Quality Engineer, Facilities Engineer, Small Business Owner, Professor, Senior Technical Staff, Operations Managers, etc.  The applied areas are wide-ranging such as manufacturing, construction, architecture, technical health services, information technology, telecommunications, government, food processing, technology development, vocational teaching, design, and administration.

Students can enroll in coursework prior to admission as non-degree seeking for 12 hours. During this time, the student may not receive financial aid. Upon admission, the credit hours received may be used towards the program.

No. Conditional admission is not granted for students who do not meet the minimum criteria.

Yes. Speak with the program coordinator on how the scores are converted.

Yes. Undergraduates at WKU may enroll in graduate course work (i.e., courses requiring graduate standing) provided they meet the following conditions:

1. Student must file all appropriate paperwork through the Graduate School.

a. Application for Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses.
b. Recommendation from the director of the graduate program, or department head, that speaks to the student's ability to perform at the graduate level and justification of the appropriateness of enrollment in such courses.

2. Undergraduate students must have declared a major or minor in the subject area or a closely related area for which the graduate course is offered.

3. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the major or minor area to which the graduate coursework is closely related.

4. Students may enroll in no more than 15 hours of coursework (graduate and undergraduate combined) in any semester in which enrollment in graduate-level courses occurs.

5. With the concurrence of the student's undergraduate advisor, department head, and dean, graduate coursework may be used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements; however, graduate credit hours used to meet the requirements for a baccalaureate degree may not be used toward a graduate degree.

Students wishing to pursue graduate credit must file the appropriate paperwork with the Graduate School.

The number of semester hours of credit that may be earned during a given term may not exceed 15 hours. Appointed Graduate Assistants (GAs) cannot take more than 12 credit hours per semester.

All requirements for an MSEM degree must be completed within six years from the date the first course is taken. Failure to complete a degree in six years will result in the loss of all credits taken outside of the time limit. Students may request an extension to be approved by their advisor, the department head, the dean of the college, and the dean of the Graduate School. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis, and a student is not guaranteed approval.

A maximum of twelve (12) semester hours of graduate credit earned at other institutions or programs at WKU may be accepted toward meeting course requirements for the graduate program with advisor approval.

The following requirements must be met:

1. The credit(s) must have been earned at an accredited graduate institution;

2. The course work to be transferred must be properly designated as having been taken for graduate credit;

3. The grade point average must be at least 3.0 (4.0 scale) on all graduate course work appearing on the transcript before specific courses can be transferred;

4. The courses to be transferred must carry a grade of B or better;

5. Credits must have been earned within the six-year time limit for degree completion;

6. Any course(s) to be transferred must be appropriate for degree completion; and

7. At least 12 hours in the major area must be taken at WKU.

The “Transfer Credit Practices” report published by the American Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers is the reference used in evaluating credits.

Transfer credits taken during the final semester of a program will delay program completion until official transcripts have been received in the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.

Students who have taken graduate courses in as part of the Kentucky Technology Management and Applied Engineering Consortium may transfer up to 15 units with advisor approval.

No. Only courses specified and approved by the advisor for graduate-level credit apply to the program. The exception is courses taken by JUMP students.

This course prepares students for graduate research on their thesis or graduate project. It consists of the information needed to successfully prepare a proposal so that students can begin to select and work with a thesis committee or graduate project faculty.

Undergraduate courses taken previously cannot be used in lieu of the research tool, but other graduate courses from other programs (500 and up) may count with advisor approval. EGMT 571 must be completed within the first two semesters of the graduate program with a minimum grade of B. This course must be taken prior to enrolling in EGMT 599 Thesis or EGMT 690 Graduate Project.

A 3.0 (B average) GPA must be maintained overall and for the degree program.

Yes. All students registering for EGMT 599 Thesis or EGMT 690 Graduate Project hours must take the Certified Technology Manager exam as offered by the Association for Technology Management and Applied Engineering. You will work with the program advisor to schedule this exam.

In addition, all graduate students must complete an oral examination as part of their thesis or project. For the MSEM program, this is typically done at the time the student defends his/her thesis or project. The following requirements must be met before students are permitted to complete the comprehensive exam: (a) completed thesis or project hours; (b) have no more than nine hours remaining on the degree program; (c) complete any additional requirements as specified by the faculty in the department; and (d) complete at least one half of the course work in an approved certificate, if applicable. Students must obtain graduate committee's signatures upon successful completion of the oral exam.

Students should submit their thesis to their thesis committee chair before their oral defense date. Submit the graduate project by the due date posted by the graduate project instructor/advisor. 

Students submit the thesis to the thesis committee chair. Once the thesis chair and thesis committee approve the thesis, the student then submits it for final review. Students submit the project to the graduate project instructor/advisor for review and grading. 

After completing EGMT 571 Research Methods in Technology Management course, students need to start working on their thesis research or project EGMT599. Prior to enrolling in EGMT599 Thesis Research & Writing hours, students should write a thesis proposal and establish a thesis committee.

To form the thesis committee, you need to find a committee chair and two other committee members who are willing to serve on your thesis project. To find the committee members and committee chair whose interests generally overlap with your project topic, you need to contact the Engineering Management faculty and send them your thesis proposal. Then, you will submit the Thesis Committee Selection form at the graduate school website using the following link. https://www.wku.edu/graduate/students/committee_selection.php

The Thesis Committee Selection Form must be submitted to the graduate school prior to enrollment in EGMT 599 research hours. Before submitting this form, it is the student's responsibility to confirm the willingness of each committee member to serve on the committee.