For those with a background in STEM who want to transition into a leadership role, a master’s in engineering management is the best degree for engineers. Because the degree caters to professionals in technical fields, students in an M.Eng. in engineering management program will collaborate with peers and professors who have similar experiences and goals.
These commonalities will enable students to build connections with other leaders in their industry. Students in the program may come from different engineering fields, but they will all have a STEM background.
More so than the master of science in engineering management, the focus of a master of engineering in engineering management curriculum is on the application of management principles to the engineering and technology industries. While topics covered usually overlap with those of an MBA program, they are presented within the context of engineering-specific responsibilities.
An M.Eng. in engineering management program, for example, examines how finances, staffing, and technical requirements contribute to the efficiency of an engineering or tech organization, and how these factors impact the final product. In Vanderbilt’s online master of engineering in engineering management program, students take courses that cover:
Because engineering is a technical field that requires creative problem-solving and a desire to build and test new ideas, any engineering management curriculum should include hands-on projects. At Vanderbilt, students in the online M.Eng. in engineering management program apply what they learn to improve complex business systems and develop a final capstone project that they will present.
M.Eng. in engineering management graduates will be prepared to take on leadership roles within engineering, technology, and scientific organizations and companies. They will be able to present themselves as multi-talented professionals who can bridge technical engineering knowledge with organizational and people management skills. Graduates may also go on to lead organizations outside of the tech industry, if these organizations are influenced by technology or engineering.
An M.Eng. in engineering management typically takes approximately two years to complete. Vanderbilt’s online M.Eng. in engineering management program takes as few as 12-15 months to complete. Upon graduation, both the M.Eng. in engineering management and MBA will be recognized as advanced professional degrees by employers.
