10 Fastest Online Engineering Management Master’s for 2021

fastest engineering degree

If you are thinking about getting into an accelerated engineering management master’s program, you have to consider a few things such as scheduling and financing. There are many benefits to the program in both categories. The program offers flexible scheduling where you can set your own time and if, there are scheduled classes, at least you can complete most of them online. In terms of financing, most accelerated programs cost less than the traditional programs, which may require more lab time.

If you are already in a full-time job, then these accelerated masters engineering in management for full-time workers are ideal because you can still work while attending online classes and you can set your family life and work life around it. Although financial aid may be a little limited, there are programs that offer financing. So, it depends on the program that you choose. When you sign up for an accelerated master’s programs in engineering management online, it affords you the same coursework as traditional programs do, but in less time.

Methodology: Ranking the Best Accelerated Engineering Management Master’s 

Great Business Schools editors are dedicated to providing prospective students with the best advice, and the ranking of the fastest online engineering management master’s programs is focused on accredited, trustworthy institutions. Programs are ranked according to tuition, reputation, and potential salary. 

1. Arkansas State University

Arkansas State University offers a Master of Engineering Management degree program that can be completed in only one year, completely online. These accelerated master’s programs in engineering management from Arkansas State University require the completion of 30 semester units to graduate. Students enrolled in A-State’s graduate degree in engineering management complete coursework in quality control & improvement, engineering statistics, project management, value engineering, facilities management, budgeting for engineering, advanced engineering economy, and an engineering management capstone, among others.

Arkansas State University (Arkansas State) is a flagship higher learning institution of higher education that was established in 1909 as an agricultural school. Arkansas State University is a member school of the state’s university system with a student population that nears 14,000. 

Highlight Arkansas State began as a two-year college but was grant university status in 1967.
Degree Master of Engineering Management

2. Salem University

Salem University offers an Engineering Management Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program that can be completed in only one year. Salem University’s accelerated master’s programs in engineering management require the completion of 36 semester units and have received accreditation from the ACBSP. Classes for Salem University’s graduate engineering MBA degree includes quality & risk management, foundations of operations & engineering management, supply chain management, logistics research, and project management budgeting, to name a few.

Salem University is a for-profit higher learning institution that was established in 1888 by 7th Day Adventists but now operates as a nonsectarian school. Salem University’s campus and distance learning platform serve about 825 undergraduate and graduate students. 

Highlight Salem University’s administration’s facility building, is detailed on the country’s National Register of Historic Places.
Degree Engineering Management MBA

3. Trine University

Trine University offers an MS in Engineering Management that can be completed entirely online in only twelve months. Trine University’s accelerated master’s programs in engineering management include core classes in executive communication, business ethics, engineered quality, design thinking, statistics, advanced plant management, lean six sigma, project management, business strategy, and new product development & innovation strategies to name a few. New classes for Trine University’s online graduate degree in engineering management begin every other month. Trine’s engineering degree requires candidates to finish 30 semester units to graduate.

Trine University was established as a private teacher’s training school in 1884. The university serves about 2,200 students from its tri-state location near Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. 

Highlight Trine University operates multiple campuses in Angola, and Fort Wayne, with a satellite facility in Detroit, MI.
Degree MS in Engineering Management

4. University of Louisville

The University of Louisville offers an online Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (MEEM) that has been developed for working and experienced engineers. These accelerated masters programs in engineering management from the University of Louisville offer students the flexibility to complete 30 semester units coursework in eight-week delivered classes. Students enrolled in U of L’s graduate degree in engineering management can earn a Six Sigma Black Belt certification while earning your degree. Classes include operations management, engineering statistics, quality management, engineering financial management, and information technology management, to name a few.

The University of Louisville was established as a seminary in 1798 by the city. Approximately 21,350 students attend classes offered by the University of Louisville. 

