Automation is no longer the future. Automation is the now.
Pending final accreditation approval, St. Ambrose will offer a Master of Science in Mechatronics Engineering (MSME) degree beginning in Fall 2022. It is a degree that will address immediate industry needs and prepare program graduates for the ongoing, cutting-edge work in robotics, automotive, aerospace, smart technology, and manufacturing.
"This is an answer to a workplace need," said Mohamed El-Zein, PhD, '01 MBA, professor and chair of the . "Other local universities are only offering small pieces of mechatronics as an undergrad degree. No one is offering a comprehensive master's like this. Academia needs to meet this change in data science and machine learning."
The MSME is just the start of an innovative and responsive approach to programming that St. Ambrose President Amy Novak, EdD, hopes will put the University on the leading edge in providing graduates who are ready for the next generation of work.
"We live in a fast-changing digital age when new and innovative modes of teaching are required by today's agile learners, both young and old. We are committed to change, innovation, and learning throughout our lifetimes," Novak said.
Following the ABET-accredited and programs that SAU is known for, the MSME will offer a rare interdisciplinary combination in the areas of mechanical and industrial engineering, computer science, machine learning, math, and data science – an offering that is not otherwise available within a three-hour radius of the Quad Cities.
In the midst of what has been called the fourth industrial revolution, mechatronics engineering has become a vital program. Ambrose MSME graduates will be exceptionally equipped with advanced ethics, design, machine learning, dynamics, modeling, and simulation coursework.
"Graduates with this degree will be in high demand. I am positive of that," El-Zein said.