Degree Options

TYPE OF DEGREE OPTIONS

Thesis Option

Student conducts a research under the guidance of a thesis committee. Expected outcomes from the thesis research includes, but not limited to, establishment of facts, development of new theories, and reaching new conclusions, which are publishable in prestigious conferences or scholarly journals. Total 6 credit hours of EMGT 6991 must be successfully completed.

Project Option

Students carry out a capstone project under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Students are expected to apply their skill sets learned from the Engineering Management courses to provide good solution(s), if not optimal, for the project problem. EMGT 6985 must be successfully completed. (Students who enter the program in Summer 2018 or later must take EMGT 5201, 5202, and 5203, to be able to register for EMGT 6985.) There are two paths to complete the project option: 1) perform an individual project with a specific faculty advisor similar to the thesis option, or 2) perform a class project provided by the instructor of EMGT 6985. (See below for detailed procedures of respective paths.)

PROCEDURE OF DEGREE OPTIONS

Thesis Option

  1. Find a thesis advisor who can serve as your thesis committee chair.
  2. Be advised by the thesis advisor to form a thesis committee. Submit the Appointment of Master’s Thesis Committee form to Graduate School.
  3. Conduct the thesis research while registering for EMGT 6991 as per the guidance of the advisor (request permits to the advisor). Submit the Proposal Defense Report for Dissertation/Master’s Thesis form to Graduate School. Observe the submission deadline published in the academic calendar. (The Appointment of Master’s Thesis Committee form must be submitted before submission of this form.)
  4. Schedule a final defense for the thesis and inform the schedule to the Graduate Program Director (deadline is available in the academic calendar). Provide a complete draft of your thesis to the committee members at least two weeks prior to the scheduled defense date. The defense will be open to the public. When the defense was successful, submit the Final Defense Report form to Graduate School.
  5. Submit a finalized thesis that accommodates any comments provided by the committee members. Submit the Dissertation/Thesis Submission & ETD form to Center for Graduate Life.

Project Option

Individual Capstone Project

Capstone Project Part I Process

  1. Eligibility: Students must have no more than 10 credit hours remaining to complete their MSEM curriculum by the end of the Spring semester.
  2. Project Proposal Development (Now – 03/01)
    a. Students develop their capstone project proposal. The scope of the project and solution approaches must be based on the course materials that students acquired from one or more EMGT courses.
    b. Students draft a problem description. (200 – 400 words)
    c. Students draft solution approaches. (100 – 300 words)
    d. (Optional) Students may reach out to faculty members to discuss potential project proposals during this period.
  3. Project Proposal Submission through Google Form (Due by 03/01)
    a. #800 Number
    b. Last Name, First Name
    c. Number of Credit Hours Completed by 2025 Fall
    d. Number of Credit Hours Registered in 2025 Spring
    e. Project Title
    f. Project Problem Description (200 – 400 words)
    g. Description of Solution Approaches (100 – 300 words)
    h. List 1-3 Courses Relevant to Solution Approaches along with Instructor name(s) and Grade(s) – At least one course must be different from EMGT 520X.
    i. (Optional) Up to three Preferred Mentor Names from the Instructors in (h)
    j. (Optional) Faculty Consent Verification (check if the faculty member agreed to mentor the project.)
  4. Notification of Mentor-Student Assignment (03/11) by Graduate Program Director
  5. Capstone Project Part I
    a. Period: 03/17 – 04/30
    b. Progress Report Submission to Mentor, Graduate Program Director, and Academic Advisor by 04/30
  6. Assessment of Part I
    a. Faculty mentors notify student assessment (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory) to the graduate program director (hong@charlotte.edu) and the academic advisor (agozelka@charlotte.edu).
    b. The academic advisor issues a permit for EMGT 6985 if the assessment is ‘Satisfactory’.
    c. If the assessment of Part I is ‘Unsatisfactory’ or the student has more than 10 credit hours remaining, the student cannot register for EMGT 6985 in 2025 Fall, and must repeat Part I in Fall.

The link to the Google form to submit the current project proposals (due by 03/01/2025) can be found here:  https://forms.gle/MwWThpGUxsd3WKfk9