is director of the Master of Engineering in Engine Systems program at the University of Wisconsin Madison. She worked in the aerospace industry designing jet aircraft engines before joining Ford Motor Company. At Ford, she trained power-train designers and engineers in CAD and CAE and produced web-based trainings on topics such as reliability and experimentaldesign. She also worked in the Office of the Technical Fellow, exploring new technologies to automate the product development process and shorten product development time. Anderson received her PhD from the University of Oklahoma in aerospace engineering. She also has an MBA degree from the University of Dallas and is a six-sigma black belt.
Using On-Line Education to Meet the Needs of Working Engineering ProfessionalsWorking engineering professionals and their employers understand the value of, and the need for continuing education; be it training courses, certificate programs, or advanced degrees. These consumers are looking for an efficient means to gain the required skills and knowledge to move their career, company, or project forward. These consumers demand well-written and wellpresented material that matches their current need for knowledge. Often, the best approach to meeting these needs is a team consisting of university faculty members, highly respected industry professionals, and individuals trained in instructional design. The purpose of this paper is to show the method that was used to develop a successful on-line education program.
Introduction-For most engineers it is a tough decision whether to continue on for a Master's degree after graduating with a B.S., and for many because of family and financial responsibilities there is no choice but to take a full time position in industry. These working engineers see an increasing need for education beyond a B.S. but cannot afford to leave their jobs, move their families and attend university full time.A distance degree program where the students can work on their degree part time while working, traveling, and holding family responsibilities fills the need of many working professional engineers. Group projects, live web-conferences, threaded discussions, and yearly one-week residencies provide students networking opportunities, and give the benefit of increased student interactions.This paper outlines the method used to develop and implement the Master of Engineering degree, Engine Systems (MEES) program, a successful on-line degree program at the University of Wisconsin Madison.Background-