25 Oakland County Engineers Can Get LTU Program Free
Tuition for a graduate certificate in defense manufacturing will be paid for up to 25 engineers living in Oakland County through a federal grant resulting from a partnership between Lawrence Technological University and Oakland County.
Successful applicants who meet the funding criteria will have their tuition costs covered through a federal appropriation granted jointly to Lawrence Tech and Oakland County. Classes in this certificate program begin the week of Sept. 13 for the fall semester.
"This is a boost to Oakland County and our Emerging Sectors and Automation Alley initiatives," said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. "Defense manufacturing engineering is among the fields where our Oakland County Economic Development Department sees long-term growth of high-paying jobs."
According to Maj. Gen. Scott West, commander of the U.S. Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command in Warren, the Army expects to boost employment in the Detroit metropolitan area from 6,500 currently to 9,800 by 2015. Most of the new jobs will be filled by civilians with advanced degrees.
Lawrence Tech launched the defense manufacturing engineering certificate program in January 2010 in partnership with General Dynamics, Raytheon, TARDEC, TACOM, and Automation Alley. The university has created more than 40 fast-track certificate programs as part of its "Recovery Starts Here" initiative to help displaced workers move to new careers in growing sectors of the economy.
Designed for displaced automotive engineers, the graduate certificate program in defense manufacturing engineering focuses on the specific skills needed to succeed in the defense industry.
Subject matter includes:
* Development of contracts for the Department of Defense from a defense contractor's perspective.
* Federal procurement, acquisition, and contract laws and regulations.
* Ethics.
* Manufacturing regulations and logistics.
* Defense engineering systems modeling and simulation.
* Productivity measurement.
* Criteria for manufacturing systems selection.
* Global manufacturing.
* Strategic planning.
* Defense project management principles and practices.
The 15-credit-hour graduate certificate program consists of five three-credit engineering/manufacturing courses that concentrate on military and defense acumen. Defense industry experts serve as guest instructors throughout the program, and defense contractors will visit campus to conduct job interviews.
The program can be completed in two semesters, and the certificate's credits are transferable to Lawrence Tech's Master of Science in Manufacturing Engineering degree program, which can be earned with an additional 15 credits.
Applicants for the Graduate Certificate in Defense Manufacturing Engineering program must have:
* A bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, computer, or industrial engineering, or a related program, from an accredited university.
* Official transcripts of all college work completed.
* A resume that includes work experience.
* A completed graduate application form.
For more information, contact Lisa Kujawa at (248) 204-2400 or lkujawa@ltu.edu. For specific questions about the Graduate Certificate in Defense Manufacturing Engineering, call (248) 204-2582 or email mechair@ltu.edu.
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