Double Major

If accreditation is value, then the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT) has recently become invaluable, as it celebrates ABET accreditation for its civil, electrical and mechanical engineering programs. The ABET accreditation is a remarkable milestone for the University’s engineering Bachelor of Science programs instituted in 2011 that prepare students for challenging and rewarding opportunities in a variety of industries or government agencies locally, regionally and nationally.

“Engineering drives innovation, which in turn drives the economy,” said Mohammad Davoud, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology. “Georgia Southern is trying to address the needs and support the economic development of South Georgia and beyond.”

According to Davoud, earning a degree from an ABET-accredited program verifies that the quality of the educational experience meets the international standards of the profession.

“We have great engineering programs—small classes taught by faculty who hold doctoral degrees in their field and have substantial industrial experience,” Davoud said. “Georgia Southern has invested in establishing excellent teaching and research labs, and each course includes plenty of laboratory experience. Our students are very successful in going to graduate schools and landing very good jobs.”

CEIT has double reason to celebrate the strides it has made since its formation in 2012. In August, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia authorized the University to offer the first undergraduate manufacturing engineering degree program in the state of Georgia, and the only one in the Southeast.

During much of the 80s and 90s, thousands of American jobs were lost when U.S. companies moved production to China and other low-wage countries; however, companies are beginning to return production to the U.S., especially to Georgia and the Southeast. Most industries need manufacturing engineers who focus on “designing facilities, equipment, processes and methods necessary for the efficient, economical and safe production of a product.”

Davoud acknowledged there is a shortage of manufacturing engineers and noted the current educational infrastructure is inadequate to meet the demands and challenges of 21st-century manufacturing. The new Manufacturing Engineering program will address those issues, and will enable Georgia Southern to prepare practice-ready engineers to meet the growing demand for highly skilled professionals and industrialists.

The University’s Manufacturing Engineering is a good choice for students who have strong mathematics and science backgrounds and a deep interest in building things. “Our graduates, while theoretically inclined, will be applied problem solvers,” Davoud said. “They will have knowledge of design, materials, processing, facility layout, safety, quality and automation. The curriculum will be practice-oriented, laboratory intensive and application-based.”

CEIT also plans to establish a state-of-the-art Southeastern Applied Materials, Manufacturing, and Engineering Research Center to enhance both the academic and scholastic experiences associated with the program, as well as to promote outreach and support to regional manufacturers.

In addition to basic engineering and manufacturing courses, the core curriculum includes five technical tracks for elective courses: SAP Certificate track, Lean and Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate track, Materials Processing track, Occupational Health and Safety track, and Automation track.

Graduates will leave Georgia Southern with a solid foundation for careers in product and process design, industrial automation, sales, safety and quality management and be ready to work in a team environment with other engineers and technicians. The Manufacturing Engineering program will accept its first students in fall 2015.   – Sandra Bennett