Highlight The University of Louisville holds the distinction of being among the first of all higher learning institutions situated to the west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Degree MEng in Engineering Management

5. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers an MS in Engineering Management that is available 100% online. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s accelerated master’s programs in engineering management includes coursework that covers industrial cost analysis, engineering management, project management, quality management, and operations research, to name a few. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s master’s degree in engineering management is designed to prepare the engineering world’s future leaders.

The University of Texas (UT Rio Grande Valley) is a research higher learning institution that was established in 2013. UTRGV is a member school of the state university system and was created by the combination of two local higher learning institutions. 

Highlight The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley holds the distinction of being the first Texas school established in the new century.
Degree MS in Engineering Management

6. Western New England University

Western New England University’s Engineering College offers an MS in Engineering Management that can be completed entirely through Western New England University’s distance learning platform. Western New England University’s accelerated master’s programs in engineering management offer study abroad opportunities. The core curriculum for this graduate degree in engineering management includes statistical quality control, engineering supply control, quality engineering, and project management, to name a few. Western New England’s engineering master’s degree in management requires the completion of 30 semester credits.

Western New England University (WENU) was established in 1919 as a division of Northeastern College. Although the first class had 13 students, currently, Western New England University now serves about 4,000 students. 

Highlight The initial classes for the Western New England University were held in a local Springfield YMCA.
Degree MS in Engineering Management

7. University of Houston Clear Lake

The University of Houston-Clear Lake offers one of the best accelerated masters programs in engineering management in the Lone Star State with its Master of Science degree (MS) program in Engineering Management (EMGT). UH-Clear Lake’s graduate degree in engineering management can be completed in only sixteen months and entirely online. Degree candidates enrolled in UH-Clear Lake’s master’s degree in emergency management can opt for a capstone or thesis completion plan. Classes included in this degree include systems engineering economics, technology planning, operations management, and new business development, among others.

The University of Houston (UH-Clear Lake) is a public institution of higher learning that was established in 1974. UH-Clear Lake serves approximately 9,000 students from its dual campuses in Houston and Pasadena, Texas. 

Highlight More than 70,000 individuals call themselves alumni of the University of Houston at Clear Lake.
Degree MS in Engineering Management

8. Kettering University

Kettering University offers one of the best accelerated masters programs in engineering management in Michigan with its Master of Science degree (MS) program in Engineering Management (EMGT). This graduate degree in emergency management requires degree candidates to complete 40 semester units in about 1.5 years. Kettering University’s emergency management degree has received accreditation from the ACBSP. Kettering also offers degree candidates the option of earning an MS in engineering management and an MBA degree in about two years, for a total of fourteen classes to graduate. Classes in this degree include ethics, management of people, financial management, and enterprise information system models, and a capstone project, to name a few.

Kettering University (Kettering) is a private institute that was originally established in 1919 as the GM Institute of Technology. Approximately 2,300 students attend classes offered by Kettering University. 

Highlight the Princeton Review recognizes Kettering University among the best of the Midwest higher learning institutions.
Degree MS in Engineering Management

9. University of Massachusetts-Lowell 

The University of Massachusetts‘s offers an MS in Engineering Management that can be completed 100% online. UMass Lowell’s accelerated master’s programs in engineering management offer degree candidates the opportunity to complete this engineering management degree in only eighteen months. Students can opt for academic concentrations in operations & supply management, design, and manufacturing, or infrastructure management & engineering services. Finally, students have the option to complete the degree with a capstone or with additional coursework.

The University of Massachusetts (UMass Lowell) is a public multi-campus that was established as a teacher’s school in 1894. UMass Lowell’s Merrimack Valley campus in north-central Massachusetts serves approximately 18,400 students. 

Highlight The University of Massachusetts at Lowell holds the distinction of being the first to offer an accredited degree program in meteorology and plastics engineering, among others.
Degree MS in Engineering Management

10. Florida International University

Florida International University’s Engineering & Computing College offers a three-semester Master of Science degree (MS) program in Engineering that can be finished entirely through the school’s distance learning platform. FIU’s accelerated master’s programs in engineering management require the completion of 30 semester units in about one and one-half years. Classes for this graduate degree in engineering management include advanced engineering project management, corporate finance, marketing management in a global economy, quality management, operations management, industrial financial decisions, and organization information systems, to name a few.

