Courses offered for students in the School of Engineering Practice & Technology in Master of Engineering and Public Policy. Course listings can be found at the McMaster Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

This course will explore leadership in an innovation context with the objective of providing a conceptual understanding of role model leadership, and an approach used to assist the development of personal leadership capacity. The student will develop an understanding of personal, interpersonal, and group skills. Personal leadership development, leadership in teams, and leadership from an organizational and societal perspective will be a focus. Leadership in driving innovation will be emphasized.

This course explores urban renewal with respect to concepts of the natural and built environment. Students are expected to apply various tools and evaluate the methods that promote best practices, in the context of theory and case studies.

Government structure and mandates for municipal, provincial and federal levels; procedures for legislation and policy setting; process of understanding societal values and preferences; establishment of policy goals and objectives; models and frameworks for the evaluation and analysis of public policy; application of frameworks and models to engineering and public policy problems.

Application of linear programming, integer programming and dynamic programming to public policy applications; application of simulation modeling to evaluate scenarios; application of decision analysis approaches and software for micro- and macro-policy analysis problems; coupling of GIS-based approaches with conventional systems engineering tools; project planning and project management; soft systems techniques.

Marginal benefit/cost analysis; willingness to pay and indifference curves; ecological economics; allocation of environmental services; estimation of externalities; measurement of environmental benefits; taxes, trading permits and other instruments; application of approaches to infrastructure renewal and environmental management problems.

Green engineering theory and guiding principles; sustainability at the regional and international levels; transportation and land-use interactions; new urbanism design; transit-oriented development; bicycle-friendly planning and design; building design to minimize energy, water and material resources; green building; green manufacturing and product design; sustainability indicators.

Energy policy; energy planning and forecasting; energy conservation and demand side management; case studies in current topics: utility privatization, nuclear energy generation, air quality issues; renewable energy technologies.

International trade and regulation; social issues relating to communication policy; research policy and funding; industrial/economic policy; relevant legislation; innovations in communication technology.

Studies selected from specialized areas of research or representing special areas of expertise in areas of sustainability with regard to water resource management, transportation, energy, and related fields.

Environmental threats that emerge from engineering innovation will be examined from the perspective of public policy development. Institutional effectiveness and policy implications for new programs will address greater interoperability of the institutional framework in various geographic regions. The objective of this course is to engage students in seminars, discussion and debate on contemporary societal issues for which technology and policy can be integrated to generate sustainable solutions.

In a world undergoing rapid environmental changes due to global warming, achieving sustainability is ever more difficult. International governance mechanisms, including the United Nations, NGOs and international treaties, play an increasingly important role. This course examines how policymaking at the international level relates to achieving sustainability, including affordable and sustainable technology and science-based solutions. It will introduce the students to the current debates in the international environmental governance realm, as well as the methods and structures that guide policy formulation

Water has been touted as ‘blue gold’, the ‘new oil’ and a potential catalyst for war in the 21st century. This seminar on international water policy addresses water law and policy at multiple scales from the community level to global governance regimes. This course will engage theories of property rights, policy change, and multi-level governance to examine different water policies and evaluate their design and performance in relation to major themes and debates associated with the global water crisis. The course will equip students with an interdisciplinary understanding of contemporary water problems, policies, and institutions, drawing from multiple approaches to institutional and policy analysis.

This course introduces sustainability within a unified framework of Total Sustainability Management that will teach the student how to deeply embed sustainability into the enterprise through the use of Design principles, Bill-of-Rights of the Planet and through public policy. This approach will apply to not only a company product but also to its business strategy and business model. Furthermore, the course will teach the student a problem-solving approach that combines innovation, design and policy to emphasize the synergetic interplay between them. The student will learn how to think of sustainability as a “Way of Thinking.” The course will make liberal use of appropriate case studies, and call on several internal and external speakers who are recognized subject-matter experts.

This seminar series is intended to enhance the student’s experiential learning by exposing the student body to innovative thinkers and practitioners in the areas of: Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Engineering Design, Engineering and Public Policy or Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation. It should be considered a networking event to bring together our students, faculty and staff in a community atmosphere centered around learning initiative.

This seminar series is intended to enhance the student’s experiential learning by exposing the student body to innovative thinkers and practitioners in the areas of: Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Engineering Design, Engineering and Public Policy or Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation. It should be considered a networking event to bring together our students, faculty and staff in a community atmosphere centered around learning initiative.

This is a studio-based course for all Engineering & Public Policy, Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Engineering Design students. Innovation Studio supports the students’ degree-required project. Students participate in public events that engage the community. Students attend weekly working sessions to work on their projects.

This course will explore leadership in an innovation context with the objective of providing a conceptual understanding of role model leadership, and an approach used to assist the development of personal leadership capacity. The student will develop an understanding of personal, interpersonal, and group skills. Personal leadership development, leadership in teams, and leadership from an organizational and societal perspective will be a focus. Leadership in driving innovation will be emphasized and practiced by application during the School of Engineering Practice’s Innovation Studio.

Government policy has an inescapable effect on the affairs of business. Government action or inaction can affect individual companies; it can impact specific industries; it can alter the entire economy. In this course, we will explore some of the ways that government policies affect both the day-to-day and long term trajectory of business. We will consider the regulatory environment; we will look at the origins of certain policies and we will consider emerging trends. Students will gain an increased understanding of the mutual dependence of government and business. They will better understand the processes, priorities and pre-occupations of policy makers. They will learn how they can join the discussion and influence the process. From that, they will be better equipped to engage with government and other stakeholders.