Executive Leader Option

The executive leader option is an intensive program for packaging science professionals with at least five years of work experience beyond the baccalaureate degree. The program concentrates on the application of packaging technology in the supply chain.

The executive leader option consists of one two-week summer session, online courses and a research project. Admission to the executive leader option requires endorsements from senior management/administrative personnel.

The structure of the program provides individuals with an opportunity to obtain an MS degree while seamlessly meeting the needs of work and family. Graduate credit may be granted for life and professional experiences and is determined by an assessment of an executive leader portfolio. Candidates are encouraged to align the program’s research project goals with current job responsibilities.

The packaging science program at RIT is meeting the dynamic professional development needs of our colleagues by providing a quality program through two new delivery formats. The new blended delivery format provides an option to take courses on campus and online; the professional development model for global corporations provides an opportunity for international cohorts to attend courses for extended summer sessions at the RIT campus.

The coursework for either program can be completed within 14 months. The program is designed to enhance the career development of individuals who have at least five years of experience related to the packaging industry.

The colleagues
The program for working professionals in packaging science provides colleagues with diverse educational backgrounds and a variety of professional career experiences to complement and enrich the current portfolio of skills. For packaging professionals already working in the field, the Executive Leader program may enhance career development and provide opportunity for concentrated study in an area of special interest.

The resources
The packaging science program at RIT has one of the most extensive university packaging facilities in the United States. Facilities have state-of-the-art labs including the packaging dynamics laboratory, Center for Integrated Plastics and Packaging, and computer applications lab. The program also has a fully equipped packaging materials lab and a container development and testing lab with a temperature and humidity controlled walk-in environmental chamber, permeability testing and RFID testing.

Graduate courses
Graduate courses are built around the skills and theory necessary to stay current in the dynamic packaging field. Course content will include:

• Methods and requirements for completing a research project and crafting a qualified research document.
• Design and development of packaging systems and the regulations and economics affecting them.
• Cutting edge computer applications related to design, testing, documentation and delivery of packaging systems and supply chain management.
• The study of the supply chain environment, including the instrumentation systems used to evaluate the dynamics of distribution environment, and its influence on packaging design and development.
• The professional leadership functions necessary for organizational excellence and strategies of continuous learning organizations and opportunity management.
  

     

• 0607-701, Research Methods*
      0607-721 Packaging Administration
      0607-730 Packaging and the Environment*
      0607-731 Advanced Packaging Economics*
      0607-742 Distribution Systems*
      0607-750 Graduate Seminar*
      0607-752 The Legal Environment*
      0607-763 Packaging for End-Use*
      0607-770 Advanced Computer Applications
      0607-783 Packaging Dynamics*
      0607-799 Advanced Packaging Design*

 

• * online courses
   

Curriculum
The Executive Leader program in packaging science requires 48 hours of graduate credits. The basic curriculum is comprised of eight 4-credit courses, a maximum of 12 portfolio credits based on professional experience, and a 4-credit successfully defended project.
 

2009 Academic Year
July 13, 2009 – August 7, 2009.
 

Faculty
Changfeng Ge, Ph.D.,University of Dortmund (GER), MS,BS Tongji University (China)
Daniel L. Goodwin, Ph.D., MS, BS Michigan State University
Karen L. Proctor, MBA Rochester Institute of Technology, BS Michigan State University
James Myers, Ph.D., Michigan State University, MS, BS Rochester Institute of Technology
Thomas Voss, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, MS, BS Michigan State University
Deanna M. Jacobs, MA SUNY Geneseo, MS, BS Rochester Institute of Technology

Instructors
Craig Densmore, MS Rochester Institute of Technology
Thomas Kausch, MS Rochester Institute of Technology
Duane Beck, , Ph.D., LaSalle University, MS, Rochester Institute of Technology, BS, Empire State College

Admission Criteria

• A four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0. (A GPA lower than a 3.0 will be considered, given superior endorsements, GRE score and the length of time since the candidate’s graduation.)
• A minimum of five years of experience in or supporting the packaging industry.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550-paperbased (213 computer-based) required for students whose native language is not English
  
  

For more information on the executive leaders' program
please contact the Graduate Program Chair.
Professor Deanna M. Jacobs.
(585) 475-6801
dmjipk@rit.edu