For professionals in engineering who want to increase their credentials and move into administrative postitions, a Masters’ in Engineering Management gives you the best of both worlds. If you are passionate about engineering, including management courses in the mix will provide you with additional skills that allow you to not only follow an engineering path but also manage projects and oversee the day to day operations of the department you work in.
A Masters’ in Engineering Management provides two completely different but complementary skill sets. While each one will provide you with what you need to have a very lucrative career, combining them will open the door to even more opportunities for advancement. Your earning potential will also be much higher than if you only had one skill set to rely on. In an engineering environment, it’s important for a manager to have the same engineering experience as those they manage. Without it, they may not fully understand the problem-solving process that is needed if issues do arise.
Recommended Schools
Methodology: Ranking the Best Engineering Management Master’s Programs
For the Great Business Schools ranking of the top Master’s in Engineering Management programs, GBS editors researched MEM, Engineering MBA, and other related degrees offered by accredited, reputable colleges and universities. Programs are ranked according to their tuition rate, student satisfaction, and salary potential.
1. Stanford University
Stanford University’s School of Engineering offers an MS in Management Science and Engineering that is recognized among the nation’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. Stanford University’s best engineering management masters program requires the completion of 45 semester units to meet program requirements. Students can opt for one of seven academic concentrations in financial analytics, operations, technology/engineering management, social science & computations, risk analysis, energy/environment, and health systems modeling. Core coursework includes an intro to optimization, decision analysis, and fundamentals of data science, inference, and predictions, among others.
Stanford University was established as a junior college in memory of the founder’s son in 1891. The university’s suburban campus in Stanford serves more than 17,400 students and covers more than 8,000 acres.
Highlight Stanford University is often referenced as the 21st century Harvard.
Degree MS in Management Science and Engineering
2. MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a Master of Engineering Management degree that is considered among the country’s best engineering management masters programs. Coursework for this best masters in engineering management degree includes foundations of system design, model-building & analysis lab, advanced practices & research in engineering project management, and integrated design seminar, plus an internship, certificate capstone, and a graduate thesis, among others. Classes include synchronized lectures, speaker series, and team projects to test student knowledge and applicability skills.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was established as a private higher learning institution in 1861 and is a space-grant, sea-grant, and land-grant school. MIT serves more than 11,400 students on its urban campus in Cambridge along the Charles River.
Highlight The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is recognized for its many scientific, engineering, and mathematics contributions.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology‘s College of Business (GT) offers an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree in Management of Technology (MOT) that is recognized as one of the marketplace’s best engineering management masters programs. Georgia Tech’s best masters in engineering management degree program includes coursework in venture financing, technological innovation, business strategies for sustainability, and forecasting and analysis of emerging technologies, plus a capstone project for a total of 50 semester credits. In addition, Georgia Tech’s MBA graduate degree offers students an international residency while studying the analysis of global environments.
Georgia Tech (Tech) is a space-grant higher learning institution that was established in 1885. The university serves more than 36,400 students from its six colleges/schools.
Highlight Georgia Tech maintains campuses in Atlanta and Savannah in Georgia and internationally in China, Singapore, France, and Ireland.
Degree Management of Technology MBA
4. Duke University
Duke University’s Pratt Engineering School offers a Master of Engineering Management (MEM) degree program that can be completed in only twelve months if studying on campus or only two years if studying online. Duke’s best masters in engineering management degree program is a customizable program that offers hundreds of electives from which to choose. This best engineering management masters program from Duke University is an alternative degree to an MBA that offers students a tech-savvy, interdisciplinary degree program. Degree candidates have the option of entering the program in either the fall or spring semester.
Duke University (Duke) was established by local Methodists and Quakers in 1838. Duke University operates its main 8,500+-acre campus in Durham, plus two additional schools in China and Singapore. More than 15,400 students attend classes each semester at Duke.
Highlight Duke University holds the distinction of being the state’s second-largest employer.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
5. University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and Penn Engineering Schools offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in combination with a Master of Science (MS) in Engineering (in Data Science or Systems Engineering) that is recognized as one of the country’s best engineering management masters programs. This best masters in engineering management program from the University of Pennsylvania offers degree candidates a strong business leadership background with a comprehensive technical engineering education to help springboard individuals to upper management positions.
The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is a research institution of higher learning institute that was established in 1740. Penn is organized into sixteen colleges and schools that serve more than 22,200 undergraduate and graduate students.
Highlight The University of Pennsylvania’s alumni includes senators, house representatives, governors, and supreme court justices.
