MSEL 5396 — Engineering Leadership Project

MSEL 5396 Engineering Leadership Project is the culminating capstone project for the Master of Science in Engineering Leadership program. This one‑on‑one, fully online course provides an opportunity for students to independently design and execute a leadership‑focused project tied to a real‑world work context or a realistic simulated professional role. Under instructor supervision, each student will identify a unique leadership challenge or research question in an engineering or technical environment and carry out a project to address it. Projects may take various forms – for example, an experimental study, a modeling or simulation‑based analysis, a human‑subjects research project, or an organizational leadership initiative – but all will require applying engineering leadership principles in a practical way.

All course activities are conducted through Canvas and remote communication. Students will propose 3–5 potential project topics and submit a recorded presentation early in the semester to outline their ideas. After a review and discussion with the instructor (via Zoom), one topic will be selected and developed into a formal project plan. The chosen project is then executed over the semester with bi‑weekly progress updates (written reports and/or short presentations submitted via Canvas) to track development. The course emphasizes professional communication and strict adherence to writing and formatting guidelines: students must prepare a final leadership project report in a format similar to National Science Foundation (NSF) research reports/proposals, as provided in the course resources. By the end of the term, students will produce a polished project report and a final recorded presentation that communicates their project results and leadership learnings. This capstone is graded on a Pass/Fail basis, with successful completion requiring timely submission of all milestones and high‑quality deliverables that demonstrate mastery of engineering leadership skills.

• Propose and plan an engineering leadership project that addresses a complex problem or opportunity in a real or simulated organizational context, clearly defining project objectives, scope, and methodology.
• Apply research methods and leadership principles to execute the project, including data collection, analysis, and project management techniques appropriate to the chosen topic.
• Integrate knowledge from engineering, management, and leadership literature by conducting a relevant literature review and incorporating best practices and theoretical frameworks into the project design and execution.
• Demonstrate professional communication skills through the creation of well‑organized project proposals, comprehensive written reports (following NSF‑style formatting guidelines), and effective oral presentations (recorded for remote delivery).
• Evaluate project outcomes and leadership effectiveness by analyzing data or results, assessing the impact of leadership interventions or decisions, and reflecting on lessons learned to provide recommendations for future improvement.
• Observe ethical and professional standards throughout the project, including responsible conduct of research (e.g., obtaining IRB approval for human‑subject studies if applicable) and integrity in data reporting and collaboration.

Enrollment is restricted to MSEL students in their final semester of the program. It is recommended that students have completed the core MSEL coursework (27 credit hours) or obtain department approval before enrolling in MSEL 5396. Instructor permission is required.

No required textbook. Students are expected to perform an independent literature review relevant to their chosen project. The instructor will provide guidance and recommend resources as needed (research articles, case studies, leadership frameworks, methodology references) via Canvas. All necessary materials for research methodology and report format (including an NSF‑style report template and example) will be available through Canvas. Use the UT Tyler library and online databases for scholarly and professional literature related to your topic.

All submissions via Canvas by 11:59 PM on the due date (tentative schedule).

This course is graded on a Credit/No‑Credit (Pass/Fail) basis. To earn a Pass, you must satisfactorily complete all required deliverables and meet expectations for quality and timeliness. There are no traditional exams or letter grades; evaluation is based on cumulative performance on milestones and final outputs.

Total: 1,000 points (100%). A minimum of 70% (700 points) is generally required to receive Credit. Completion of all major deliverables (proposal, updates, final report, final presentation, quiz) is mandatory.

Professionals are not late. If you will miss a deadline, contact the instructor before the due date to discuss.

Unapproved late submissions may receive a zero. Technology issues are not an excuse—submit early.