A new graduate degree in engineering will better prepare students to assume leadership roles in construction management and information engineering and management.

The master’s program is not restricted only to those individuals with undergraduate engineering degrees because industry today requires a multidisciplinary set of management skills, said UAB College of Engineering Dean Linda Lucas, Ph.D. The degree was approved by The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees during its Nov. 9 meeting in Tuscaloosa.

The Construction Management Program 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,” 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.”

The U.S. Department of Labor reports the increasing complexity of construction projects heightens the need for management personnel, and the demand for engineers with management and technical skills is expected to increase as much as 27 percent by 2014.

The Information Engineering and Management Program will be led by Dale 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 being accepted for the spring semester. Direct questions about the Construction Management Program to Hitchcock or program coordinator Dianne Gilmer at 975-5848 or digilmer@uab.edu. Direct questions about the Information Engineering and Management Program to Dale Callahan at 934-8440 or dcallahan@uab.edu.