On-campus and Online Master’s Degree in Engineering Management and Certificate in Foundations of Engineering Management

What is engineering management?

Engineering management is a specialized form of management required to successfully lead engineering or technical personnel and projects and applies to either functional management or project management. Engineering managers use their training and experience to coach, mentor and motivate technical professionals.

An engineering manager’s duties might include:

• Overseeing the team members and processes associated with engineering and construction projects
• Providing management and leadership to a team of analysts or industrial engineers
• Helping a company or organization identify costs and budget needs for specific projects in their planning stage
• Delegating tasks and inspecting processes and project results for accuracy and quality

What jobs can I get with an engineering management degree?

Engineering managers typically require training and experience in both general management and the specific engineering disciplines that will be used by the engineering team to be managed. Engineering managers provide leadership in a variety of project-related fields, including construction, chemical engineering, computer engineering, supply chain engineering, aerospace engineering and electrical engineering.

Is a graduate certificate or master’s degree in engineering management from KU right for me?

Because of the specialized training involved, a master’s degree in engineering management is among the top eight highest paying master’s degrees. Using the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the average nationwide salary for engineering managers is $140,760 per year.

The KU master’s degree in engineering management program is a specific blend of business, management and leadership courses, with specific emphasis placed on employment skills that apply across a range of careers and professional situations. This includes written and oral communication, technology management, leadership and analysis and design skills.

To serve students whose work or other obligations require them to be away from Kansas City and for students who live outside of Kansas City, engineering management courses are available online via distance learning (both live-streamed and recorded). Students can take courses and participate in individual class sessions in engineering management in Kansas City or remotely via live streaming. Many students complete the entire program online, often living outside the Kansas City area or even outside the U.S.

See an overview video of students talking about the program

The four course certificate in Foundations of Engineering Management covers technical, human and conceptual management processes, with a curriculum designed to make graduates sensitive to employer and customer needs, as well as changes in business, industry and government. The program emphasizes team-based approaches, as well as communication skills and technology management.