Engineering Management Requirements: Traditionally, engineers and managers stayed in their own lanes. The former solved complicated technical challenges. The latter tackled issues related to operational performance, administration and planning. That dynamic is changing as technologies such as artificial intelligence automate more processes across industries. Today, staying competitive in engineering requires not only technical skills but also business skills and the ability to apply both in an integrated way in operations management, product development and process optimization. Engineers must be comfortable forming and managing teams, using analytics to guide projects, overseeing financial management and serving as a bridge between technology talent and business stakeholders. All these aspects fall under the umbrella of Engineering Management, the requirements for which we shall discuss here.
Demand for qualified engineering managers in technical organizations and product-producing companies is growing. If you do not feel confident you can meet that demand with your current skills and knowledge, you can advance your understanding of the management processes that guide the application of technology by pursuing an engineering management master’s degree such as Stevens Institute of Technology‘s Online Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Engineering Management.
This multidisciplinary online master’s degree pathway provides a traditional management education presented in an engineering context to equip engineers, technical managers and technologically-savvy business operations professionals with the skills, tools and methodologies to manage complexity across engineering disciplines. Engineers enter this degree program with technical skills and emerge with the management and leadership skills to drive innovation and operational excellence within their organizations. This guide looks at the engineering management requirements that students in the StevensOnline engineering management master’s program must meet and where the M.Eng.EM can take them.
WHO ENROLLS IN A MASTER OF ENGINEERING IN ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT PROGRAM?
Stevens’ online master of engineering management degree program attracts engineers who want to move into leadership or management roles in their fields. As part of the engineering management requirements, they tend to have titles like software engineer, civil engineer, mechanical engineer, supply chain engineer, team lead and senior engineer, and typically do very technical, hands-on work. Applicants choose the M.Eng.EM program because they have progressed as far as possible with undergraduate degrees and want to gain management competencies that will take their careers to the next level. They choose Stevens’ engineering management master’s in particular because it is a rigorous yet flexible graduate-level program in which they can continue working full-time and pursuing professional development goals.
Students in the online engineering management master’s program gain a deeper understanding of the technology involved in engineering projects and the management processes that are usually requirements for organizations in order to guide technological projects forward. Core courses and electives integrate advanced managerial and engineering competencies and are appropriate for engineers from across industries. It covers cost information analysis and engineering economics in decision-making, engineering design team management in a business environment, modeling and simulation concepts in problem-solving and data analysis using Python. Stevens M.Eng.EM graduates are talented, knowledgeable engineers capable of serving as bridges between technical and business departments in their organizations and contributing value on both sides.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PURSUING THIS DEGREE ONLINE?
The School of Systems and Enterprises’ 100 percent online programs are geared toward motivated learners looking for a high-quality, rigorous educational experience that happens to offer added flexibility. They do not want to sacrifice access to world-class faculty or career resources to study remotely — or give up opportunities for advancement to enroll in a full-time graduate degree program.
Distance learners studying engineering management at Stevens Institute of Technology do not have to meet either requirement. Part-time students receive the same exceptional education as their on-campus peers while learning remotely and continuing to advance in their careers. They also have the same access to a global cohort of intelligent and accomplished peers, groundbreaking researchers who offer valuable industry insights and resources and support that help them flourish in their studies and connect with the Stevens community, as long as they meet the engineering management requirements.
And while distance learners pursuing the engineering management master’s do not receive a tuition discount — per-credit tuition for the online M.Eng.EM is $1,716 — studying online can be more cost-effective than studying on campus. For example, distance learners outside New Jersey can attend a world-class university such as Stevens Institute of Technology without paying hefty relocation costs. At the same time, they do not have to sacrifice income or career advancement to earn a master’s degree, which means they graduate with less debt and greater earning potential.
WHAT ARE THE M.ENG. IN ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS?
Stevens’ online engineering management master’s program attracts applicants from various academic and professional backgrounds. However, while not part of engineering management requirements, most have degrees in engineering disciplines or STEM fields and have taken courses in statistics and calculus. The ideal applicant graduated with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher but has been out of school for three to five years. During that time, they have amassed work experience in disciplines such as civil engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or software engineering. Their reasons for pursuing the M.Eng. in Engineering Management may vary, but they all share the same drive and ambition.
HOW TO APPLY TO THE ONLINE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT MASTER’S PROGRAM
M.Eng.EM applicants apply using the Stevens Institute of Technology’s online application for graduate study. Gathering the engineering management requirements for application materials — two letters of recommendation, unofficial transcripts from bachelor’s degree and graduate programs attended and TOEFL/IELTS/DUOLINGO scores for international applicants — plus the optional items can be an overwhelming experience. Stevens doesn’t require applicants to submit materials in a single sitting, however. The application portal saves all information and materials in real time, and the university only reviews completed applications. Applicants can add new information or make changes to their applications as many times as necessary before finalizing their applications to fulfill the engineering management requirements.
DO APPLICANTS SUBMIT GRE OR GMAT SCORES AS PART OF THE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS?
