Lead the Technological Pack with a Master’s in Engineering Management & Leadership

Engineering and management used to be to disparate fields, and students would only choose one direction or the other when deciding their path for higher education.  However, these days, there is a growing need for engineers who have both the technical skills and the business savvy to run the many technologically-focussed companies that comprise our modern economy.

These professionals are leaders with a core of engineering expertise and a strong understanding of business practices, management principles, finance and operations.

Whether you want to be an entrepreneur or lead a Fortune 500 tech company, a Master’s of Science in Engineering Management and Leadership from Purdue is the first step to achieving your career goals.  This program offers students an essential mix of engineering courses through Purdue’s School of Engineering, and management courses through a partnership with Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. 

Applicants must possess an undergraduate degree from an ABET-accredited institution in engineering or a related discipline, and must apply to and be accepted by Purdue Engineering Online.  Once enrolled, students work with an advisory committee of faculty members and graduate advisors to develop a Plan of Study (PoS) for their degree. 

The MS ENML requires students to choose a combination of courses that develop their skills and knowledge in their chosen engineering discipline, as well as developing a broad understanding of the key principles of business and management through IU’s Kelly School of Business. Topics covered include:

• Accounting
• Decision making
• Operational management
• Strategic marketing management
• Strategic management and business planning

The Benefits of Taking an Online Master’s Degree at Purdue

Purdue’s online MS ENML program is administered through the Purdue Engineering Online department, and is well-suited to professional working engineers who aspire to advance their career into increasingly managerial roles, while also balancing their education with full-time employment.

Students can take courses at their own pace—from one per semester up to a full course load—in order to complete their education when it is convenient to their work and personal life.  All course content is delivered online, including lectures and course readings.  Lecture content is recorded and made available for students to view and download at any time, enabling them to access course content and study when it is convenient to them.

Program costs also offer some flexibility, as tuition is paid on a per-course basis, allowing students to plan their degree progress to suit their financial situation.  It is important to note that there is a tuition difference between courses from Purdue Engineering and the management courses offered through UI Kelly School of Business.  Online Kelly courses are $3,000 for the 2017-2018 school year, including some textbook fees and a $150 financial accounting prep course.

Tuition for the Purdue Engineering courses is also a flat rate per course, which varies depending on whether the student is a resident of the state of Indiana. 

Learn Both Business Management and System Design

The MS ENML degree requires 33 credit hours—21 from Purdue Engineering, and 12 from IU’s Kelly School of Business.  Out of the engineering credit hours, 3-4 courses should be graduate-level engineering courses that will build a deeper understanding of your chosen engineering discipline. 

The degree’s required courses include 3-4 courses emphasizing systems design and development, to provide a solid understanding of systems engineering with a focus on designing and managing complex technical systems over the course of their lifecycle.

The remaining 12 credit hours are comprised of business and management courses from Indiana University:

• BUKD C521 Managing Accounting Information for Decision-Making
• BUKD C570 Strategic Marketing Management
• BUKD C580 Operations Management
• BUKD C560 Strategic Management and Business Planning OR BUKD C562 Developing Strategic Capability

The MS ENML program requires students to first complete at least 9 credit hours of courses through Purdue, achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, after which students can begin taking the management courses.

Systems Design and Development (at least 3 courses required)

• AAE 55000 Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
• AAE 55200 Non-destructive Evaluation of Structures and Materials
• AAE 56000 System of Systems Modeling and Analysis
• AAE 56400 Systems Analysis and Synthesis
• AAE/IE 59000 Systems Tools and Methodologies
• AAE 59000 System Safety and Reliability
• AAE 59000 Perspectives on Systems Engineering
• ECE 58000 Optimization Methods for Systems and Control
• ECE 63300 Modeling & Simulation of Power System Components
• ECE 67000 Modeling & Optimization of High Performance Interconnects
• ECE 69500 Power Electronic Converters and Systems
• ENE 55400 Globalization and Engineering
• IE 53000 Quality Control
• IE 53200 Reliability
• IE 53300 Industrial Applications of Statistics
• IE54500 Engineering Economic Analysis
• IE 54600 Economic Decisions in Engineering
• IE 55800 Safety Engineering
• IE 56600 Production Management Control
• IE 57000 Manufacturing Process Engineering
• IE 57700 Human Factors in Engineering
• IE 57900 Design & Control of Production & Manufacturing Systems
• IE 58000 Systems Simulation
• IE 58200 Advanced Facilities Design
• IE 59000 Applied Ergonomics
• IE 59000 Manufacturing Economics
• IE 59000 Perspectives on Systems Engineering
• IE 59000 Production Management Control
• IE 59000 Material Flow Systems Planning
• IE 59000 Power Systems & Smart Grid
• ME 51800 Analysis of Thermal Systems
• ME 55300 Product and Process Design
• ME 55700 Design for Manufacturability
• ME 57100 Reliability-Based Design
• MSE 59700 Lean Manufacturing

Purdue University has sponsored this post.  All opinions are mine.  –Meghan Brown