Undergraduate Courses in SSE

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This course deals with the problems associated with the management of engineering personnel, projects and organizations. The applications of the functions of management to engineering related operations, including the engineering aspects of products and process development, are reviewed. The course requires students to apply their knowledge of human behavior, economic analysis and science to solve problems in the management of technologically oriented organizations. The capstone of the course is a term paper analyzing an engineering management problem taken from actual practice.

This course presents the tools and techniques for project definition, work breakdown, estimating, resource planning, critical path development, scheduling, project monitoring and control and scope management. Students will use project management software to accomplish these tasks. In addition, the student will become familiar with the responsibilities, skills and effective leadership styles of a good project manager. The role organization design plays in project management will also be addressed.

Corequisite: EM270 or consent of instructor.

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This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of financial and managerial accounting, with an emphasis on actions managers can take to more effectively address the goals of the firm. Key topics covered include the preparation and analysis of financial statements, particularly creating cash flow statements needed for engineering economic analysis; consideration of variable costs, fixed costs, cost of goods sold, operating costs, product costs, period costs; job costing and process costing; application of accounting information for decision-making: marketing decisions, production decisions; capital budgeting: depreciation, taxation; budgeting process, master budgets, flexible budgets, analysis of budget variances; asset valuation, and inventory costing. The laboratory portion of the course provides the student opportunity to use the personal computer for solving problems related to the major topics of the course, such as spreadsheet analysis, and in addition covers managerial topics, including sessions focused on group dynamics and teamwork, research using the Internet and business ethics/corporate governance (Sarbanes-Oxley).

Provides students with "hands-on" experience of management of new product (process) development, which they can use in their senior design projects. Students will study the stages of product (technology) life cycle from concept to discharge of a product. Study includes systems consisting of hardware and software design, manufacturing, testing and installation based on Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) model. Different tools for forecasting, optimization and simulation are provided for students to identify the problem, select the project, form the team and prepare proposals suitable for submission to a potential sponsor for the senior design capstone project. Proposal documented according to ISO 9000 Quality Management and ISO 14000 Environment Management Standards.

Corequisite: EM 345, EM 385, E 355

This course covers contemporary decision support models of forecasting, optimization and simulation for management. Students will learn how to identify the problem situation, choose the appropriate methods, collect the data and find the solution. The course also covers handling the information and generating alternative decisions based upon operations research optimization, statistical simulation, and systems dynamic forecasting. Computer simulations will be performed on PCs using user-friendly graphical interface with multimedia report generation for visualization and animation. Students will also be trained in management simulations for group decision support.

Prerequisite: EM 365

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This course will provide students with a sound foundation in the field of data communications, networking, and distributed processing systems, so that they can better understand and manage the information technology and systems that they will encounter in their careers. A comprehensive survey of communication protocols, hardware and software required to deliver information from a source through a medium to a destination. Digital, analog, security, network and network management requirements for data communication are introduced. Emphasis will be on the managerial aspects of data communications.

This course covers the basics of cost accounting and cost estimation for engineering projects. Basic engineering economics topics include mathematics of finance, time value of money and economic analyses using three worths, internal rate of return and benefit cost figures of merit. Advanced topics include after tax analysis, inflation, risk analysis and multi attribute analysis. Laboratory exercises include introduction to the use of spreadsheet and a series of labs that parallel the lecture portion of the course. The student is introduced to an economic model (Spreadsheet to Determine the Economics of Engineering of Design and Development - SEED), which is used to design and provide typical venture capital financials. These financials are income statement, balance sheet, break-even analysis and sensitivity analysis.

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This course will provide the student with the underlying management concepts and principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) and how they apply to Engineering Management. The ideas and concepts of Frederick Winslow Taylor, Edward Deming, Joe Juran, Phil Crosby, Armand Fiegenbaum and Karou Ishikawa will be presented and discussed in relation to how management thought has developed from Scientific Management to Quality Management. Discussion of the Baldridge and Deming awards will include how leadership, information and analysis, strategic quality planning, human resource utilization, quality assurance and customer satisfaction relate to QM in Engineering Management. The use of concurrent engineering in research, design, & engineering will be explored. The student will learn various TQM tools explored such as quality function deployment, design for cost and cost of quality. The students will learn the methodology and techniques of continuous process improvement and use this knowledge to analyze and correct defects as part of a team project.

