The Haslam College of Business and the Tickle College of Engineering offer an integrated program leading to the conferral of the Master of Business Administration degree with a major in business administration (concentration in operations management) and the Master of Science with a major in computer science or one of the following engineering majors – aerospace, biomedical, civil, chemical, computer, electrical, engineering science, environmental, industrial, materials science, mechanical, nuclear, and reliability and maintainability engineering.
The establishment of the dual degree program addresses the critical need for personnel trained in both engineering and management who can integrate an increasingly complex body of knowledge for rapid introduction of new products to the marketplace. The objective of the dual degree program is to prepare graduates to take a leading management role in companies that must react quickly to a dynamic market where forces of competition require rapid changes via short cycles in design, manufacturing, and product development.
Admission
Applications are accepted for fall semester only. Applicants for the MS-MBA program must make separate applications to and be accepted by Graduate Admissions for the Master of Business Administration and the computer science major or one of the following engineering majors – aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, engineering science, environmental, industrial, materials science, mechanical, nuclear engineering, or reliability and maintainability engineering and by the Dual Program Committee.
Students will initially apply for the MBA program, indicating on their application the intent to pursue the dual MS-MBA program and the appropriate engineering major (refer to the MBA program for separate instructions). Students accepted for both the BA and one of the engineering programs or computer science will be assigned to Dual Program Committee advisors, who will be responsible for course approval and supervision of the students’ progress through the dual program.
Applications by United States citizens and permanent residents received after the MBA application deadline (February 1) will be considered as space allows. Additional information is required and different application dates are established by Graduate Admissions for international students.
Requirements
All engineering and computer science students enrolled in the dual program must complete course work designed to provide them with an integrated, multidisciplinary experience. The MS – MBA curriculum consists of 36 hours of course work in the Haslam College of Business and 24 hours of course work (which may include up to 3 thesis hours) in the Tickle College of Engineering. A final examination as required by their respective Engineering Program Committee is to be taken during their final semester.
The majority of programs in the Tickle College of Engineering give the students the option of taking up to 6 credit hours of their Tickle College of Engineering course work in topics relating to the design and development of devices, processes and/or software. All students must have a course work plan approved by their respective program during their first semester in the program. The course work for each program is designed to provide students with advanced skills in their major.
For additional requirements for the Master of Science degree with majors in aerospace engineering , biomedical engineering , chemical engineering , civil engineering , computer engineering , computer science , electrical engineering , engineering science , environmental engineering , industrial engineering , materials science and engineering , mechanical engineering , nuclear engineering , or reliability and maintainability engineering refer to program descriptions for those majors.
The dual degree candidate must satisfy the curriculum and graduation requirements of the Tickle College of Engineering majors being pursued and the Haslam College of Business.
Students withdrawing from the dual degree program before completing both degrees will not receive credit toward graduation in either degree program for courses taken in the other degree program, except as such courses qualify for credit without regard to the dual degree program. The MS and the MBA degrees will be awarded upon successful completion of the requirements of the dual program.
