Development of M.Eng. programs with a focus on industry 4.0 and smart systems

Abstract

Master of Engineering Programs are often designed to provide skills that can be readily used in industry. Although many M.Eng. Programs include courses that can be selected from an existing pool of traditional engineering topics to fulfill various specializations, this paper describes the development of new M.Eng. Programs designed to include courses that address the new trends in industry. This paper presents the design and implementation of new M.Eng. Programs that focus on modern approaches in manufacturing; namely Industry 4.0 and Smart Systems. The integration of these new M.Eng. Programs with related undergraduate programs are also described, as is the potential to provide certain students with an accelerated pathway to professional licensure. Several common elements of Industry 4.0 trends are contained within these new programs. These elements include cyber-physical systems, internet of things, and development of smart systems. This paper presents the development of three M.Eng. Programs: Automotive, Automation, and Advanced Manufacturing. These programs focus on real-world problems of industries in which progress is fast and in which specialists need to provide constantly evolving, creative, and innovative solutions. Being designed for both to full-time students and part time students from industry, the courses developed for these programs are offered in the evening. Students can chose between a coure-and-project option that includes 6 courses and a project and a course-only option that include eight course. The graduates of these programs are expected to have a strong technical grounding with broad management and industry perspectives combined with strong nontechnical areas of expertise.