In the past, younger professionals applying to the M.Eng. in Engineering Management program submitted GRE or GMAT scores with their applications as part of the engineering management requirements. Applicants with three or more years of relevant corporate engineering experience could request waivers or submit optional GRE or GMAT scores if they felt those scores showcased their strengths. However, due to the impacts of COVID-19 on testing centers, Stevens Institute of Technology has temporarily waived the GRE/GMAT requirement.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO APPLY TO THE M.ENG.EM PROGRAM?
The School of Systems and Enterprises has three application submission deadlines: Early Submit, Priority Submit and Final Submit. The admissions committee reviews applications for the subsequent start date (Spring, Summer or Fall) immediately after each deadline. Prospective applicants seeking the perfect application submission date won’t find one because there is no ideal deadline. Applying early will not increase an applicant’s chances of acceptance, and the admissions committee does not penalize applications received at the Final Submit deadline.
Understanding the differences between these application submission deadlines is the key to choosing the right one. For example, an applicant who submits engineering management requirements by the Early Submit deadline may be eligible for more tuition assistance — provided they can put together a polished application in just a few weeks — because the pool of available funds is larger. Another applicant might increase their chances of acceptance by aiming for the Final Submit deadline, which gives them more time to put together a compelling application.
Creating an application timeline is essential to meeting engineering management requirements. Applicants operating under self-imposed deadlines are more likely to stay on task as they gather and refine their application materials. A hypothetical applicant aiming for the Priority Submit deadline might, for example, connect with an enrollment advisor, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), reach out to recommendation writers, brainstorm ideas for a Statement of Purpose and write the first draft three months before their chosen submission date. Two months before, they might request unofficial university transcripts, write a second draft of the Statement of Purpose, ask a colleague to review it, begin working on the online application and check in with their Letter of Recommendation writers. And in the month before the deadline, they might write the final draft of their Statement of Purpose, review and proofread each section of the online application and check to make sure their references submitted their Letters of Recommendation.
WHAT ARE THE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT MASTER’S REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION?
Stevens’ 30-credit hour engineering management master’s program consists of 10 online courses that build proficiency in the leading engineering technology and management techniques to fulfill the engineering management requirements. Students complete six core engineering management courses while enrolled in the program: “Decision and Risk Analysis,” “Elements of Operations Research,” “Engineering Economics and Cost Analysis,” “Informatics for Engineering Management,” “Modeling and Simulation” and “Project Management of Complex Systems.”
ARE THERE CONCENTRATION TRACKS IN THE STEVENSONLINE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT MASTER’S?
StevensOnline M.Eng.EM candidates choose between two program specializations — Managerial Analytics and Supply Chain and Logistics Management — and take elective courses based on their selected tracks. Students enrolled in the Managerial Analytics track take “Data Analysis and Visualization Techniques for Decision Making,” “Data Science and Knowledge Discovery in Engineering Management,” and “Multi-Agent Socio-Technical Systems” plus the core engineering management courses to fulfill engineering management requirements. Students enrolled in the Supply Chain and Logistics Management track take the same core M.Eng. in Engineering Management classes plus “System Supportability and Logistics,” “Integrated Supply Chain Management,” and “Forecasting and Demand Modeling Systems.”
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO EARN AN M.ENG.EM?
Most students can finish the StevensOnline engineering management master’s in a year and a half while working full time. M.Eng.EM candidates typically spend about 9 to 15 hours per week focused on coursework, doing project work and in the two 90-minute live sessions. Students can complete self-paced or asynchronous coursework whenever and wherever they prefer, though the program is highly structured. As a result, most meet the Engineering Management requirements in just a year and a half on average.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MASTER OF ENGINEERING IN ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT?
Engineering is a broad and far-reaching field, and the StevensOnline M.Eng.EM program is a cross-industry program. Engineering management master’s holders work in sectors such as life sciences, technology, defense, energy, environmental science and civil engineering. Stevens M.Eng.EM alumni hold titles such as Architectural Engineering Manager, Computer and Information Systems Manager, Industrial Production Manager, Director of Engineering and Systems Engineering Manager. They are highly sought after by organizations as diverse as BMW, Exxon, Goldman Sachs and Lockheed Martin.
After reviewing the kinds of job transitions engineers typically undergo after earning an engineering management master’s, some prospective students still wonder if an M.Eng.EM is a better option than the traditional MBA. Consider the data. More of the world’s 100 top-performing CEOs have engineering degrees than have MBAs, which speaks to the value of technical knowledge in management. Additionally, many companies are willing to pay job candidates with both specialized engineering knowledge and advanced business expertise more than those with just one or the other, showcasing the significance of meeting engineering management requirements in the job market.Ultimately, what all engineering management graduates bring to the table are the leading-edge technical skills and knowledge they would not get in a purely business-focused program. These skills are a vital part of the engineering management requirements that make them stand out in the job market. What Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering & Science M.Eng.EM graduates bring to the table are advanced technology management skills plus the weight of Stevens Institute of Technology’s reputation for nurturing decisive leaders who can solve complex organizational challenges in a technology-driven world.