Chapter 13: Department of Engineering Management and Leadership

Dean’s Executive Professor: Paul Semenza (Department Chair)
Quarterly Lecturers: Michele Ellie Ahi, Octave Baker, Marlene Cole, Ray Combs, Theresa Conefrey, Don Danielson, John Giddings, Hans Høeg, Pravin Jain, Usha Parimi, Kern Peng, Alan Wortman

Overview

The Engineering Management and Leadership (EMGT) program is designed for both engineering students and professionals who wish to develop management and leadership skills while furthering their engineering education at the graduate level. EMGT students take core courses in organizational behavior, project management, systems engineering, finance, and marketing, augmented by additional courses in management and leadership. In parallel, students design a Technical Stem program to advance their knowledge in an advanced engineering discipline and round out their education with an Enrichment Experience. The combination of business and graduate-level engineering coursework prepares students for leadership roles in technologically sophisticated companies.

Master of Science Program Requirements

Admission to the Engineering Management and Leadership Program is open to those students who hold an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering, mathematics, computer science, or engineering physics. The undergraduate degree must be from a four-year engineering program substantially equivalent to Santa Clara University’s. Students holding undergraduate degrees other than bioengineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering must be prepared to select technical stem courses from these disciplines as listed in the Graduate Engineering Bulletin.

Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of 46 quarter units to complete the master’s degree, following these guidelines:

Engineering Management Core (20 units)

  • Required Courses (10 units)
            - EMGT 255. Managerial Accounting for Operating Managers
            - EMGT 322. Organizational Behavior
            - EMGT 330. Project Management Basics
            - EMGT 352. Marketing of High-Tech Products and Innovations
            - EMGT 380. Introduction to Systems Engineering Management
  • Project, Program, and Product Management (at least 4 units): select from EMGT 224, 284, 288, 290, 291, 296, 307, 308, 333, 335, 338, 339, 345, or 378
  • Operations/Innovation Management (at least 4 units): select from EMGT 201, 202, 249, 253, 254, 277, 287, 289, 292, 311, 323, or 357
  • Electives (as needed to reach 20 units): choose from any EMGT courses

Technical Stem (18 units)

  • A focused set of courses from Graduate Engineering departments; see guidelines and restrictions below

Graduate Core (minimum 4 units) - One course each from the following areas:

  • Engineering and Society
  • Professional Development

Technical STEM Courses

Engineering Management and Leadership students are required to create a focused, coherent program of studies within the field of engineering. The following lists areas of focus by department, which can be used as guidelines for developing the Technical STEM program.

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Bioengineering: Biomolecular Engineering/Biotechnology; Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering; Microfluidics/Biosensors and Imaging; Computational Bioengineering; Translational Bioengineering
  • Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering: Structural Engineering; General Civil Engineering; Construction Engineering and Management; Water and Environmental Engineering
  • Computer Science and Engineering: Data Science; Internet of Things; Software Engineering; Information Assurance; Multimedia Processing; Computer Networks; Computer Architecture and Systems
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering: Power Systems and Control; IC Design and Technology; RF and Applied Electromagnetics; Signal Processing and Machine Learning; Digital Systems; Communications
  • Mechanical Engineering: Artificial Intelligence; Design and Manufacturing; Dynamics and Controls; Mechanics and Materials; Mechatronic Systems Engineering; Thermofluids and Energy
  • Power Systems and Sustainable Energy
  • Robotics and Automation

Interdisciplinary Technical STEM programs can be created to pursue areas of interest within engineering management. Examples include the following.

  • Industrial Engineering and/or Operations Research: AMTH 210, 211, 245, 246, 362, 364, 370, 371 (optional: ECEN 235)
            - Mathematical Finance option: substitute AMTH 367 for two of the above
            - Network option: substitute ECEN 330 for one or two of the above
  • Machine Learning: AMTH 245, 246, 370, 371; ECEN 520/L, 521/L, 522, 523

Courses for the Technical Stem of Engineering Management and Leadership are selected from the graduate course listings in the Graduate Bulletin. However, not all graduate classes listed in the bulletin are considered technical in terms of fulfilling the technical stem requirements. This is especially the case of ENGR/GREN courses. In addition, there are other limitations, some of which are listed below. Therefore, it is important that students complete a program of studies in their first term and submit the program of studies to the graduate programs office, to make sure all of the courses they select will fulfill the degree requirements.