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Provides a working knowledge of basic statistics as it is most often applied in engineering. Topics include: fundamentals of probability theory, review of distributions of special interest in statistics, analysis and enumeration of data, linear regression and correlation, statistical design of engineering experiments, completely randomized design, randomized block design, factorial experiments, engineering applications and use of the computer as a tool for statistical analysis.

This project-based course addresses the fundamentals of systems engineering. Principles and concepts of systems engineering within a life-cycle perspective are presented through case studies and applied throughout the course to a student-selected team project. The initial focus is on the understanding of business drivers for systems engineering and the generation of innovative ideas. Students then engage in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation activities as they progress through the conceptual and preliminary design phases. Emphasis is placed on tools and methodologies for system evaluation during all phases of the design process with the goal of enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of deployed systems as well as reducing operational and support costs.

Pre or Corequisite: EM 365

This year long two-course sequence involves the students in a small-team Engineering Management project. The problem for the project is taken from industry, business, government or a not-for-profit organization. Each student team works with a client and is expected to collect data, analyze it and develop a design by the end of the first semester. In the second semester the design solution of the problem is completed and a written report is submitted for binding. During the year, oral and written progress reports are presented to peers and clients. The total project involves the application of the subject areas covered in the EM 385 Engineering Management Laboratory course, as well as skills learned in the other technical and non-technical courses of the Engineering Management curriculum.

Prerequisite: EM 270, EM 275, EM 301, EM 322, EM 345, EM 385, E 355

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This year long two-course sequence involves the students in a small-team Engineering Management project. The problem for the project is taken from industry, business, government or a not-for-profit organization. Each student team works with a client and is expected to collect data, analyze it and develop a design by the end of the first semester. In the second semester the design solution of the problem is completed and a written report is submitted for binding. During the year, oral and written progress reports are presented to peers and clients. The total project involves the application of the subject areas covered in the EM 385 Engineering Management Laboratory course, as well as skills learned in the other technical and non-technical courses of the Engineering Management curriculum.

This course covers the area of business analysis that includes enterprise technologies, supply chain management, engineering management, systems engineering, decision support systems, e-business, process operations and reengineering, technology consulting and analytical modeling and the relating of Business Process Reengineering to quality improvement. The course will be broken in two components with the first focusing on implementing theory into action, showing use in process discovery and definition, diagnosis and improvement, design, support and enactment. The second part of the course uses case studies to demonstrate applications of process engineering to improve efficiency. Most application and case studies are information technology focused.

Prerequisite: EM 365

Students learn about planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling the production of goods and providing service functions of an organization. Main stages of production cycle and components will include raw materials, personnel, machines, and buildings. Specific topics covered will include forecasting, product design and process planning, allocation of scarce resources, capacity planning and facility location, materials management, scheduling, office layout, and total quality management.

Prerequisite: EM 457

Application of forecasting and optimization models to typical engineering management situations and problems. Topics include: optimization theory and its special topics (linear programming, transportation models, and assignment models), dynamic programming, forecasting models, decision trees, game theory, and queuing theory. Applications to resource allocation, scheduling and routing, location of facilities, and waiting lines will be covered.

Prerequisite: EM 365

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Aspects of entrepreneurship and business most relevant for technical people and the practice of Technogenesis. Investigates business-related considerations in successfully commercializing new technology. Exposes technologists to five critical aspects of creating a successful new venture and/or a successful product or service business within a existing enterprise : (1) market and customer analysis, (2) beating the competition, (3) planning and managing for profitability, (4) high-tech marketing and sales, and (5) business partnerships and acquisitions. Students should take this course if they: (1) desire to maximize their effectiveness as technologists by understanding the business and customer considerations that impact the work of technologist, (2) intend to lead or participate in a technology based new venture/start-up, or (3) contemplate an eventual transition from a technical to a business management career. It is intended for either advanced undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate students in engineering or science curricula. Also offered as TG 501. Prerequisite: Senior Standing

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This course provides students with tools needed to commercialize their senior design technology. Topics include engineering economic analysis and issues of marketing, venture capital, intellectual property and project management. These topics are from the view of an entrepreneur who is creating knowledge that can be licensed and/or used in a start-up business. These topics are critical elements in implementing Technogenesis.