UA Announces Two New Dual-Degree Engineering and MBA Programs

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Engineering and MBA graduates from The University of Alabama will now offer more than just technical knowledge to their future employers, as they will combine essential financial skills with engineering through two new innovative dual-degree programs.

Beginning this fall, students can earn master’s degrees in engineering and business administration in two years, and the programs are specific for civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

As Alabama’s automotive, manufacturing, energy, construction and civil engineering industries continue to expand, financial business skills are more essential to guiding engineering projects. Students will be able to immediately impact their future employers through both engineering technical knowledge and the bottom-line financial goals.

“With the mounting costs to rebuild America’s aging infrastructure and with the need to continue the American leadership in the world economy, the need has never been greater for engineers with a strong education in the financial, public funding and economic aspects of major projects,” said Hugh Mathews, president of England, Thims & Miller Inc., a leading civil engineering firm in the Southeast. “This program offers the opportunity for future engineers to prepare themselves to meet this challenge.”

“As the leading professional organization for builders and contractors throughout the state, we’re extremely excited about how this new program will immediately impact the civil and construction engineering industries in Alabama,” said Jay Reed, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama. “After working closely with the College and the faculty leading this effort, I am certain they will produce what our industry needs — a well prepared graduate.”

Students admitted to the programs will be able to complete the dual degree in two calendar years, instead of three calendar years if the degrees were pursued separately.

“By allowing students to efficiently gain advanced technical and business degrees simultaneously, we feel this program not only benefits the students, but also their employers and the engineering profession as a whole,” said Dr. Ken Fridley, professor and head of the department of civil, construction and environmental engineering.

“This new dual-degree program supports the vision for the future engineering profession as stated by the National Academy of Engineering and the American Society of Civil Engineers.”

“With the growth of the automotive, manufacturing and energy industries throughout the Southeast, our students are prepared to not only enhance the technical aspects of production but also greatly improve the financial portion, which is crucial in the current economy,” said Dr. Bob Taylor, professor and head of the department of mechanical engineering.

“An MBA graduate with engineering skills will offer a tremendous advantage to most any organization,” said Susan West, assistant dean of graduate programs at UA’s Manderson Graduate School of Business. “Combining leadership and business acumen with strong technical skills is a winning situation anytime.”

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 2,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.

Forbes magazine recently ranked the Manderson Graduate School of Business MBA programs in the top 10 percent nationally. The MBA program is among the top in the nation for its price/value relationship (the amount of time needed to recover foregone income plus the cost of tuition). The Manderson Graduate School of Business is ranked No. 3 for “Best Campus Facilities” in the Princeton Review rankings, and it has been ranked in the top 10 in at least one of the categories for the past four years.