Program Coordinators:
Lisa Riedle
Joanne Wilson

The Master of Engineering degree is a general degree in engineering that requires advanced course work but no thesis.  In response to industry needs, the engineering program has two unique features: (1) it is industry-specific, and (2) it is web-based. The courses have been developed to satisfy the needs and requirements of specific industries (e.g., controls, machine design). Because it is a web-based program, which does not require any on-campus attendance, the degree is accessible to engineers working in industries within the state, the region, and worldwide. 

In addition to specialized industry-specific courses, the engineering program provides education for professional development in the areas of mathematics, technical communications, computer applications, economics and management, and regulatory compliance. (View program requirements.)
 

Program Coordinators Profile

Lisa Riedle is the Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Lisa received her Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, her Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama, and her Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Mining and Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama.

Since 1992, she has taught engineering courses at UW-Platteville, including Introduction to Construction, Introduction to Engineering (the freshman experience), and Capstone Design. 

Lisa also has five years' consulting experience in groundwater and soil remediation, and solid waste landfill construction. Lisa is an OSHA-authorized construction industry outreach trainer. 
 

JoanneWilson, a professor of general engineering, primarily teaches mechanics courses to undergraduate engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Joanne joined the faculty in 1986 and has served in various positions within the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, including assistant dean and chair of general engineering. 

Currently, Joanne is teaching a section of PM 701, Project Management Techniques I, for the project management online program.  Her interest in project management began when she was asked to serve on the committee charged with developing the project management program at UW-Platteville. 

Joanne received her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mechanics from the University of California at San Diego, and her master's and doctorate degrees in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Joanne is a recipient of the WP& L Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award and the UW-Platteville College of Engineering Exemplary Teaching Award. 
 

Master of Engineering Degree Approved by Regents

The Master of Engineering Degree was approved at the Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, March 9.  The university will officially begin accepting applications for this program immediately, with the first students to begin courses in the Fall 2000 semester.

Chancellor David J. Markee said the new degree, to be offered via the World Wide Web, will provide working engineers an advanced technical education without disrupting their careers.

"As we considered development of this program, we surveyed nearly 482 companies throughout the upper Midwest, and almost a third of them indicated that they have employees who are interested in enrolling in the online Master of Engineering program at UW-Platteville," said Markee. "Many of these companies are located in areas without access to a traditional graduate program in engineering. Even personnel at many of the companies that are geographically close to an engineering school felt that traditional classes didn't fit in with their busy schedules."

UW-Platteville's Master of Engineering program will require 30 credits of advanced course work. In addition to courses in mathematics, computer science, technical communication, and project management, students will be required to take classes within a technical emphasis area. Initial emphasis areas include engineering design, controls and instrumentation, regulatory compliance, and engineering management.

Lisa Riedle, Assistant Dean of UW-Platteville's College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science, said the Master of Engineering at UW-Platteville will be one of only nine such online programs in the country. The University of Minnesota has the only other such program in the upper Midwest.

Riedle also noted that the UW-Platteville Master of Engineering will be different from the advanced engineering degrees offered at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and Marquette University. "We're reaching out to an entirely different population of students, and the UW-Platteville program will be tailored for employees in specific industries that require a cross-disciplinary advanced education."

To achieve this, Riedle said, each student entering the program will be assigned an academic advisor from among the UW-Platteville engineering faculty. "The advisor and the student can then tailor the student's program to meet his or her future career goals. They may do this online, through phone conversations, in face-to-face meetings, whichever the student prefers."

Dawn Drake, Executive Director of the Distance Learning Center at UW-Platteville, said the Master of Engineering Program joins UW-Platteville's existing online graduate degree programs in Criminal Justice and Project Management, and the undergraduate degree in Business Administration.

"This new program helps UW-Platteville to fulfill its mission to provide graduate programs that build off the strength of our existing undergraduate programs," said Drake. "In our competitive world today, we know how important it is for companies to be able to hire and retain a highly trained workforce. It is equally important for those companies to have ongoing training and education available for their workers, to allow them to remain competitive and up-to-date in their skills and abilities."