Master of Engineering in Engineering Management
Develop research-informed judgement for managing engineering organisations, projects and technical assets.
About the course
Develop research-informed judgement for managing engineering organisations, projects and technical assets. The proposed masters outline connects management choices with engineering evidence and resource constraints. Southern African cases should examine how technical uncertainty, reliability, procurement and organisational responsibilities affect decisions, with a substantial independent investigation providing the final integration.
What you'll learn
Critically evaluate an engineering-management problem using multiple forms of evidence.
Compare investment, reliability or project options with explicit assumptions.
Design an ethical and feasible research investigation.
Defend findings and management recommendations within the limits of the study.
Requirements
Recommended preparation is a relevant recognised undergraduate qualification and readiness for academic reading, applied analysis and independent study. A masters route also requires adequate research preparation and an appropriate supervisor. BMIT must confirm admission equivalence, bridging requirements and its approved research and assessment regulations.
Course content
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
3 learning stages 11 subjects
1Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study4 subjects
2Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application4 subjects
3Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration3 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The subjects are grouped by learning stage, from foundations to specialist study and supervised application. Complete earlier foundations before the related advanced work. Clinical, laboratory, field and workplace subjects use approved facilities and supervision appropriate to the programme.
11 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study
- Project Planning and Management. Examine scope, work breakdown and their relationship within project planning and management. The subject develops scheduling and resources, then examines risk and progress control. Build and update a plan for a realistic technical or service project.
- Engineering Economics. Develop your understanding of engineering economics through time value of money and cost estimation. The subject develops lifecycle costs and investment appraisal, then examines sensitivity and resource decisions. Compare two feasible project options using transparent cost assumptions.
- Maintenance and Reliability. Study asset functions and failure modes as foundations for maintenance and reliability. The subject develops preventive maintenance and condition information, then examines availability and maintenance records. Develop a maintenance proposal for an approved teaching asset.
- Quality Management and Improvement. Examine quality criteria, process variation and their relationship within quality management and improvement. The subject develops traceability and nonconformity, then examines corrective action and improvement measures. Investigate a quality problem using permissioned records or teaching data.
Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application
- Operations Research. Develop your understanding of operations research through linear programming and network models. The subject develops queues and simulation, then examines decision analysis and sensitivity. Model a production or service problem and compare feasible solutions.
- Leadership and Change in Engineering Organisations. Study leadership approaches and team relationships as foundations for leadership and change in engineering organisations. The subject develops change and conflict, then examines professional accountability and organisational learning. Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
- Manufacturing Systems. Examine process layouts, automation and their relationship within manufacturing systems. The subject develops bottlenecks and flexible production, then examines maintenance interfaces and system performance. Model a small production system using a simulation or teaching observations.
- Industrial Logistics. Develop your understanding of industrial logistics through material flows and warehousing. The subject develops transport and inventory policy, then examines supply coordination and service levels. Analyse an approved logistics case and compare service-cost options.
Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration
- Advanced Research Design. Study research positioning and theoretical frameworks as foundations for advanced research design. The subject develops method comparison and validity, then examines research ethics and feasibility. Defend an advanced study design against plausible alternatives.
- Research Proposal and Protocol. Examine problem significance, literature synthesis and their relationship within research proposal and protocol. The subject develops research questions and protocol development, then examines ethics approval and work plan. Develop a supervised research protocol and defend its feasibility.
- Dissertation Research and Defence. Develop your understanding of dissertation research and defence through data stewardship and analysis. The subject develops interpretation and research contribution, then examines limitations and scholarly communication. Complete approved research under supervision and retain reproducible evidence.
Assessment and practical learning
- Proposed assessment: critical literature reviews, analytical assignments and seminars which defend the choice of methods and evidence.
- An applied project or research proposal addressing a defined Southern African institutional or community problem.
- An independently assessed report or dissertation with an oral presentation, according to an approved BMIT route and assessment policy.
Practical application
The project needs a suitable supervisor and authorised access to organisational evidence. Confidential commercial and staff information requires clear data arrangements. Learners should separate empirical findings from recommendations and discuss alternative explanations. A management masters does not independently establish professional engineering registration or technical signing authority.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Postgraduate disciplinary study
Project Planning and Management
Examine scope, work breakdown and their relationship within project planning and management. The subject develops scheduling and resources, then examines risk and progress control. Build and update a plan for a realistic technical or service project.
Learning outcomes
- Explain scope and work breakdown using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving scheduling and resources.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing risk and progress control.
Main topics
- Scope
- Work breakdown
- Scheduling
- Resources
- Risk
- Progress control
Practical task
Build and update a plan for a realistic technical or service project.
Assessment
Submit a project plan, risk register and progress-review case.
Engineering Economics
Develop your understanding of engineering economics through time value of money and cost estimation. The subject develops lifecycle costs and investment appraisal, then examines sensitivity and resource decisions. Compare two feasible project options using transparent cost assumptions.
Learning outcomes
- Explain time value of money and cost estimation using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving lifecycle costs and investment appraisal.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing sensitivity and resource decisions.
Main topics
- Time value of money
- Cost estimation
- Lifecycle costs
- Investment appraisal
- Sensitivity
- Resource decisions
Practical task
Compare two feasible project options using transparent cost assumptions.
Assessment
Submit an economic appraisal and sensitivity analysis.
