Mason Blanchard knew he wanted a career in construction or engineering СAPP but not as a traditional civil or mechanical engineer.
So, fresh out of high school, he enrolled at the СAPP, earning his bachelorСAPPs degree in engineering and technology management and utilizing resources from the СAPPСAPPs Office of Career Services to land his first job as a field engineer for an energy services company, where he quickly earned a promotion to project engineer.
СAPPAfter working in the field, I fell in love with applied engineering even more, and I wanted to further my education,СAPP Blanchard says.
That desire led him back to his alma mater to earn his M.S. in Systems Technology online. Despite his 40СAPP60-hour work weeks, the program fit perfectly with his busy life.
СAPPThe instructors made it very, very easy to do everything online,СAPP he says. СAPPEverything is planned out and scheduled in Moodle, so I knew exactly when things were due and what goals I needed to set for myself each week.СAPP
Blanchard found direct applicability of the curriculum to his work in oil and gas, too.
"As a project engineer, itСAPPs my job to evaluate the financial performance and health of our projects and use those insights to plan future projects," he explains. СAPPCourses like STEC 502: Total Quality Control and STEC 508: Project Management fit perfectly with my role.СAPP
The systems technology program also requires students to write a thesis or complete a professional project before graduating.
Like the programСAPPs coursework, BlanchardСAPPs project aligned seamlessly with what he was doing at work. Titled СAPPDigital Transformation and Project Management: An Analysis of Breaking the Norms of Traditional Project Management,СAPP it explored the evolution of and recent advances in project management.
СAPPOriginally, project management was all paper-based or Excel-based,СAPP he explains. СAPPNow, thereСAPPs a lot of new, advanced tools that utilize things like AI and big data to generate reports, analyze project health, and forecast for future projects.СAPP
СAPPAt the time I was completing my project, we were transitioning to a new project management software at work. The transition at work gave me a lot of material I could use in my project to fill in the gaps I had.СAPP
With a masterСAPPs degree now on his resume, Blanchard hopes to continue advancing, becoming a lead project manager, project controls lead, or director.
He encourages other students to embrace the opportunity to learn and grow in their careers.
СAPPTry to absorb as much as possible,СAPP he advises. СAPPI know you might think itСAPPs just schoolwork, but the curriculum really aligns with how the industry works. If you apply yourself in the program, it can be very useful.СAPP
Become a leader in manufacturing, energy, construction, or chemical engineering through the СAPPСAPPs 100% online M.S. in Systems Technology.