The need for a Master of Science program in automotive technology management as perceived by automotive professionals

The opinions of automotive professionals regarding the importance of 24 content areas or topics relevant to automotive education beyond a four-year degree and the need for an automotive technology management master's degree were investigated.; Sixteen similar four-year automotive programs were located and identified. No current master's degree level programs in automotive technology and or management were located within the United States. Literature regarding professional master's degrees was reviewed. A survey instrument was developed for collecting data. Evidence of validity was demonstrated for the survey. A Cronbach's Alpha of .833 indicated an acceptable level of internal consistency and reliability. Two distinct groups of automotive professionals were surveyed: faculty members currently teaching in a four-year degree program, and graduates of the automotive four-year program at Indiana State University. A total of 81 participants (55 graduates and 26 faculty) were contacted via telephone with 54 total respondents (29 graduates and 25 faculty).; The 24 content areas or topics were rank ordered according to the means. A multivariate analysis of variance and independent samples t-tests were conducted to evaluate differences between the groups. Frequency distribution indicated 77% of the respondents at least somewhat agreed that automotive education beyond a bachelor's degree could lead to higher starting pay, and/or allow for advancement to higher paying management positions.; The overall analysis appears to indicate automotive professionals perceived there is a need for such education. The information gathered in this study should provide direction for the type of courses and their content that should comprise a new master's degree program in automotive technology management, thus meeting the needs of industry and providing a path for further education for graduates of four-year automotive programs.