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CORVALLIS - A newly approved graduate program at Oregon State University that combines the skills of construction engineering and business management will be the only one of its type in the Pacific Northwest, and could become a model for more joint educational programs of this type.

The new degree, a master of business and engineering, or MBE, was just approved by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, and will be offered for the first time this fall. It should help meet a growing need for more people with a diverse background in both business and the construction industry, officials say, and is uniquely designed to be accessible to both traditional students and working professionals.

"We have to do a better job of connecting our engineers with the world of business," said David Sillars, an associate professor of civil engineering and director of the new program. "This will also help meet another key goal of the OSU College of Engineering, to produce more professionals with technical and entrepreneurial interests, and a significant involvement with private industry."

The successful launching of the program, Sillars said, could help pave the way for other graduate programs that combine traditional engineering skills with business courses and training.

In this new program, a student can obtain a master of business and engineering degree in construction engineering management, either in a full-time, one-year program of study, or by taking courses one day a week for two years. Participants can have either an undergraduate degree in civil or construction engineering, or a degree in other fields with several years of construction experience in private industry.

"The flexibility of both the course schedule and the eligibility for this program should make it ideally suited to either regular students or people who are already working in the construction industry," Sillars said. "A lot of working professionals, people who might have backgrounds in architecture, business or other fields, may find they are topped out in their careers because they don't have the full range of both business and construction engineering training."

The program was made possible by an endowment provided by Robert C. Wilson, an OSU alumnus and retired leader in the Oregon construction industry. The endowment recognized the need for a cross-disciplinary program such as this which tapped into a wide range of training in engineering, finance, risk management, construction management and other fields.

"We're also excited about the prospect of bringing together working professionals with younger, traditional students in the same classroom," Sillars said. "This is going to create some very compelling learning experiences and strong interaction between students, which we feel should create some real leaders for the future and growth of the Oregon construction industry.

"The graduates of this program should be able to look at the big picture, the management of larger enterprises," Sillars said. "They should move naturally into positions of upper management."

OSU officials say there are indications that many companies may sponsor and support some of their employees in obtaining this degree, while continuing their jobs. Capstone research projects that are a part of obtaining the degree can be tailored to specific problems or needs in the company for which the graduate student works.

Surveys done about this type of degree showed a strong need for it, officials say. There are no other similar programs in Oregon or Washington, and only a handful in the entire nation.

The construction industry is a significant component of the state economy, responsible for the design, construction and renovation of homes, multi-family housing, public works, and manufacturing and retail business.

An advisory board, composed of representatives from both construction and business, will be formed to help guide development of the program. Opportunities to create a partner program in the Portland metropolitan area will also be explored. More information can be obtained on the web at http://ccee.oregonstate.edu/cem.