  • All courses applied to the Engineering Management and Leadership degree must be graded courses—no P/NP courses are allowed.
  • Undergraduate courses that overlap with graduate course numbers do not apply unless the student registers with the graduate course number.
  • Graduate seminars and capstone courses in other departments (such as BIOE 200, 294, 295, 296; ECEN 200; CSEN 400, 485; and MECH 261, 290, 297) are not applicable.
  • The following courses do not count toward the technical stem: BIOE 210; CENG 208, 292; CSEN 269, 287,288; ECEN 217; all ENGR/GREN courses.
  • Engineering Management and Leadership students are allowed to enroll in one unit of Independent Study or Directed Research under the direction of a full-time faculty member in the respective engineering department. Any additional units will not be counted toward graduation.
  • New courses are often developed and offered during the academic year that are not listed in this bulletin, for example, special topics courses. It is important that students check with their advisor prior to enrolling in those courses to make sure they will count toward their degree.

All of the requirements for the engineering management and leadership degree must be completed within a six-year timeframe for domestic students, international students with an F-1 Visa must complete their degree by the date listed on their I-20. In addition to the overall 3.000 GPA graduation requirement, engineering management, and leadership degree candidates must earn a 3.000 GPA in those courses applied to their technical stem and a 3.000 GPA in their engineering management course stem. All courses in which a student is enrolled at Santa Clara are included in these calculations.

A completed program of studies for Engineering Management and Leadership degree candidates must be submitted to the chair of the Department of Engineering Management and Leadership during the first term of enrollment to ensure that all courses undertaken are applicable to the degree. Courses that have not been approved for the program of studies may not be counted toward the completion of the degree.

A maximum of nine quarter units (six semester units) of graduate-level coursework may be transferred from other accredited institutions at the discretion of the student’s advisor provided they have not been applied to a previous degree. Extension classes, continuing education classes, professional development courses, or classes from international universities are not accepted for transfer credits.

Engineering Management and Leadership B.S./M.S. Program

The School of Engineering offers qualified Santa Clara University undergraduates the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree in their technical discipline and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management and Leadership. This is an excellent path to continue technical education while learning the essential skills required to manage technical projects and people. The degree program is open to students in computer science, engineering, engineering physics, and mathematics.

Students in this program will receive a B.S. degree after satisfying the standard undergraduate degree requirements. Students will then be matriculated to the Engineering Management and Leadership M.S. program and must then fulfill all requirements for the M.S. degree.

Notes

  1. Course numbers below 200 indicate undergraduate courses, and numbers of 200 and above indicate graduate courses. Students may take courses assigned both undergraduate and graduate numbers (same title used for both numbers) only once as an undergraduate or graduate student. All coursework applied to the M.S. degree must be at the 200 level or above and not applied to any other degree.
  2. Students who are entering this program should meet with their Engineering Management and Leadership advisor to develop a program of studies to ensure that all graduate courses they plan to take are applicable to the Engineering Management and Leadership M.S. degree.

Course Descriptions

EMGT 201. Applications of Reinforcement Learning in Operations

Introduction to sequential decision-making problems and application of reinforcement learning (RL) in operations domains, with an emphasis on supply chain, logistics, and transportation domains. Modeling and regulation of dynamic systems, especially under uncertainty, using methods like Markov decision processes (MDPs) and dynamic programming. Modeling of real-world operations problems as RL tasks and implementation of solutions using OpenAI Gym. Students should have a solid understanding of probability, linear algebra, and basic programming (Python preferred). (2 units)

EMGT 202. Supply Chain Management for Engineering Managers

Provides a comprehensive overview of supply chain management principles and practices, with a focus on their application in engineering and technology-focused companies. Students will learn about supply chain design, planning, and optimization, covering key areas such as logistics, inventory management, procurement, and distribution. The course emphasizes both strategic and tactical decision-making in the context of global and complex supply chains with a specific focus on handling supply chain complexities in fast-growing AI and data center businesses. (2 units)

