November 20, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the increasing complexity of construction projects is boosting the demand for management level personnel within the construction industry. The department also estimates as much as a 27 percent growth in the demand for engineers with management and technical skills by 2014. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Engineering is prepared to help meet these demands with its new Master’s of Engineering degree, which focuses on construction management and information engineering and management. The new degree program was approved by the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama during its Nov. 9 meeting in Tuscaloosa.
“The Master in Engineering has two main focus areas,” said Linda Lucas, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering. “One is the Construction Management Program, the other is the Information Engineering and Management Program. Graduates will be able to assume leadership positions in whatever their professional field.”
The Construction Management Program within the degree will be led by Bill Hitchcock, Ph.D., professor in the school of engineering’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering.
“There is a new world in the build environment, which includes everything from building facilities such as factories and home construction to infrastructures like roads and sewer and electrical systems.” Hitchcock said. “Today’s construction managers must be able to appreciate the perspective and understand the requirements of all the stakeholders in building any kind of facility in any city around the world. These include engineers, architects, politicians and the public.”
Although the master’s program is open to those who have undergraduate degrees in engineering disciplines, it is not restricted to those individuals because industry today requires a multidisciplinary set of management skills, Lucas said.
The Information Engineering and Management Program within the degree will be led by Dale W Callahan, Ph.D., assistant professor in the school’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“No matter the industry, the need for managers who understand information technology and who can anticipate trends and future needs to keep systems current and secure is growing,” Callahan said. “This program was designed by corporate officers as a means of developing leadership talent in a technically complex area. Applicants may have various undergraduate backgrounds.”
Applications are now being taken for spring semesters. For more information about the Construction Management Program, contact Bill Hitchcock or program coordinator Dianne Gilmer at 975-5848 or digilmer@uab.edu. For more information about the Information Engineering and Management Program, contact Dale Callahan at 934-8440 or dcallahan@uab.edu