Comparing U.S. and International Students’ Motivations for Selecting a Master's in Engineering Management (MEM) Program
- Conference
- Location
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Salt Lake City, Utah
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2018
- Start Date
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June 23, 2018
- End Date
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July 27, 2018
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Graduate Studies
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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13
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--30207
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/30207
- Download Count
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505
Paper Authors
Robert Graham Johns Hopkins University
Robert Graham is a Lecturer in the Center for Leadership Education in Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering, where he has taught business communication courses since 2014. Graham, who has a Master’s degree in communications from The American University, has co-authored several articles on non-technical skills and has taught English, journalism and business communications courses at Goucher College and Towson University. After a successful career in journalism and marketing, Graham launched Bigger Pie Strategies, a marketing company formed in 2010, and co-founded Serious Soft Skills LLC, an education and training company, in 2017.
Pamela H. Sheff Johns Hopkins University
Pam Sheff is the Director of the Center for Leadership Education and the Master of Science in Engineering Management Program at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to returning to academia,
Dr. Sheff built Sheff and Lano Communications, a marketing and communications consulting firm, specializing in developing public and in-house communications for corporate, institutional and government clients.
A.M. Harvard University Ph.D. Harvard University
Evelyn Carolina Torres-Alfaro Johns Hopkins University
Evelyn Torres-Alfaro is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering. She holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management with a concentration in public policy, economics, and environmental systems analysis. Torres-Alfaro also completed her Bachelor of Science in civil engineering with a double major in Spanish from Johns Hopkins University. She has begun a career in management consulting.
Abstract
Students seeking a master’s degree in Engineering Management (MEM), like all students, choose their educational program for a variety of reasons. This study of 165 accepted applicants, students and graduates examines factors influencing their choice to obtain an MEM degree. Respondents were affiliated with six of the nine schools comprising the Master of Engineering Management Programs Consortium. The study compares the motivating factors for U.S. students and International students, and draws on a similar study of graduate students at the University of Michigan in 1995. The results suggest that while small gradations in factors exist between U.S. students and International students, both groups’ motivations to enroll in a MEM program align closely with their career goals.
Graham, R., & Sheff, P. H., & Torres-Alfaro, E. C. (2018, June), Comparing U.S. and International Students’ Motivations for Selecting a Master's in Engineering Management (MEM) Program Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30207
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