Advice from real masters of engineering management graduates and students.
Choosing a school while working full time can be a daunting task. Masters programs like engineering management can do a lot to advance one’s career, but knowing what to look for and how to look can help you focus your time on learning rather than searching.
According to Matt Toter, industrial engineer at small jet engine manufacturer Williams International, “The main reason I decided to go to Oakland was because I knew the teachers already. I was well equipped with what was needed as a student to succeed at Oakland. I did some online courses during my undergrad which I really liked the format at Oakland and I was afraid if I changed Universities with a change of format it might affect the time constraints that I had at work.”
Speaking of his work, Matt conducts simulations for a future jet engine factory. His simulations help ensure the demands of the factory are met and determine the equipment, layout, materials, capital costs, maintenance and production schedules necessary to produce a successful factory. His bachelors was in industrial and systems engineering at Oakland University where he is currently pursuing his masters in engineering management online.
However, not all engineers go to the school where they studied as an undergrad. So what would make someone choose to take a program in a university they are not already accustomed to?
Take Amy Jo Moore for example, systems engineer at Northrop Grumman. Amy works on US Air Force projects at Hill Air Force Base. She completed a bachelors in mechanical/aerospace engineering from Utah State University. However, she received her masters of engineering management online from Ohio University. Amy Jo is also a deputy speaker of the senate at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
As Amy explains, “I did some research and I found this Engineering Management program through Ohio University. This gave me the option to study completely online. I never once had to fly out to Ohio. I could do everything on my own time and from home. It let me utilize my technical background and still get that business side that I was looking for. And it was also a very quick timeline, I finished in about a year and a half without a thesis.”
If you still aren’t sure, Henri Begin, a software architecture engineer and line manager at Qualcomm, notes that some schools offer opportunities akin to a trail period. “The school I attended, the University of Colorado, they let people who were deciding about the degrees … sit in on a class. So you can get to the point where you can find out if their format or the online format in general is right for you. I’m sure that the University of Colorado is not the only school that does that … Contact the department you are interested in and ask if you can dial into one of the classes and see how they operate.”
Henri received his masters of engineering management from the University of Colorado Boulder where he also completed two other degrees, a masters in electrical engineering and a bachelors in computer engineering. Currently, Henri helps develop software architecture and long term software system design for digital communication devices.
What factors are you considering when searching for an online masters? Let us know in the comments.
If you want to hear more about what Matt, Amy Jo and Henri had to say about online education and engineering management then check out their webinar.
