TM Profile of Students
Although Technology Management serves a more narrow market, demand has remained relatively strong. At the same time MBA programs have been downsizing enrollment trends in engineering management and technology management have been on the rise. Technology management programs are particularly popular with individuals with a background in engineering or science who suddenly find themselves in a supervisory position. For these individuals, the ability to add business and management tools while simultaneously enhancing their quantitative decision making tools seems to be an attractive alternative to a more traditional management program. Enrollment in technology management at the School of Mines has steadily increased by 8-10 percent over the last 10 years.
Prospective students often have a mistaken belief that the Technology Management degree is an engineering master's degree. While there is often considerable overlap between technology management and engineering management programs, they are different in a number of respects. Indeed, there is probably as much difference between engineering management and technology management as there is between technology management and an MBA. Students in the technology management program come from a variety of backgrounds including engineering, science, computer science, mathematics, social science, and liberal arts. What is perhaps more interesting is that, in general, one's undergraduate degree is not a very useful predictor of one's performance in the program. The charts below show the relative shift in enrollment demographics from 1996 to 2005.