Degree Dual Engineering MBA
6. Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines offers a Master of Engineering and Technology Management (ETM) that is considered among the state’s best engineering management masters programs. Coursework for the Colorado School of Mines’ best masters in engineering management degree program provides students with an in-depth exploration of the dynamic and complex world of modern high-tech companies and methodologies. This 30 semester credit graduate degree offers degree candidates a thesis track and a non-thesis track. All students enrolled in this degree must complete a team-building/leadership workshop during their first semester at the Colorado School of Mines.
The Colorado School of Mines (The Mines) is a public school that was established in 1874. The university’s suburban campus covers more than 325 acres and serves more than 6,590 students.
Highlight The Colorado School of Mines primarily offers degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s levels in math, science, and engineering – with a fundamental focus on the environment and energy.
Degree Master of Engineering and Technology Management
7. Columbia University
Columbia University’s Business and Fu Foundation Engineering Schools offer one of the nation’s best engineering management masters programs with its Master of Science (MS) degree in Management Science and Engineering (MSE). Students enrolled in Columbia University’s best masters in engineering management degree program spend twelve months consulting with industry leaders and clients, gaining real-world experience while completing their graduate engineering management degree. Students must complete 36 semester units to graduate while selecting from four academic tracks – logistics & supply chain management, pricing & revenue management, operations & analytics, and entrepreneurship & innovations.
Columbia University is an Ivy League higher learning institution that was established as King’s College in 1754. Columbia University is a recognized Ivy League school that serves more than 33,300 graduate and undergraduate students.
Highlight Columbia University was established by the British Monarchy in response to the founding of Princeton University in New Jersey.
Degree MS in Management Science and Engineering
8. University of Michigan-Dearborn
The University of Michigan-Dearborn’s College of Engineering & Computer Science offers a Master of Science (MS) in Engineering Management that requires degree candidates to complete 35 semester credits to graduate. Coursework for this best masters in engineering management degree program from UM-Dearborn includes eighteen credits from the engineering curriculum and twelve credits from the business curriculum, plus a capstone project, electives, and a thesis option, in lieu of five credit hours. Classes include for this best engineering management masters program include systems engineering, enterprise information systems, production & operations engineering, and total quality management & six sigma, to name a few.
The University of Michigan (Michigan) is a flagship school for the state that was established in 1959. The university’s suburban campus covers more than 200 acres and serves more than 9,300 students.
Highlight The University of Michigan in Dearborn offers more than 160 graduate and undergraduate degree programs.
Degree MS in Engineering Management
9. Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University’s Grado Dept. of Industrial & Systems Engineering (VT) offers Master of Engineering Administration (MEA) that is ranked among Virginia’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. Students enrolled in Virginia Tech’s best engineering management masters program graduate to find rewarding careers as engineering managers, research and development managers, project managers, or technology managers, among others. This graduate engineering management degree requires the completion of 30 semester units plus a final exam at the end of the program.
Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech) is a public higher learning institution that was established in 1872. This space-grant and sea-grant school serves more than 36,400 students from its campuses across Virginia and internationally in Switzerland.
Highlight Virginia Tech holds the distinction of being one of only six senior military colleges in the nation.
Degree Master of Engineering Administration
10. Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College’s Thayer Engineering School, in partnership with the Tuck Business School (Dartmouth Engineering), offers a Master of Engineering Management (MEM) degree program that can be completed in only fifteen months. Dartmouth College’s Virginia’s best masters in engineering management degree program requires the completion of an internship, plus fourteen classes to graduate. This best engineering management masters program prepares students for careers in healthcare, energy, and high technology, among others. Dartmouth College’s graduate degree in engineering management is one of the original founding members of the Consortium of Master of Engineering management programs.
Dartmouth College is a private higher learning institution that was established in 1769. Dartmouth College’s campus in Hanover covers more than 30,000 acres and serves more than 6,500 students.
Highlight Dartmouth College is a recognized Ivy League school and the ninth oldest of all institutions of higher education in the nation.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
11. Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University’s Barnes Dept of Industrial and System Engineering offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Engineering Management that is ranked among the Lone Star State’s Virginia’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. Degree candidates are offered academic tracks in this best engineering management masters program that include business, analytics, systems development/project management, supply chain, engineering risk, manufacturing systems, human systems engineering, and systems engineering. Core classes include a survey of optimization, economics of engineering systems, probability for engineering decisions, and engineering management control systems, among others.
Texas A&M University (TX. A&M) was established as a land-grant school under the Morrill Land Grant Act in 1876. Texas A&M University’s college-town campus covers more than 5,000 acres and serves nearly 71,000 students.
