Tailor your online master’s program to your industry and career path.
School: University of Arizona
Program: Online Master of Science in Engineering Management Description: “The Master of Science in Engineering Management provides students with the tools they need to effectively lead the business side of engineering,” said Dr. Young Jun Son, systems and industrial engineering department head at the University of Arizona. “Students can choose from three program options – project, thesis, or coursework. A variety of elective courses in engineering, mathematics, and business allows students to create a customized plan of study for their personal career goals.” Where it is: Tuscon, Arizona Format: Online Degree you get: Master of Science in Engineering Management Prerequisites: Graduation from an accredited engineering bachelor’s program, or have earned a degree in a related discipline, with a minimum 3.0 GPA in previous academic coursework. Size of the program: Approximately 30 students. Number of credit hours: 30 credit hours for project and thesis options; 33 credit hours for coursework option. Thesis: Optional. Students can select from three program options, one of which is the thesis. Students who select this option will work under the guidance of a professor and will have their thesis reviewed by members of the examining committee, followed by an oral presentation of their work. How long it will take: 1.5 – 2 years. Students who only take 1 or 2 courses per semester will take 2 or more years to complete. When to apply: Visit the program website for current enrollment deadlines and start dates. Tuition and Fees: $1,149/credit hour; $34,470 – $37,917 total tuition, depending on program option and number of credit hours taken. Minimum admission requirements:
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Who should take it?
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Gain Leadership Skills with a Master’s in Engineering Management
The University of Arizona Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering at the University of Arizona was established in 1961 and was the first department of systems engineering in the nation.
The online Master of Science in Engineering Management has grown out of this department to offer established engineering professionals the education and tools they need to excel in the business side of engineering.
Students in the program will gain leadership and business administration skills that can be applied to engineering projects and decision-making.
They will also learn about the technical elements that are involved in technology-based ventures and how to effectively manage advanced projects.
“Career opportunities for graduates of the systems and industrial engineering programs are outstanding,” said department head Dr. Young Jun Son. “University of Arizona graduates are making an impact as quality engineers, construction managers and reliability engineers.”
Completing the online Master of Science in Engineering Management program will give students detailed, in-depth knowledge of engineering management topics through five core courses.
A student can then complement this core knowledge with many technical elective options that can tailor the program to the student’s career goals.
The course also offers three study options: thesis, project and coursework-only.
Students who choose the thesis or project option will work under the supervision of a faculty advisor and participate in engineering management research activities such as cost estimation, and project management.
Students in the project option will take on a more hands-on approach. Students in the thesis and project options might be required to come to campus in person to defend their work in front of an academic committee.
The coursework-only option requires 33 units of coursework, with electives selected with the approval of a faculty advisor or the Graduate Study Committee.
What the Engineering Management Curriculum Offers
The main benefit of taking the Master of Science in Engineering Management program online is the flexibility it offers.
“Many of our students are working professionals,” said Son. “Students who work full-time can complete the program on a part-time basis if they so choose, and still complete the program within 1.5 – 2 years.”
Students are recommended to dedicate at least six hours per week to coursework for each three-credit-hour course. Having the course content accessible over the Desire2Learn online platform allows students to access and complete coursework at the times that best fit their schedule.
Online students will also have access to the same lectures taught by the same University of Arizona faculty that are available to on-campus students. Some courses have telepresence capabilities enabling remote students to take the class at the same time as on-campus students and ask questions over their computer’s microphone.
These lectures are also recorded and made available online 10 minutes after the lecture ends, enabling remote students to access the lectures at any time.
Who Should Take a Masters in Engineering Management?
Students in the Master of Science in Engineering Management program will have a career goal focused on moving up the ladder of a technical organization. In addition to the core courses in the program, which offer a business perspective within engineering, students can also tailor electives around their specific area of interest.
Students wanting to specialize in a particular discipline of engineering, such as electrical or industrial, with less focus on the business side of engineering, might instead consider a degree in that particular area.
The Master of Science in Engineering Management program is geared toward working engineering professionals with a Bachelor of Science in any engineering field, generally with some work experience in their field or industry. It is also for those who aspire to advance their careers into management positions within engineering and technology organizations.
This online course format is well suited to professionals who have been out of school for some years. There are several dedicated support services available for distance learners, including 24/7 IT assistance.
Core Courses:
- SIE 514 — Law for Engineers and Scientists
- SIE 515 — Technical Sales and Marketing
- SIE 522 — Decision Making Under Uncertainty
- SIE 557 — Project Management
- SIE 567 — Financial Modeling for Innovation
Sample List of SIE Graduate Courses Electives:
o SIE 500A — Introduction to SIE Methods: Probability and Statistics
o SIE 500B — Introduction to SIE Methods: Stochastic Processes
o SIE 500C — Introduction to SIE Methods: Linear Programming
o SIE 506 — Quality Engineering
o SIE 508 — Reliability Engineering
o SIE 514 — Law for Engineers and Scientists
o SIE 515 — Technical Sales and Marketing
o SIE 520 — Stochastic Modeling I
o SIE 522 — Engineering Decision Making Under Uncertainty
o SIE 525 — Queuing Theory
o SIE 530 — Engineering Statistics
o SIE 531 — Simulation Modeling and Analysis
o SIE 536 — Experiment Design and Regression
o SIE 540 — Survey of Optimization Methods
o SIE 544 — Linear Programming
o SIE 545 — Fundamentals of Optimization
o SIE 546 — Algorithms, Graphs and Network
o SIE 547 — Computational Issues in Optimization
o SIE 550 — Theory of Linear Systems
o SIE 552 — Space Systems Engineering
o SIE 554 A — Systems Engineering Process
o SIE 556 — Fundamentals of Guidance for Aerospace Systems
o SIE 557 — Project Management
o SIE 561 — Traffic Modeling and Simulation
o SIE 562 — Advanced Production Control
o SIE 563 — Integrated Logistics and Distribution Systems
o SIE 564 — Cost Estimation
o SIE 565 — Supply Chain Management
o SIE 567 — Financial Modeling for Innovation
o SIE 583 — Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems (CIM)
o SIE 599 — Independent Study
o SIE 606 — Advanced Quality Engineering
o SIE 620 — Selected Topics in Probability Modeling
o SIE 631 — Distributed Multi-Paradigm Simulation Systems
o SIE 636 — Advanced Experiment Design
o SIE 640 — Large Scale Optimization
o SIE 644 — Integer and Combinatorial Optimization
o SIE 645 — Nonlinear Optimization
o SIE 649 — Topics of Optimization
o SIE 654 — Advance Concepts in Systems Engineering
o SIE 678 — Transportation Systems
The University of Arizona has sponsored this article. It has no editorial input into this article. All opinions are mine. — Meghan Brown