EMGT 224. Human Factors Engineerings

Cognitive systems, human information processing, workload and fatigue modeling, biomechanics, macroergonomics, the Borg scale of perceived exertion, statistical analysis of user feedback, and principles of experimental design including sample size selection and power analysis. Applied training in signal processing, system modeling, machine learning (ML), and computer vision (CV) techniques for ergonomic and usability evaluations. Through weekly lectures and labs, students will learn to assess physical and cognitive ergonomics using data from wearable sensors, vision-based tracking, and usability surveys. Also listed as ENGR 124. (4 units)

EMGT 249. Civil Systems Engineering

Introduction to engineering systems analysis and management technologies and their applications to civil engineering problems, such as transportation, assignment, critical path, and maximum flow problems. Topics include linear programming, nonlinear programming, probability, and queuing theory, as well as relevant applications to civil engineering problems. Also listed as CENG 149 and 249. (4 units)

EMGT 253. Operations and Production Systems

Provides the knowledge and techniques required to properly manage operations and production systems. Topics include operations strategies, process management, forecasting, location and layout decisions, capacity and resource planning, technology management, and computer-integrated manufacturing. TQM, statistical process control, Lean, Just-in-Time, simulation, and supply-chain and inventory management. (2 units)

EMGT 254. Usability Engineering

This course introduces the principles and practices of usability engineering, focusing on designing, evaluating, and implementing user interfaces and systems to be efficient, effective, and satisfying. Emphasis is placed on the integration of usability principles in technology and AI-driven systems. Topics include human factors and ergonomics, usability metrics and testing, user research techniques, heuristic evaluation, designing for accessibility, interaction design for AI systems, prototyping, and iterative design. (2 units)

EMGT 255. Managerial Accounting for Operating Managers

This course provides an introductory survey to the underlying principles and applications of managerial accounting and financial analysis. Taken from the perspective of the recipient of accounting data, rather than the generator of reports, this course will equip operating managers with the skills to interpret the story behind the numbers to gain a more accurate understanding of the status of their business and to make more informed decisions. (2 units)

EMGT 277. Organizational Leadership and Change Management

Through an interconnected series of topics, the course will explore tools to build high-performing teams, cultivate a strong and resilient company culture, and set ambitious yet measurable goals, as well as techniques to lead and manage organizations effectively, whether in a fast-growing startup or a large enterprise. Students will learn how to foster collaboration across organizations to drive collective success and gain insights into navigating change— through reorganizations, AI adoption, or other transformations—empowering leaders to drive innovation, resilience, and long-term organizational growth. (2 units)

EMGT 284. Product Management 

This course provides a structured overview of Product Strategy and Go-to-Market principles, functions, and techniques enabling students to understand and work as Product Management leaders now and throughout their careers. Topics cover Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer, hardware, software, and service environments. During the course, students will define a product using real-world methods to create a product strategy proposal. (2 units)

EMGT 287. Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Systems

This course explores the application of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing ecosystem, focusing on optimizing production processes through AI technologies. Participants will learn how to predict production rates, analyze machinery performance, and plan preventive maintenance using data-driven AI methods. The syllabus covers essential AI tools and frameworks, including Python, TensorFlow, and Keras, along with foundational topics like machine learning concepts, neural networks, and deep learning techniques. Also listed as ENGR 187. Prerequisite: AMTH 108 or equivalent; familiarity with Python programming and machine learning using Python. (4 units)

EMGT 288. Risk and Reliability Engineering

This course introduces and explores the practical concepts and techniques used in reliability and risk studies and the discussion of their use. We will focus on building probabilistic risk assessment models to evaluate and quantify risk engineering and management systems. We will examine different models to help quantify risks and explore how to solve these models both analytically and through simulation. Because many risk problems involve societal and human behavioral issues, the course will also explore how humans naturally perceive risk, communicating risk issues to a non-technical public, and accounting for intelligent adversaries. Also listed as ENGR 182. Prerequisite: AMTH 108 or equivalent. (2 units)