Florida International University (Florida International) is a public institution of higher learning that was established in 1965. FIU is a space-grant university with a student enrollment of approximately 58,600 students, either online or on its 500+ acre campus. 

Highlight Florida International University is a member school of Florida’s state university system. 
Degree MS in Engineering Management (multiple tracks)

What is an Engineering Management Master’s?

This is a hybrid program where engineering and business modalities are combined. The degree focuses on business literacy and managerial management along with engineering technology. These skills combined can make you more competitive and sought after by big corporations; giving you a solid earning potential and the ability to ask for the income you want. Achieving the accelerated masters engineering in management for fulltime workers gives you the opportunity to ask for a promotion and a raise in income. It also allows your employers to see you as a great contributor and asset to th4e company’s goals and strategies. This is especially true, if you are already working in a strategic position and contributing wholeheartedly to the company; being a great team player and involved in highly technical projects.

With an accelerated masters programs in engineering management, most people earn a considerable amount of annual salary, the average being in excess of $400,000. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with this degree have the potential of earning approximately 17% more by 2026. With this being said; everyone who attempts this accelerated degree see this as an indicator that their educational investment was well worth it.

Time is something that many people crave to accomplish their dreams and ambitions. An accelerated program affords you time to not only pursue your degree, but allows you to graduate within less time than the traditional bachelor’s degree. You could earn your accelerated master’s degree within 2.5 years. The accelerated masters programs in engineering management allow you to complete your degree earlier and be able to advance in your career field. You will be more focused in finishing up so you can accomplish your career goals sooner.  

What If I Already Have a Master’s?

If you already hold a master’s degree, you would still have to complete the engineering degree; especially, if your first degree is not science-specific. For example, if you have a master’s in business and wanted to pursue an engineering management degree, both the engineering management graduate certificate and the MBA would complement each other. The graduate certificate in engineering management online has certain requirements that an MBA does not require. The entrance requirements for an engineering management degree are more focused toward science while the MBA is focused on the business and management aspect. Most engineering management programs accept the GRE exam while the MBA might accept either GRE or GMAT.

In the graduate certificate engineering management program, the focus is more toward bridging the gap as a leader in a technically related organization, corporation or department. In comparison, the MBA program focuses on business leaders in financing and accounting or other emerging areas. With the two, the individual with a graduate certification in engineering management and an MBA has an extreme advantage in any career field and job. If you already have a master’s degree then, it goes without saying that you also can pursue a graduate certificate in engineering project management.

Can I Get a Job with an Engineering Management Master’s?

There are several types of master of engineering management job opportunities to consider; no matter the industry. You can get a job in a wide range of fields that include:

  • Civil engineering
  • Electrical engineering
  • Mechanical engineering

This particular degree is a combination of engineering and management skills and so you have a few options to work with in both management and technical roles such as:

  • Coordination of organizational teams for various roles
  • Assessment of product viability
  • Directing teams in production, maintenance and quality assurance
  • Supervising machinery, equipment, system designs and product creation

There are also job opportunities for masters in engineering management in areas like

  • Chemical process engineer and consulting
  • Automation engineer
  • Manufacturing management
  • Logistics
  • Client services analyst
  • Hardware and design engineer
  • Structural engineer
  • Design engineer consultant
  • Construction project engineer
  • Firmware engineer
  • Plant engineer
  • Architectural and engineering manager

Engineering Management Master’s Salary

The sky is the limit to what you can do with an accelerated engineering management master’s degree. There are so many options as it relates to masters in engineering management job prospects. In addition, the salary range is optimistic. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median salary for an architectural and engineering manager, for example is between $76,000 and $144,830 per year, but it depends on the engineering field and the jobs after masters in engineering management that you hold at the moment.

Carrie Morris
Author

Warren Dahl
Editor-in-Chief