Master of engineering management: a reference curriculum development

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of Engineering Management (EM), understanding core requirements for the curriculum design is critical for the growth of this discipline. However, Australia still lacks agreement among universities on Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program curricula with no professional quality standards.
Aim: This study aims to provide an insight into MEM curriculum development in Australia through benchmarking with the standards from a global professional society - the American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM). Methodology: Firstly, from preliminary research of MEM programs, a database of course structure is developed. Then, word cloud and text analytic techniques are used to provide an insight into the current curricula. Benchmarking is made by comparing these current practices with ASEM curriculum requirements and EM domains. Finally, an in-depth case analysis serves as a self-assessment example. Findings: The results show the maturity in Australian MEM program quality. Curricula meet the rigorous standards of ASEM and align with the EMBoK guide. However, this benchmarking exercise also helps to diagnose the problems, such as EM domain balance, integrating emerging trends into curricula, and the scatter in the course structure. The case study provides an in-depth analysis of using this reference of curriculum development to seek for excellence in program quality. Originality: This study is the first one to suggest a benchmarking method for MEM programs in Australia with global professional standards. It raises the question of a professional body for this discipline, and also provides a seed study for similar benchmarking exercises for other programs.