EMGT 289. Fundamentals of Statistical Quality Engineering

This course focuses on the definition and applications of Six-Sigma quality systems for design production, engineering applications, and business processes. The main topics include statistical methods in quality control and assurance, implementation strategies, practical engineering applications for achieving continuous quality improvement, defect reduction, and quality-related project planning and management methods to achieve universal participation in process improvement. Also listed as ENGR 183. Prerequisite: AMTH 108 or equivalent. (4 units)

EMGT 290. Cost Estimation

Types of construction cost estimates and their uses. Direct and indirect costs. Cost budgeting and control. Quantity Takeoff. Cost databases and software. Detailed cost estimates of main building systems. Also listed as CENG 185 and 285. Prerequisite: CENG 218. (3 units)

EMGT 291. Engineering Decision and Risk Analysis

Epistemic and aleatory uncertainty, reliability and probabilistic risk assessment, risk management, decision trees, sensitivity analysis, optimization, reliability analysis (MCFOSM/FORM/SORM), Monte Carlo, Latin Hypercube, and importance sampling, utility theory. Also listed as CENG 288. Prerequisite: AMTH 108 or instructor’s consent. (4 units)

EMGT 292. Managing Capital Assets in the Smart Machine Era

Provides effective tactics in managing capital assets in technical firms. With Industry 4.0 and the development of a new generation of smart machines, the complexity and cost of capital equipment are increasing substantially. Prepares students to manage the new generation of machines with the applications of robotics, IoT, AI, and ML. Covers approaches and practices in managing the lifespan of capital assets: development, introduction, sustaining, and decommission. (2 units)

EMGT 295. Project Planning Under Conditions of Uncertainty

Managerial decision-making in project management under conditions of varying knowledge about the future. Decisions relying on certainty and decisions based on probabilities and made under risk. Situations in which there is no basis for probabilities; decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty. Use of applications of decision theory to help develop strategies for project selection and evaluation. (2 units)

EMGT 296. Project Risk Management

There are three fundamental steps: risk analysis, risk evaluation, and risk migration and management. The acceptable risk threshold is defined by the customer and management and identifies the level above which risk reduction strategies will be implemented. (2 units)

EMGT 299. Directed Research

By arrangement. Limited to a single enrollment. (1 unit)

EMGT 307. Medical Device Product Development

This course will introduce students to various tools and processes that will improve their ability to identify and prioritize clinical needs, select the best medical device concepts that address those needs, and create a plan to implement inventions. Also listed as BIOE 207. (2 units)

EMGT 308. Solutions Architecture and the Cloud

System design foundation blocks, design considerations, and best practices for cloud services; microservices to build sample systems. Hands-on labs to deploy applications on cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and GCP. Review of cloud certification paths relevant to solutions architect roles at cloud infrastructure and platform companies. (2 units)

EMGT 311. Data Science in Systems Management

This course will focus on applications of data science in systems management through descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analyses used for pattern recognition, system improvement, and optimization. Data mining techniques, decision tree modeling, regression and classification analysis, and big data management for informed decision-making in industrial and business systems management will be discussed. A variety of case studies in selected research, industries, and business settings will be modeled and analyzed using Python. Also listed as ENGR 184. Prerequisite: AMTH 108 or equivalent; familiarity with Python programming. (3 units)

EMGT 322. Organizational Behavior

This course will cover the skills required in transitioning from a technical contributor to a technical manager or team leader. This transition requires a new set of skills and knowledge in which engineers and scientists are typically not trained. These new skills will include “soft skills” from the areas of psychology, ethics, and interpersonal relationships, as well as the management processes essential to becoming an effective manager. This class blends the technical dialog with a more personal and social dialogue. Students will think introspectively about managerial roles and responsibilities through lectures and discussions. (2 units)

EMGT 323. Management of Technological Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges

Understanding innovation as the process of commercializing new technologies or applying them in new ways, at the levels of industries, markets, and the firm, including startups and incumbents. Sources, types, and models of innovation, s-curves and disruptive innovation, dominant designs and standards, first-mover, and other timing issues, network effects and platforms, intellectual property and markets for technology, and tools for selecting innovation projects. Focus will be on strategies and processes for capitalizing on innovations. (2 units)