Highlight Texas A&M University holds the distinction of being a flagship, space-grant, sea-grant, and senior military college.
Degree MS in Engineering Management
12. North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University’s Engineering College offers a Master of Engineering Management that is available on-campus and online. NCSU’s best masters in engineering management degree program requires degree candidates to complete 30 semester units to graduate. Classes for this best engineering management masters degree program include engineering lab, statistics for management, logistics engineering, project management, and applied engineering economy, among others. Students can opt for an academic concentration in entrepreneurship, facilities engineering or analytics, supply chain engineering, a professional practice, or health & human systems.
North Carolina State University (North Carolina) was established as a land grant higher learning institution in 1887. Additionally, North Carolina State University is a sea-grant and space-grant school that serves more than 35,700 students.
Highlight North Carolina State University offers students more than 250 academic degrees and programs at various levels.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
13. University of Florida
The University of Florida’s Department of Industry and Systems Engineering offers an Outreach Engineering Management (OEM) master’s degree program that can be completed in only twenty months. The University of Florida’s best masters in engineering management degree program is designed for working learners who hail from various technical backgrounds. Coursework for this best engineering management masters degree is provided once a month on a weekend, so professional careers are never disrupted. Degree candidates have the option of adding an MBA degree with one additional year of studies.
The University of Florida (UF) was established as a land-grant higher learning institution in 1854. Florida is also a sea-grant and space-grant university that serves more than 55,750 students from its Gainesville campus and distance learning platform.
Highlight The University of Florida is ranked among the top ten public universities in the nation, according to US News and World Report.
Degree Engineering Management Master’s
Recommended Schools
14. University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas’s Cockrell Engineering School offers a Master of Engineering Management degree that is recognized as one of the Lone Star State’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. This best engineering management masters degree from UT Austin does not accept transfer credits for this program but has been recognized among the best by US News & World Report. Coursework for this graduate degree in engineering management includes legal issues for engineering management, strategic decision and risk analysis, managing people/organizations, the art & science of negotiations, and engineering economics, to name a few.
The University of Texas at Austin is a flagship university that was established in 1881. UT Austin is also a space grant institution of higher education with a student enrollment that exceeds 50,850 students.
Highlight Nearly 150 Olympic medal winners are alumni of the University of Texas at Austin.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
15. Lehigh University
Lehigh University’ Rossin Engineering College offers one of Pennsylvania’s best masters in engineering management degree programs with its Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Technical Entrepreneurship degree. This best engineering management masters degree prepares students with the tools and skills needed to bring products and services to the marketplace successfully. Lehigh University’s graduate degree in technical entrepreneurship is a full time, in-residence degree that can be completed in under one year. Degree candidates must complete 30 credit units in classes that cover the processes required to create, refine, and launch intellectual services and property.
Lehigh University (Lehigh) is a private institution of higher learning that was established in 1865. The university’s urban campus in Bethlehem serves more than 6,750 students vying for academic degrees and diplomas provided by Lehigh’s six colleges/schools.
Highlight Lehigh University is about the same distance from Philadelphia, PA, as from New York City, New York.
Degree Master of Technical Entrepreneurship
16. University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota’s Science and Engineering College/Technological Leadership institute offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Management of Technology (MOT) that is ranked among the Midwest’s Pennsylvania’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. Students enrolled in UMN’s best engineering management masters degree complete 36 semester units, which includes a related capstone project. Additionally, students can study abroad and travel to two foreign countries analyzing international business from a cultural perspective that differs from the student’s own perspective. Previous study abroad opportunities include India & Malaysia, China & Singapore, or Ireland & Germany.
The University of Minnesota (UMN) is a space-grant, land-grant, and flagship higher learning institution that was established in 1851. UMN’s dual campuses serve nearly 50,000 students.
Highlight The University of Minnesota has been ranked internationally among the globe’s top fifty colleges and universities.
Degree MS in Management of Technology
17. Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University offers an MS in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (ETIM) that is considered among the best masters in engineering management degree programs in the marketplace. Students enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University’s best engineering management masters degree can opt for one of five academic tracks – analytics, research, and development management consulting, product management, and entrepreneurship. Coursework for this graduate engineering management degree includes technology innovation management, managerial & engineering economics, strategy & management of technological innovation, and seminar on innovation in practice, plus electives and an internship.
Carnegie Mellon University (Carnegie Mellon) is a research institution of higher education that was established in 1900. The university’s campus in Pittsburgh covers more than 100 acres and serves more than 14,550 students studying for degrees and programs offered by CMU’s seven schools/colleges.
