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Frequently
Asked Questions regarding the MSETM Program:
Is the
MSETM accredited? Can
I substitute a course that was previously taken at OSU or elsewhere? I have a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, live in Florida, and will soon move to South Carolina. Can I still participate in the program? You bet! This Distance Learning program is ideal for you. You can even take a year's assignment in Bangladesh and stay on track in the program. I received a B.S. degree in Finance 1986. This was a mathematically intensive curriculum. My career background has been in Engineering and Engineering Management for the past 9 years. I am currently the Director of Engineering in my company of 2000 employees. I now direct a team of 31 Engineers and Technicians including those in Mechanical, Electrical, Environmental, Industrial, Manufacturing, and Product Engineering, plus Research and Development. In addition, I have had considerable engineering education. Am I eligible to join the MSETM? The admission requirements are guidelines. It appears that your technical and managerial experience, plus continuing education are sufficient. We welcome your application. How long has the program been in existence? The MSETM is a new program and has been under intense development since August 1997. While the program is new, many of the courses carefully selected and modified for this program are well established. In addition, the faculty involved are experienced in Distance Learning. What has industry's response been to the program, and who is hiring the graduates? There has been strong support from industry for this program. In fact, the enthusiasm level for the concept, topics, and cross-college cooperation has been exceptional. Industry has helped to provide direction for the program since it's beginning. Are there alumni who have earned the degree that I can talk to? Ask again in May of 2000. Our first graduates will receive the MSETM during Spring 2000 Ceremonies. Are there assistantships / work study programs available? No. The primary clientele for this program are full time engineers and scientists who are already employed. There will be teaching assistants to help faculty in some courses, but it is not envisioned that they will be enrolled in the MSETM program. I am considering returning to school for an MBA, possibly at OSU. How does the MSETM degree compare with the MBA program? The MSETM is targeting engineers and scientists who have a bachelor's degree in engineering or the physical / mathematical sciences and at least three years' employment since graduation with a bachelor's degree. It is offered as a Distance Learning program. Beyond those two major differences, the answer to your question is best answered by comparing the courses available in the MBA and the MSETM. Some courses are virtually identical, and several College Business Administration faculty also participate in the MSETM. Other courses are quite different. The MSETM is focused on strategy, technology, and integration. It can be tailored to have the feel of an Engineering Management program or a Management of Technology program. In no way is the MSETM trying to compete with the MBA degree (and OSU has a well-respected MBA-- see more about that program here). In fact, there has been interest expressed in the MSETM by those who already have an MBA. Must I pursue the MSETM degree to take courses in the program? No. The designers of the program anticipated that some persons will desire to take only a few hand-selected courses, but not attempt to complete the degree. You are most welcome to take MSETM courses, but you must still be admitted to OSU's Graduate College and go through nearly the same application process as an MSETM student. As such, you are probably wise to go ahead and become a degree-seeking student since there is no additional cost involved. What about Distance Learning? Is it effective? OSU has been a leader in Distance Learning for many years, beginning with talk-back television in the mid-1970's. We continue to be a recognized leader in the field today. We have numerous studios around campus where courses are taped or broadcast. Just as some courses are better than others "on-campus", so be it with Distance Learning. Each course will have some similarities and some differences compared to other courses. Similarities include that each course is taught in a "studio" with several cameras, a computer, an overhead projector, and a multi-line phone. There is capability for playing videotapes and displaying slides. Differences include room layout, number of students actually in the studio, number of sites connected, and the extent to which the faculty member and class use Internet sites, e-mail, snail mail, FAX, and phone. The logistics of sending and receiving materials via FAX and mail are handled very efficiently by Extension personnel. Phone, e-mail, Internet, and file transfer are usually handled by the faculty. Bottom line, most Distance Learning students are very happy with their experience, and especially the convenience it affords. I am located in Anytown, Anystate. How will I communicate with faculty and fellow students? Your situation is not uncommon. Questions and comments for faculty usually take place via e-mail. Also, informal discussions among students, and many team project activities, can be handled in this way. E-mail is a time-efficient medium for many types of communications, and precludes the need for playing phone tag. An assignment requiring intense discussion between class members may require a conference call that is set up in advance using e-mail. Of course, FAX, express mail, and other modes of communications will have their place. Communications between students and faculty in Distance Learning courses does not seem to be a problem. Do most students attend the course live via compressed video? Are the other modes (videotape and streaming video) effective? Approximately 65% of the MSETM students do NOT attend live. Many actually prefer the videotapes due to the flexibility they offer. Our students are able to program their study habits, using the tapes, in a way that allows them to allocate their time most effectively between family, work, and school. At this end, there seems to be no discernible difference in performance whether one attends live or watches via tape delay. The jury is still out on streaming video. OSU has been putting some courses on the Internet via streaming video since the inception of the MSETM, and plans to use this mode much more during the 1999-2000 year. This mode works best if a network connection is available. A 28.8K baud modem is annoyingly slow, based upon student feedback. What are typical course loads each semester? The grand average throughout the first year was just over 4 semester credit hours (SCH) per student per regular semester (Fall or Spring). For those enrolled, the minimum number has been 1 SCH, while the maximum has been 9 SCH (a pretty stiff load for a full-time employee). A significant number are taking courses at warp speed (about 7 SCH per semester), but 4 SCH is more typical. |