Online Engineering Management Degree Programs

Engineering managers are responsible for planning, designing, and coordinating production activities within the larger engineering industry. Their roles have become even more pronounced in recent years due to the rapid growth and scope of today's engineering projects. From nanotechnology research initiatives to data systems to urban planning, engineering managers provide leadership and guidance to ventures in manufacturing and science.

Degrees in Engineering Management

The majority of engineering managers have formal training similar to the people they supervise--bachelor's degrees or higher in engineering, an applicable science discipline, or mathematics. Thereafter, you should focus on obtaining a master's in engineering management (MEM) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA). While these two degrees are slightly different, either can equip you with the requisite business, accounting, and project management skills necessary. Think of engineering management career training as a combination of technical expertise and more traditional business management. Coursework ranges from MBA-style classes in leadership and organizational communication to industry-specific classes in linear programming, network flows, and reliability engineering.

Online Degrees in Engineering Management

Because engineering management is an upper-level career field that often appeals to working professionals, it's not uncommon to find students enrolled in online programs. Flexible and convenient, these distance-learning degrees allow you to accumulate experience at your day job while mastering the fundamentals of management at night and on weekends.

Career Options in Engineering Management

Although engineering managers are in demand in a wide range of industries, manufacturing, scientific, professional, and technical service sectors provide the bulk of employment opportunities. Numerous openings are also available at the local, state, and federal levels.

Salary and Outlook for Engineering Management

Engineering managers can expect fairly standard industry growth (8 percent) from 2006 to 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The fastest growth is expected in environmental and biomedical engineering, two areas that are expanding rapidly. Electronics and materials engineering, on the other hand, could face stiff international competition, offering fewer opportunities by comparison. With the skills you receive through engineering management career training, you aren't necessarily locked into domestic employment. From urban planning in India to irrigation projects in China, the world is moving forward at an incredibly rapid rate. If you have the requisite training to spearhead these projects, you can potentially enjoy more favorable growth than the 8 percent offered in the United States.

Salary ranges are even more encouraging, with the median income in 2006 hovering around $105,000. Even at the lower bracket (usually state government positions), the median salary was $65,000 in 2006. In addition, many engineering managers enjoy more benefits, stock option plans, expense accounts, and bonuses than their non-managerial counterparts.

• Engineering