Highlight Many of Carnegie Mellon University’s programs are nationally and internationally ranked.
Degree MS in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management
18. Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting Engineering School offers an MS in Engineering Management (EM) that is ranked among the country’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. This best engineering management masters degree is offered by a member school of the MEMPC. Degree candidates can opt for one of seventeen academic tracks that include systems engineering materials science, electrical engineering, and biomaterials, to name a few. Hopkins’ graduate degree in engineering management can be completed in three semesters, but students are given up to five years to complete the full degree. Classes include leading change, strategies for innovation and growth, and academic ethics, among others.
Johns Hopkins University is a research institution of higher education that was established in 1876. Hopkin’s campus in Baltimore serves more than 26,550 students.
Highlight Johns Hopkins University operates several international campuses for graduate education in Italy and China.
Degree MS in Engineering Management
19. Washington University in St Louis
Washington University in St Louis offers a Master of Engineering Management that is considered among the Midwest’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. Washington University’s best engineering management masters degree requires the completion of 30 semester units, with a minimum average GPA of 2.7. Students have these academic tracks from which to choose – applied data analytics, organizational development and management, computer science & security, and operational excellence & project management. Core coursework includes decision making and optimization, planning projects and methodologies, human performance in the organization, engineering management & financial intelligence, and technology strategy, plus a Management Engineering capstone project, among others.
Washington University in St Louis’s Sever Institute (WUSTL) is a private institution of higher education that was established in 1853. The school operates dual campuses with a student enrollment that exceeds 12,450 students.
Highlight Washington University in St Louis receives the fourth highest grants in research from the National Institutes for Health.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
20. Northwestern University
Northwestern University’s McCormick Engineering School offers a Master of Engineering Management degree program that has been developed for working STEM professionals. Northwestern University’s best masters in engineering management degree program requires students to complete twelve graduate-level classes, with core classes in engineering management, leadership and organizational behavior, financial issues for engineers, and strategic management for engineers, among others. Available concentrations for Northwestern’s best engineering management masters degree include managerial analytics, product, project & process management, and healthcare systems engineering.
Northwestern University (Northwestern) is a research school that was established in 1851. The school operates as a nonsectarian higher learning institution that is organized into eleven schools/colleges. More than 21,750 students attend classes on-campus and online offered by Northwestern University.
Highlight The Center for World University Rankings recognizes Northwestern University among the globe’s best twenty schools.
Degree Master of Engineering Management
21. Cornell University
Cornell University offers a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management that is available as a program delivered online or on campus. These best masters in engineering management degree programs offer student seven academic specialization tracks in renewable energy & sustainability, consulting, analytics, real estate/construction management, product management, engineering leadership, and a customizable option. Cornell University’s best engineering management masters degree requires the completion of 32 semester units. This graduate degree from Cornell University in engineering management is designed for anyone, as no previous work experience is required.
Cornell University is an Ivy League higher learning institution that was established in 1865. The university’s campus in upstate New York serves more than 23,850 students studying for degrees that range from science to the classics.
Highlight Cornell University’s campus covers more than 700 acres but does not include the more than 4,000 acres that make up the Cornell Botanic Gardens.
Degree MEng in Engineering Management
22. Northeastern University
Northeastern University’s College of Engineering offers an MS in Engineering Management (EM) that is considered among New England’s best masters in engineering management degree programs. NEU’s best engineering management masters degree is typically completed in eighteen months to two years. Classes for NEU’s graduate engineering management degree program include deterministic operations research, economic decision making, and engineering probability & statistics, to name a few. Additionally, degree candidates are offered experiential learning opportunities to apply the learned theoretical knowledge.
Northeastern University (Northeastern) was established as a private higher learning institution in 1898. More than 27,300 students attend classes offered by NEU.
Highlight Northeastern University is world-renowned for its unique and innovative cooperative programs in which students have the opportunity to earn full salaries in their line of work while earning their degree.
Degree MS in Engineering Management
23. University of Maryland
The University of Maryland’s Project Management for Excellence offers a Master of Engineering degree (Meng) in Project Management that is considered among the best masters in engineering management degree programs available in the marketplace. This best engineering management masters degree from the University of Maryland requires degree candidates to complete 30 semester units across ten classes. Core coursework included in this graduate project management degree includes project risk management, cost accounting, legal aspects of engineering design & construction, managing project teams, and fundamentals of project management, to name a few.
