With the rapid development of technology, the world’s markets have become progressively dependent on the influx of professionals, who are skilled in science, technology, and engineering; as the core disciplines of a flourishing economy. The core of this development remains people’s talent and skills. To meet the career needs of the 21st Century, technical managers need to perform the highly technical job functions, technical experts such as engineers, technologists, and scientists also are expected to manage the technical workforce.
Masters in Engineering Management program focuses on individuals who want to stay in an engineering technical environment, however also focus on the managerial roles. It fills a special niche: technical people with professional experience who not only want managerial skills but also want to stay in the technical realm. The curriculum provides advanced training in optimization and statistics, as well as the MBA core. Through an in-depth, real world group design project, and course content in management science, project management, decision and risk analysis, information technology, finance and accounting, systems analysis, and organizational behavior, students become well versed with both the technical as well as the managerial skills which play a significant role in becoming an effective engineering manager. They also learn managerial skills to help organize and supervise people from different cultures and backgrounds so as to maximize teamwork, creativity, and productivity, and to do so in an environment of global awareness and concern for ethical issues. Further, they learn to navigate this process with a broad, global perspective that considers the full range of technical, economic, environmental, social, and other consequences over an appropriate time horizon. In the traditional engineering programs, many of the skills which are required by the engineering managers are not emphasized.
For many of engineers, obtaining a graduate degree plays a significant role in shaping their career as they proceed toward managerial positions. The engineering managers experience a linear career path, which as a result gets them higher in hierarchy; moreover, MEM degree holders recognized the influence of this degree on their careers, especially with gaining experience in the workforce. The above study demonstrates that not only people place value in obtaining a higher professional degree, but that this value is based not on empirical “higher is better,” but on actual tangible benefits that pertain to their career path, such as better placement, faster employment, more prestigious and sought after employers, and better financial compensation. In a modern company, technical competence is no longer an assurance of continued employment; being on the edge of technology in the field is becoming a most basic requirement; and to ensure stability and growth, professionals need to embrace a wider array of related skills well beyond purely technical expertise.
The breadth of opportunity is one of the most attractive facets of this specialty. Fields that require this experience include:
- Manufacturing management
- Technical consulting
- Chemical process consulting
Research shows, as of 2016, the graduates of MEM degree programs earn some of the highest starting salaries in the industry and hence, secure very high job satisfaction. Managing engineers enjoy the opportunity to reap the benefits of their technical backgrounds while participating in lucrative business ventures as leaders and as entrepreneurs.
– Team Leverage