July 2007 Issue
Oilsands Experience Added to U of A
Engineering Management Team
A strong and practical link between academia and the rest of the working world
has always been a key selling point of the University of Alberta Engineering
Management Program. The addition of Prof. Michael Lipsett, P.Eng., is certainly
helping keep that bond intact.
Mr. Lipsett, a Queen’s University graduate in mechanical engineering, comes to the U of A from Syncrude Canada Ltd., where he was an industrial researcher in oilsands processes. He says there’s a critical need for good engineers who are also good managers, as oilsands investment worth billions of dollars funnels through development to operations.
Mr. Lipsett believes his experience adds an important dimension to Engineering Management. “My oilsands experience has been particularly germane to engineering management these days, whether you’re looking at the initial development of deciding whether to go ahead, the project management side of such large and creative projects, or the operating side of large, integrated operations.
“It’s becoming more challenging, especially when we see the renewal of the engineering workforce involved in the oilsands. There are a lot of aspects of engineering management that are important for a new generation of practitioners in the oilsands.”
Quick advancement is commonplace in that kind of industry environment, says Dr. Peter Flynn, the U of A’s Poole Chair in Engineering Management. The trouble is, many engineers aren’t ready for the new challenges management positions throw their way.
Enter the U of A program. Geared for working engineers, it’s designed to bridge them into the people, financial and project management world their careers may be heading towards.
“I’ve been there,” says Dr. Flynn. “All of a sudden I was running a company — and I didn’t know how to read a balance sheet.”
An engineer facing that sort of challenge can try to fit an MBA into an already
demanding schedule. “Or you can get your master’s degree in Engineering
Management,” says Dr. Flynn. “The program is designed for engineers,
and the content is flexible enough that you can tailor it to meet your needs.”
Open to graduates with a bachelor’s in engineering, Engineering Management
includes a non-thesis program, which earns students a master’s of engineering
degree in engineering management. Two thesis programs also come under the Engineering
Management umbrella, and they lead to a master’s of science degree in engineering
management or a PhD in mechanical engineering. The program is housed with the
Mechanical Engineering Department, but only for administrative purposes — all
engineering disciplines are welcome.
Part-time students typically finish their degree in two to five years. For example, students who take one course a term in the fall and winter would need five years. Full-time students can complete the degree in 12 to 18 months.
The program is made up of nine courses and a capstone project equivalent to an additional three-credit course. Aimed at flexibility, the program requires one course from a selection of courses in each of four core areas. After that, the student tailors the balance of the program to meet individual needs and interests.
Active in the early 1990s, Engineering Management fell victim to budget cuts
part way through the decade. It was reactivated in 1999, however, and has been
a success story ever since.
The need remains strong, says Mr. Lipsett, and engineers will continue being
in demand in management roles. “As engineers progress in their careers,
they accomplish more of their success with other people. Whether someone remains
in a purely technical role or a purely management role, the reality is that you
need both technical as well as management understanding.”
The workforce mosaic is changing, too, and engineers need to be prepared. Diversity in the workplace makes interpersonal skills as important as more traditional management skills, Mr. Lipsett says.
Among Mr. Lipsett’s courses are project management, and engineering systems modelling and simulation. Before coming to U of A, he’d never actually taught a full university course, although he has given lectures.
“To take a course from beginning to the end was new to me, but I’ve really enjoyed it. The students are great — they’ve been very patient with me.”
Connecting with a big class in a way that students learn is new. But “a lot of elements are the same” as in the less formal knowledge transfer and coaching that happens in industry, Mr. Lipsett says.
More info
www.engineering.ualberta.ca/mece/EngManagement.cfm
Dr. Peter Flynn, P.Eng.
peter.flynn@ualberta.ca