Program Goals

Technical knowledge

The Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Integrated Water Management covers all stages of the industry value chain. You’ll explore water resources and hydrology; water treatment and distribution; design, operation and management; and waste treatment and management.

Collaborating with your peers under the direction of leading researchers and instructors from industry, you will work in world-class facilities and multidisciplinary research centres to:

understand the aquatic environment, including water supply and quality
understand the transport of water and its constituents in the natural environment
apply physical, chemical and biological unit operations and processes
understand regulatory and environmental frameworks and community relations
assess and manage risk, apply appropriate policy and manage assets
formulate, build and deploy simulation and optimization models, and structure and apply risk-informed decision-making frameworks

“I see this program as a combination of business training with advanced training in water management from both a civil engineering and chemical engineering perspective. This offers significant value to students, as it is difficult to accumulate this knowledge and expertise within a typical working environment.” – Dr. Greg Lawrence

Business foundations

Professional success requires both technical understanding and managerial and business competence. Through courses offered by UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School, you will explore business strategy and innovation, organizational leadership and issues in sustainability. These classes enable you to gain foundational business knowledge in:

evaluating project management processes and demonstrating their use
analyzing sustainability opportunities across a range of industries
presenting recommendations for organizational leadership challenges using a case study analysis approach
understanding business decision-making through the lens of key functional areas (strategy, marketing, operations and logistics, accounting and finance, human resources and organizational behaviour, and entrepreneurship)
understanding the basic principles of organizational strategy and innovation

Leadership and interpersonal skills

Effectively managing people and successfully leading teams requires a wide range of interpersonal skills. The MEL offers professional development workshops throughout the 12-month program. These extra-curricular sessions cover topics that include communication, teamwork, coaching and mentoring. Group projects and collaborative problem-solving are embedded into the MEL courses, creating ongoing opportunities for you to practise your skills as a manager and leader

“The MEL introduces students to the skills they need to get team members working together effectively and to manage large projects and systems — and it gives them lots of opportunities to practice these skills over the year.” – Dr. Ziad Shawwash

Learn more about some of the most significant challenges being faced within the industry and how this innovative leadership master’s degree can place you in a position to address some of our world’s most pressing problems.

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