The University of Maryland was established under the Morrill Act in 1856. In addition, the University of Maryland is a flagship school for the state with a student enrollment that exceeds 41,150 students.
Highlight The University of Maryland operates with a budget that exceeds $2 billion dollars and often partners with nearby government agencies.
Degree MEng in Project Management
24. University of Southern California
The University of Southern California’s Viterbi Engineering School offers a MS in Engineering Management (EM) that is considered among New England’s best engineering management masters degree programs. The University of Southern California’s best masters in engineering management degree program requires degree candidates to complete 30 semester units, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the entire program. Classes for this degree from Southern Cal includes statistics for engineering managers, leading & managing engineering teams, economic analysis of engineering projects, and optimization methods for analytics, to name a few.
The University of Southern California (Southern Cal) was established as a research institution of higher education in 1880. The university’s Los Angeles campus serves nearly 49,000 students.
Highlight The University of Southern California is recognized as a leading private employer in the greater LA vicinity.
Degree MS in Engineering Management
25. Rutgers University
Rutgers University offers a Master of Business & Science (MBS) degree in Engineering Management that is ranked as one of New Jersey’s best engineering management masters degree programs. This combination creates a best masters in engineering management degree program that requires the completion of 43 semester credits – of which 19 credits are from a business curriculum, and 24 credits are from the sciences curriculum. Classes for this degree include risk analysis & mitigation, software reliability, systems reliability engineering, quality management, and production analysis, to name a few.
Rutgers University is the state university of New Jersey that was established in 1766 and originally named Queens College. Rutgers University operates multiple campuses in New Jersey(Newark, New Brunswick & Camden) and serves more than 68,600 students.
Highlight The Professional Science Master’s Program is considered a hybrid and interdisciplinary degree.
Degree MBE in Engineering Management
Why Should I Get a Masters’ in Engineering Management?
If you are wondering what you can do with a Masters in Engineering Management degree, all you have to do is contact an admissions advisor at your favorite college or university. They can provide you with all of the important details you will need to make an informed choice about your future career path.
With a Masters’ degree in Engineering Management, you can pursue a degree in either field and explore your options before making a definitive career choice. Finding a job while you are still in school will provide you with valuable experience you can add to your resume. Being able to work in either field will allow you to advance at a much faster pace than if your degree only had one major. Bringing both of them together is a golden opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked.
How Do I Choose a Masters’ in Engineering Management Program?
In order to choose from the best Masters’ in Engineering Management programs, you will need to determine what career path you are most interested in. You can choose from many different types of engineering programs from a variety of industries. Industrial, mechanical, automotive, and environmental engineering are just a few of the classifications for you to choose from. Find your passion and follow it. This will give you the direction you need to choose a career that fits you and the goals you have set for yourself.
If you have made the choice to return to school to continue your education and still working a full-time career, you will need to decide if you are going to leave your job or stay with your company. Many people do not have the luxury of being able to stop working. If this is the case, you will want to look into the best engineering management Masters’ programs that offer online options. Attending school online allows you to continue to support your family and earn your degree at the same time. This is also a good option for students who have a difficult time sitting in a classroom.
Another thing to look for in terms of the best Masters’ in Engineering Management programs is affordability. Some degree programs cost considerably less than others. If you are looking for ways to defray the cost of continuing your education, scholarships and grants can be found for almost every type of degree program offered. Make sure to check if the application process has a deadline before applying. Neither scholarships nor grants need to be paid back and can be applied to almost any educational expense.
Is ABET Accreditation Important?
When looking for the best Masters’ in Engineering Management, it’s important to find that meets the ABET accreditation requirements. Both online and traditional degree programs can receive ABET accreditation. ABET, or the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is responsible for ensuring that degree programs meet and/or exceed the standards of engineering and technology industries.
ABET accreditation requirements are extremely strict seeing as how they set the standard of excellence when it comes to quality education. One thing about ABET accreditation is that it is not a permanent award. Engineering school accreditation must be renewed every few years for a school to remain in good standing. ABET performs a thorough review when a school’s accreditation certification is close to expiring. If the school continues to meet the expectations of the Board, it will retain its accreditation status.
Choosing a school that has met the strict ABET accreditation requirements will guarantee that you have access to the level of education that you need to succeed on your chosen career path. Schools take great pride in receiving this type of certification and will display it as part of their credentials. If you are looking for a school that has met ABET’s standards, talk to the admission’s director of the school of your choice, They will be able to provide you with all of the answers you are looking for.
Carrie Morris
Author
Warren Dahl
Editor-in-Chief