NYSID Launches the First MPS in Digital Practice Management
Approved by New York State, NYSID’s post-professional Master of Professional Studies in Digital Practice Management will be the first program of its kind in the country. The College is now accepting applications for the three-semester MPSM, which begins in Fall ’25. Apply here.
The new program director of NYSID’s Master of Professional Studies in Digital Practice Management, Samuel Mikhail, is also principal and managing director of 4iD, a digital practice consulting firm that has worked with over 40 architecture, design, and construction firms. Mikhail is a NYS Licensed Architect with NCARB certification and LEED BD+C accreditation. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from The City College of New York, and an MPS in Lighting Design from the New York School of Interior Design. An Autodesk Certified Instructor, he has a decade of experience teaching software classes at NYSID. Here, he sheds light on the new degree program, the demand for the expertise, and the College’s reasons for launching the first design-focused MPS in Digital Practice Management in the nation.
MPSM Program Director Samuel Mikhail
NYSID: Why are firms in the AEC industry hiring experts in Digital Practice Management? What’s driving the demand?
Samuel Mikhail: Software has been sweeping every industry off its feet. Most principals of architecture, design, and construction firms are from a generation that was not educated or trained in software-heavy environments. Yet now, they have to decide on 10 to 20 software options for everything, from project management, to 3D rendering, to financials. The information about these software options comes to them from various salespeople and employees, often with little insight about the interoperability of systems. Firms need to have someone who knows how all the software works together. They need professionals who can respond to the immediate needs of the office and also create a vision, or rather, an implementation plan that helps a company meet its goals for 5-to-10 years down the line. Unless you have a holistic plan you are not getting optimal ROI (return on investment) from your software. That’s why there is a demand for experts in Digital Practice Management.
NYSID: How will the MPSM prepare students to lead in this practice?
SM: Digital technologies, tools, and software have changed the way the built environment is designed, documented, constructed, and operated post-construction. These technologies are driving the design and construction industry to use the most efficient techniques to coordinate between design and construction processes. The MPSM will prepare candidates to lead digital project management for design and architecture firms by strategically managing professional teams, developing and implementing best-practice workflows and software; and coordinating design, documentation, and construction planning at the highest level. This program will equip the students to become successful BIM Managers, BIM Captains, and Digital Practice Leaders in their firms. It will prepare them to evaluate and implement existing and new software, to create standards, processes, and procedures, as well as transfer knowledge to firm staff. Digital Practice Management is so new there are few industry standards. Many out there are claiming they can do it with no formal training. Graduates of this program will have clear benchmarks by which to measure the success of projects, and this will raise standards for the whole industry.
NYSID: Will you give a broad overview of the program’s curriculum?
SM: Yes. The very first class is the Foundations of Digital Practice, in which we discuss the history and impact of Digital Process Management and the 5-step methodology of BIM (Building Information Modeling). Throughout the three semesters, we’ll introduce different software systems, how they work together, and the strengths and weaknesses of different software. We’ll eventually get students to the point where they are coding their own scripts, so that they can get the software to do exactly what they want it to do. The thesis project, which happens in the final summer semester, has three parts: creating a firm’s standards, transferring the knowledge to staff, and applying the standards to a project.
NYSID: Will the thesis project be for a real company?
SM: It will be a bit like a flight simulator. For each student, there will be a firm profile, and a real set of conditions from a real company. There will be details about the number of employees, skill levels, business problems, and goals, but of course the firm will remain anonymous.
NYSID: What credentials will the instructors have?
SM: All of the instructors will have practical experience in Digital Process Management for design firms. They will hail from companies that include New Line Structure, Magnusson Architecture and Planning, BKSK Architects, Microdesk (now Symetri), HGA Architects, Hill West Architects, Buro Ehring lEngineering, and Hunter Roberts Construction. They will have Masters and/or Ph.D.s in Interior Design, Architecture, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
NYSID: Is the degree entirely online?
SM: Yes this is a post-professional degree designed for working people who are trying to take a step up in their careers, or entrepreneurs who are trying to improve the efficiency of their businesses. All of the courses will be conducted online. Some of the courses will be DR courses, that is live, synchronous courses in a Zoom classroom where students, instructors, and guest lecturers interact together in real time. These will be in the evenings or on weekends. Other courses will be DL, or asynchronous courses, with recorded lectures students can watch and assignments they can complete on their own schedules, with plenty of opportunity for feedback from instructors. We’ve worked to make the program as flexible as possible.
For more information on the MPSM, reach out to Program Director Samuel Mikhail, Samuel.Mikhail@nysid.edu, or visit the program page.