The Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) is kick-starting the new school year with the introduction of its Professional Science Master's Degree in Engineering Management (PSMEM). In a recent virtual conference – together with academic and industry partners USAID-STRIDE (US Agency for International Development-Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development), P.IMES Corporation, Applied Machining Corporation (AMC), and Western Digital Storage Technologies (WDST) Philippines Corporation – officially launched PSMEM, its third graduate degree offering in six years.
"One of USAID's core principles is 'locally led development,' and PSMEM is the epitome of that. It's the first-ever, home-grown, self-initiated PSM in the Philippines," said USAID Office of Education Director Dr. Thomas LeBlanc.
STRIDE Chief of Party Dr. Richard Abendan also commended T.I.P. for initiating, developing, and launching a PSMEM degree program on its own.
"With its strong track record and visionary leadership, T.I.P. is now demonstrating that it can lead its own development efforts with minimal support from STRIDE. This is an outcome that we would always love to see – academic institutions building their own mechanisms towards innovating curriculum and producing industry-ready graduates," he said.
For T.I.P. Senior Vice President Angelo Lahoz, the new PSM came about "because of our partners' clamor for a practice-based program that they can leverage for career advancement."
PSMEM is the latest addition to TIP's growing list of PSM degree programs. It offers a solid career opportunity for both new and experienced engineering professionals who want to develop and sharpen their business-handling skills. The program – benchmarked with similar offerings from higher education institutions here and abroad – aims to equip enrollees with both technical and managerial expertise, designed to play a key role in preparing the next generation of leaders in the engineering sector.
In the new normal where multi-tasking, risk management, and planning have become increasingly important to ensure continuous business operations, AMC President John Lee said offering PSMEM is "timely and critical."
WDST Development Engineering Manager Aileen Jara, a chemical engineer by profession, likewise affirmed that "PSMEM is what Filipino engineers need, since undergraduate programs are technical and are void of management courses."
"Innovation at work is what differentiates an engineer from others. An engineering manager must develop communication skills to allow him to connect deep technical content to a variety of audiences – from quality assurance, to finance, to legal, and procurement," she added.
Application and enrollment for T.I.P.'s PSM programs (Engineering Management, Construction Management, and Data Science) is now open. Classes will be held online via T.I.P.'s official learning platform, Canvas.