Maintenance and Reliability
Study asset functions and failure modes as foundations for maintenance and reliability. The subject develops preventive maintenance and condition information, then examines availability and maintenance records. Develop a maintenance proposal for an approved teaching asset.
Learning outcomes
- Explain asset functions and failure modes using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving preventive maintenance and condition information.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing availability and maintenance records.
Main topics
- Asset functions
- Failure modes
- Preventive maintenance
- Condition information
- Availability
- Maintenance records
Practical task
Develop a maintenance proposal for an approved teaching asset.
Assessment
Submit a reliability analysis and justified maintenance schedule.
Quality Management and Improvement
Examine quality criteria, process variation and their relationship within quality management and improvement. The subject develops traceability and nonconformity, then examines corrective action and improvement measures. Investigate a quality problem using permissioned records or teaching data.
Learning outcomes
- Explain quality criteria and process variation using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving traceability and nonconformity.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing corrective action and improvement measures.
Main topics
- Quality criteria
- Process variation
- Traceability
- Nonconformity
- Corrective action
- Improvement measures
Practical task
Investigate a quality problem using permissioned records or teaching data.
Assessment
Submit a quality review and a measurable improvement proposal.
Stage 2: Specialist analysis and application
Operations Research
Develop your understanding of operations research through linear programming and network models. The subject develops queues and simulation, then examines decision analysis and sensitivity. Model a production or service problem and compare feasible solutions.
Learning outcomes
- Explain linear programming and network models using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving queues and simulation.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing decision analysis and sensitivity.
Main topics
- Linear programming
- Network models
- Queues
- Simulation
- Decision analysis
- Sensitivity
Practical task
Model a production or service problem and compare feasible solutions.
Assessment
Submit a model, results and operational interpretation.
Leadership and Change in Engineering Organisations
Study leadership approaches and team relationships as foundations for leadership and change in engineering organisations. The subject develops change and conflict, then examines professional accountability and organisational learning. Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
Learning outcomes
- Explain leadership approaches and team relationships using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving change and conflict.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing professional accountability and organisational learning.
Main topics
- Leadership approaches
- Team relationships
- Change
- Conflict
- Professional accountability
- Organisational learning
Practical task
Analyse a service-change case and design a stakeholder engagement approach.
Assessment
Submit a leadership and implementation plan.
Manufacturing Systems
Examine process layouts, automation and their relationship within manufacturing systems. The subject develops bottlenecks and flexible production, then examines maintenance interfaces and system performance. Model a small production system using a simulation or teaching observations.
Learning outcomes
- Explain process layouts and automation using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving bottlenecks and flexible production.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing maintenance interfaces and system performance.
Main topics
- Process layouts
- Automation
- Bottlenecks
- Flexible production
- Maintenance interfaces
- System performance
Practical task
Model a small production system using a simulation or teaching observations.
Assessment
Submit an integrated system-improvement report.
Industrial Logistics
Develop your understanding of industrial logistics through material flows and warehousing. The subject develops transport and inventory policy, then examines supply coordination and service levels. Analyse an approved logistics case and compare service-cost options.
Learning outcomes
- Explain material flows and warehousing using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving transport and inventory policy.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing supply coordination and service levels.
Main topics
- Material flows
- Warehousing
- Transport
- Inventory policy
- Supply coordination
- Service levels
Practical task
Analyse an approved logistics case and compare service-cost options.
Assessment
Submit a logistics plan supported by quantitative evidence.
Stage 3: Supervised research or applied integration
Advanced Research Design
Study research positioning and theoretical frameworks as foundations for advanced research design. The subject develops method comparison and validity, then examines research ethics and feasibility. Defend an advanced study design against plausible alternatives.
Learning outcomes
- Explain research positioning and theoretical frameworks using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving method comparison and validity.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing research ethics and feasibility.
Main topics
- Research positioning
- Theoretical frameworks
- Method comparison
- Validity
- Research ethics
- Feasibility
Practical task
Defend an advanced study design against plausible alternatives.
Assessment
Submit a research protocol and critical methodological defence.
Research Proposal and Protocol
Examine problem significance, literature synthesis and their relationship within research proposal and protocol. The subject develops research questions and protocol development, then examines ethics approval and work plan. Develop a supervised research protocol and defend its feasibility.
Learning outcomes
- Explain problem significance and literature synthesis using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving research questions and protocol development.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing ethics approval and work plan.
Main topics
- Problem significance
- Literature synthesis
- Research questions
- Protocol development
- Ethics approval
- Work plan
Practical task
Develop a supervised research protocol and defend its feasibility.
Assessment
Submit the approved proposal and a research seminar presentation.
Dissertation Research and Defence
Develop your understanding of dissertation research and defence through data stewardship and analysis. The subject develops interpretation and research contribution, then examines limitations and scholarly communication. Complete approved research under supervision and retain reproducible evidence.
Learning outcomes
- Explain data stewardship and analysis using an appropriate example.
- Analyse a subject-related problem involving interpretation and research contribution.
- Present reasoned evidence addressing limitations and scholarly communication.
Main topics
- Data stewardship
- Analysis
- Interpretation
- Research contribution
- Limitations
- Scholarly communication
Practical task
Complete approved research under supervision and retain reproducible evidence.
Assessment
Submit a dissertation and defend methods, findings and limitations orally.
Instructors