EMGT 324. Engineering Leadership

This course is designed to facilitate successful transitions by individuals with technical backgrounds from team management to corporate leadership positions. Students will learn the attitudes and social approaches necessary for serving as an effective corporate leader. This will be accomplished through lectures and discussions with classroom participation exercises and topical essay homework. Prerequisite: EMGT 322. (2 units)

EMGT 329. Parallel Thinking

This workshop-style program will provide the tools and coaching engineering leaders need to be effective in harnessing the brainpower of groups. Draws heavily on the application of the research done at Stanford University on precision questioning, the work of Edward DeBono, and group processing work on high-performance systems. (2 units)

EMGT 330. Project Management Basics

Designed to provide the basic knowledge and techniques required to properly manage projects. Covers the fundamental concepts and approaches in project management, such as the triple constraints, project life cycle and processes, project organizations, project scheduling, budgeting, resource loading, project monitoring and controls, and project information systems. (2 units)

EMGT 331. Strategic Technology Management

Translating strategic plans into action plans and ensuring their implementation. Integration of a process that crosses all organizational boundaries. Performance objectives and priorities, change and discontinuities, managed growth, accelerated technology transfer. Analyzing competitive technical positions, collecting and utilizing user/customer information, and changing leadership. (2 units)

EMGT 333. Computer-Aided Project Management Scheduling and Control

This course covers defining project objectives, scheduling and budgeting, risk management, and project control using Microsoft Project for Gantt chart-based project management, and Jira for Agile project management using Kanban and Scrum methodologies. Customers, competition, technology, and financial realities are considered in order to develop project requirements. Project planning, resource allocation, and strategies for dealing with multiple projects; project tracking, including earned value analysis and taking corrective action. (2 units)

EMGT 335. Advanced Project Management and Leadership

A strategic view of project classification and project portfolio management. Covers the approaches and practices in creating the right environment and culture for overall project success. Highly interactive advanced course with in-class practice and situational analysis. While providing knowledge of project planning and managing techniques, it focuses on the development of project leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Prerequisite: EMGT 330. (2 units)

EMGT 336. Global Software Management (Introduction)

Discuss and understand the software development techniques and issues in view of offshore outsourcing. Discuss best practices, dos and don’ts in project management, and other techniques due to off-shoring and outsourcing. Case studies. (2 units)

EMGT 338. Software Product Management I

Introduction to product management, agile engineering planning and execution, customer analysis and value propositions, product vision, user testing, and product requirements mapping to a business model. A project-based course. (2 units)

EMGT 339. Software Product Management II: From Product to Company

Building on EMGT 338, this course covers product market fit, building a minimum viable product, early business model validation, hiring core team members, and fundraising strategies. Focus is on the transition from an idea to a fundable pre-seed or seed-stage startup. Prerequisite: EMGT 338. (4 units)

EMGT 345. Program Management

Fundamentals of program and portfolio management and how they are applied to improve business results on programs of varying size, within all types of businesses, from small companies to large enterprises. Prerequisite: EMGT 330 (Project Management Basics) or equivalent experience. (2 units)

EMGT 346. Engineering Economics

Valuating and selecting engineering projects based on their characteristics of risk, available information, time horizon, and goals. Utilization of classical capital budgeting techniques, qualitative criteria, and financial option theory. Exploration of the value of individual projects on the company’s total portfolio of projects. Introduction to decision theory as it applies to project evaluation. Prerequisite: Finance or familiarity with time value of money concepts such as net present value. (2 units)

EMGT 352. Marketing of High-Tech Products and Innovations

This course is designed to give engineers and managers a working understanding of the strategic role marketing plays in the development and promotion of high-technology products and systems. Challenges to the adoption of innovations and strategies for overcoming barriers will be explored. Students will learn marketing frameworks and apply them to case studies as well as by creating a marketing plan for an emerging technology or business. (2 units)

EMGT 353. Introduction to Total Quality Management

The basic tenets of TQM: customer focus, continuous improvement, and total participation. Particular emphasis on using TQM to enhance new product development. (2 units)

