About the School of Technology

View of Michigan Tech campus with the Keweenaw Waterway in the foreground

The Electrical Energy Resources Center, main building for the School of Technology

Academic programs in the School of Technology are designed to prepare technical and/or management oriented professionals for employment in business, industry, education, and government.

These programs, which usually include a significant hands-on laboratory component, prepare students for practical design and production work rather than for jobs that require more theoretical and scientific knowledge.

The hallmark of an education in the School of Technology is the practical application of technical knowledge—a hands-on education that prepares students to address and solve the problems of our global society.

Technology is defined as the process by which human beings fashion tools and machines to increase their understanding and control of the material environment. The mathematical and science foundations of technology programs prepare graduates to apply a systematic technique, method or approach to solve problems while working on the front lines of the technological revolution.

Technology program graduates are involved with the design, installation, management, operation, and maintenance of complex technological systems.

As a result of their broad education, skills in working with people, and technical problem solving abilities, technology program graduates are often the very valuable go-to person in many organizations. The industries employing technology program graduates are extremely diverse, ranging from construction to health care, from small family owned businesses to international corporations.

Employers regard technology program graduates as having skills between those of a technician and an engineer. Graduates of four-year technology programs often get jobs similar to those obtained by graduates with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Those who advance the fastest and are most successful are those who have acquired the proper academic training to meet the increasing complexity of industry.

Facilities

The School of Technology maintains dedicated undergraduate classroom, computing, and laboratory facilities in the spacious Electrical Energy Resources Center. In addition, collaborative agreements with other campus units ensure student access to specialized laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment.

History

The origins of the School of Technology can be traced back to 1966 when Michigan Tech became involved in offering Manpower Development Training programs in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Education. The Department of Applied Technology was created in August 1969 and has since then grown to become the School of Technology.