This fall ODU will be offering its first Doctorate in Engineering program. The program is geared towards practicing engineers who want to increase their knowledge and become leaders and managers in their field.

The Doctorate in Engineering (D. Eng) was approved for ODU on March 11 by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia during a meeting at Longwood University. The four areas in engineering that will be offered are aerospace engineering, civil and environmental engineering, engineering management and systems engineering, and mechanical engineering.

“This program is for already working professionals,” said Scott Lowe, ODU University Relations specialist. “This is meant to augment an engineer’s career.”

The Doctorate in Engineering will require 48 credits beyond a graduate level. To enter the program a student must have a minimum of two years engineering experience within the past five years. Prospective students must also have a master's degree in an appropriate field with a minimum 3.5 G.P.A.

ODU already has a Doctor of Philosophy In Engineering (Ph.D.) degree which grants approximately 25 graduates per year. Dr. Oktay Baysal, Engineering Dean, says that an engineering Ph. D., which he has, is designed "for educators and researchers. The doctorate is for practitioners." Despite this, "70% of those with engineering Ph. D.'s are employed outside of academics and working in the industry." According to Baysal the number of engineering Ph. D.'s has been increasing to 8,000 per year. Universities are recognizing the need for a doctorate in practice-oriented engineering. University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are also trying to approve similar programs.

Baysal emphasizes that the Doctorate in Engineering is an "alternative path" to the Ph. D. The doctorate will give engineers "management and leadership skills to move up." Focus areas of the program would be project management, ethics, leadership and financial engineering.

The engineering doctorate is designed to be hands on. The American Competiveness Initiative grants billions of dollars yearly to research, development and education in technology. This funding allows for ODU's new doctorate to be "industry initiated," according to Baysal. The collaboration between schools and industry gives students experience in the field.

Andrea Lother received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree from ODU in 1989. Lother, who in 1989 gave up bartending for a succesful engineering career, finds age to be a motive for achieving an advanced degree in engineering. "In today's economy you never know when you might be back to square one, all the more reason to keep up with things the older you get," said Lother. She also called the new ODU degree "a great incentive for engineers to continue the learning process."

ODU, already renowned for its engineering program, will be one step ahead of the education competition this fall. The next closest place for such a degree would be in Michigan, Texas or Missouri. According to Baysal, the engineering doctorate "makes us unique for the mid-Atlantic."