EMGT 354. Innovation, Creativity, and Engineering Design

Research, development, the process of discovery, recognizing a need, encouraging change, assuming risks, technological feasibility, marketability, and the environment for innovation. (2 units)

EMGT 357. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Effective Problem Solving

Solving problems is one of the main functions of engineering and one of the main concerns of engineering managers. This course will focus on a step-by-step problem-solving approach, used by the best engineering practitioners in the world, designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the problem-solving process. Topics will include proper methods of problem description, identification, correction, and containment. Also listed as BIOE 357. (2 units)

EMGT 360. Current Papers in Engineering Management and Leadership

Individual topics to be selected in concurrence with the instructor. (2 units)

EMGT 362. Topics in Engineering Management

Topics of current interest in engineering management and leadership. May be taken more than once as the topics change. (2 units)

EMGT 370. International (Global) Technology Operations

Examines methods and important issues in managing operations when customers, facilities, and suppliers are located across the globe. Topics include the global technology environment, international operations strategy and process formulation, and issues on the location and coordination of overseas facilities. These and other course topics are examined through a combination of lectures, text material, and integrated case studies. (2 units)

EMGT 378. New Product Planning and Development

This course blends the perspectives of marketing, engineering, and manufacturing into a single approach to new product development - and consequentially product management - at various stages of the product life cycle. Students gain an appreciation for the realities of industrial practice, and the complex and essential roles played by team members led by product managers. For industrial practitioners, in particular, the product planning and implementation methods can be put into immediate practice on development projects. (2 units)

EMGT 380. Introduction to Systems Engineering Management

Introduces the fundamental principles and methods of systems engineering and their application to complex systems. For the engineer, and project manager, it provides a basic framework for planning and assessing system development. For the non-engineer, it provides an overview of how a system is developed. (2 units)

EMGT 381. Managing System Conceptual Design

A continuation of EMGT 380 addressing in detail the system engineer’s responsibilities and activities in the concept development stage of the system life cycle. Topics include needs and requirements analysis, system concept exploration and definition, and risk assessment. It concludes with a discussion of advanced development and the system engineer’s role in planning and preparing for full-scale engineering development. Prerequisite: EMGT 380. (2 units)

EMGT 382. Managing System Design, Integration, Test and Evaluation

A continuation of EMGT 381 with a focus on the system engineer’s responsibilities and activities in the engineering development and post-development stages of the system life cycle. Topics include engineering design, system integration and evaluation, and the systems engineer’s role in preparing for full-scale manufacturing and subsequent deployment and support. Prerequisite: EMGT 380. (2 units)

EMGT 388. System Supportability and Logistics

The supportability of a system can be defined as the ability of a system to be supported in a cost-effective and timely manner, with a minimum of logistics support resources. The required resources might include test and support equipment, trained maintenance personnel, spare and repair parts, technical documentation, and special facilities. For large complex systems, supportability considerations may be significant and often have a major impact upon life cycle cost. It is therefore particularly important that these considerations be included early during the system design trade studies and design decision-making. (2 units)

EMGT 389. Design for Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability

Provides the tools and techniques that can be used early in the design phase to effectively influence the design from the perspective of system reliability, maintainability, and supportability. Students will be introduced to various requirements, definitions and analysis tools, and techniques to include Quality Function Deployment, Input-Output Matrices, and Parameter Taxonomy. (2 units)

EMGT 390. System Architecture and Design

Fundamentals of system architecting and the architecting process, along with practical heuristics. The course has a strong “how-to” orientation, and numerous case studies are used to convey and discuss good architectural concepts as well as lessons learned. Adaptation of the architectural process to ensure the effective application of COTS will be addressed. (2 units)

EMGT 395. Intrapreneurship – Innovation from Within

Intrapreneurship is about creating an innovative business opportunity within the existing structure of an organization. Innovation and creativity, mixed with limited marketing and financial views that will create profitable new products, are critical components of intrapreneurship. Using small independent development teams, the concept incorporates product launch with an overview of marketing and customer views. The methods from this class are widely used by the most successful innovators in start-ups as well as established companies. (2 units)