For working professionals the search for a viable masters can be a daunting task. Keeping up with life, the office, and university research is a juggle. This is particularly true when the information needed to make an informed decision is spread over an online scavenger hunt. To assist these working professionals and future students, ENGINEERING.com has released their Online Engineering Masters Discovery Tool.
The tool is designed to help potential students that have a few years of experience under their belt. With this experience they now understand they have gaps of understanding in their field or in management. These gaps will be a hindrance to a student’s future and career. Thus, the student needs a master’s degree to fill in those technical and managerial gaps not often filled by an engineering undergrad.
As many of these students will be continuing their work while completing their masters, the majority of the programs searchable in the tool are available online. However, if the student prefers, some of the programs can also be completed on-campus.
What disciplines are available on the Online Engineering Masters Discovery Tool
The discovery tool is a culmination of months of research performed by the ENGINGINEERING.com editing staff. Using this research, students will be able to find On-campus and Online Engineering Masters programs in various disciplines. Currently the list of available disciplines searchable in the tool include:
- Engineering management
- Civil engineering
- Computer engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Systems engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Coming soon: Project management and Environmental engineering
As the tool grows more discipline options, as well as the list of available programs in each discipline, will be added over time. So it is important to check back regularly to see what new programs and disciplines have been added to the list.
Potential students will be asked questions about their decision criteria, previous education, experience and interests. Some sample questions the tool will ask include:
- Would you prefer to study your Masters Online or On-Campus?
- What is your Tuition budget?
- What was your GPA?
- What are your Program and Topics of interest?
The information collected by the questionnaire is cross referenced with the Engineering Masters research. Once the cross referencing is finished, students are presented with a list of programs that fit their preferences.
The list presented to students will contain at minimum a short program description, minimum admission requirements, program data and a course list (when appropriate/available).
Taste of Engineering Masters Programs available on the Tool
In addition to the minimum information displayed by the tool, students gain access to faculty interviews from the various programs when available.
One such example is Dr. Daw Alwerfalli, the Director of the Masters of Engineering Management (MEM) program at Lawrence tech. In his interview he explains how the program is tailored to working professionals and how private universities are well equipped to meet a student’s special needs.
As Dr. Alwerfalli says, “[the] MEM program was developed to serve the specific need of US industry. Highly qualified faculty with terminal degrees and many years of experience teach in the program. It is fully supported by FORD, CHRYSLER and GM. We currently have over 50 working professionals in the MEM program.”
Using the tool, students can also get acquainted with Dr. John Cable, Director of the Project Management Program at Maryland. This program was the first Project Management program associated with an Engineering School to be accredited in the US.
Dr. Cable also points out that the weekly conference calls between students and instructors helps to improve distance learning. I bet a weekly conference call between professors and students can create a relationship often stronger than that experienced on-campus.
As for who should take this program, Dr. Cable explains, “The Project management degree has a broad based focus on project execution. We have a few courses that go beyond the individual project, to the program and to the portfolio. But our focus is on if you have a project, how do you define it, how do you execute it, and how do you get it down on time, in budget and with a happy customer? … This is really for people with a technical background and are working in a business, research or not, and they need to be able to execute their responsibilities in a professional manner.”
If these programs don’t interest you, do not fear. There is plenty more where that came from on the Online Engineering Masters Discovery Tool.